Human resources branding in the present scenario.

• Author: Lakshmi, M. Sree

INTRODUCTION:

The HR Branding concept emerged recently in the field of Human Resource management. The success of an organization relies upon excellence in attracting, motivating and retaining the best talented employees. HR branding deals with image of the company's construction, improvement and maintenance of a company's image as an employer. Successful HR branding makes easier the process of potential employees search, young talent attraction and experienced professionals keeping. Employer branding seeks to examine how current employees remain attracted and committed to an organization, as well as how potential recruits get smitten.

Minchington (2005), stated Employer branding as "the image of the organization as a 'great place to work' in the minds of current employees and key stakeholders in the external market (active and passive candidates, clients, customers and other key stakeholders). Phuti Tsukudu viewed Employer branding, which refers to the identification with the image or reputation of an organization, by both present and prospective employees.

Dr. Shirley Jenner and Stephen Taylor of Charted Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) enlisted the reasons for its emergence is as follows

* To enhance the brand power of an organization

* To assist HR in its search for credibility

* As one of the drivers of employee engagement

* Due to tough labour market conditions.

The Employer brand is the process of creating an identity and managing the company's image in its role as an employer. The employer brand has to be aligned and congruent with what the company delivers to the employee, customer, public and share holder.

The most important factors impact the employer brand is

1. Reputation / integrity

2. Culture

3. Recruitment / orientation

4. Pay and benefits

5. Work / Life balance

6. Leadership and management

7. Performance management, growth and development

   Out of these seven factors few factors such as culture, pay and benefits, leadership and management and performance management, growth and development are crucial for employer branding. HR professionals in the new economy have to play a greater role in building the image and reputation of the company through employee branding.

   The success of the company relies upon it's excellence in executing their work with a shared responsibility, serve customers in distinctive way, update mission and values statement.

   Stronger Employer brands have employer value proposition (EVP) which are communicated in company actions and behaviours and evoke both emotive and tangible benefits for current and prospective employees. These EVPs reflect the image that the organizations want to portray to its target audience. A company's employer brand is reflected in the actions and behaviours of leaders and is affected by company policies, procedures and practices.

   Companies with a strong and positive corporate brand image have two advantages; they are an ability to have a single umbrella image that throws light on a range of products (corporate branding giants like Sony, Disney and Microsoft) second an ability to attract and retain the best talents in the market and get a commitment to quality from them (Yahoo, Southwest Airlines and Infosys).

   Hatch and Schultz (2001) conducted a research for more than 100 companies worldwide for over 10 years. The study highlighted that a company must align three different interdependent elements to create a strong corporate brand namely vision, culture and image. Aligning vision is the top culture and image, take concentrated managerial skill and will. While vision is the top management's aspirations for...