The rapid rate at which the workplace environment has changed over the last two decades has left many businesses struggling to catch up. In just a few short years, digital inventions such as social media has left even the biggest of corporations floundering as their executives take time to consider how to harness these new platforms.
Employer branding has perhaps taken a back seat. Most big businesses still retain the services of a human resources (HR) department but smaller firms have tended to outsource that activity to save money. And this has led to a vacuum where those companies’ employer branding should be.
Even a well-staffed HR department can struggle to handle the demands of a daily social media presence designed to keep their company’s brand in the public eye and provide a positive image for the employer, not only for customers but also for potential recruits.
Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn do allow a company a certain degree of autonomy within the confines of the platform but it takes time to build up a following online and it takes patience and skill to send out regular messages that engage and interest those following.
The problem has been well documented: in 2011, a survey of HR managers in the US revealed that the top challenge for those attempting establishing a employer brand was finding the budget to maintain that brand. It is simply not enough to expect the HR department to add the burden of establishing and maintaining that brand without financial and IT support from either elsewhere in the organisation or from outwith the company.
Getting the brand right is essential for companies selling themselves to current customers and potential customers and more firms don’t stint on their marketing budget. Siphoning some of that cash to HR departments to get the employer brand right, too, should become a priority for companies that want to be progressive and positive.
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