"When we recruit, we specifically look for people who embody the core values of the company. These are the candidates best suited to help us grow."Paul F. Gentzkow, President and COO of staffing services
Hiring the best employees has never been easy. Companies often begin by promoting their top pay-and-benefits packages, then segue into perks like free massages on Fridays and the annual retreat in the Virgin Islands. However, the most critical factor some companies fail to focus on is the item that would truly set them apart: their employment brand.
"In this tightening labor market, companies have a real challenge recruiting and retaining great employees," says Matt Ferguson, president and CEO of CareerBuilder. com, the nation's top online job network. "An employment brand— the overall perception of an organization's culture and working environment—is a competitive differentiator for recruitment and an integral component of human capital management."
Company Background
One company that has mastered the art is Robert Half International, a global leader in professional services with $4 billion in annual revenues. Granted, the company has an advantage when it comes to recruiting: It pioneered specialized staffing services in 1948 and has built its business around finding outstanding talent in accounting, finance, technology, and related areas for worldwide clients.
"When we recruit, we specifically look for people who embody the core values of the company," says Paul F. Gentzkow, president and COO of staffing services for Robert Half. "These are the candidates best suited to help us grow." To help articulate its values and get the message out, Robert Half created an acronym, LEAD Principles, and now includes it in all recruitment materials. "This gives us an easy way to explain what we're about," says Gentzkow. "It stands for Leadership by example, Ethics first, An openness to new ideas, and Dedication to excellence." It helps attract applicants who share the company's values and discourages those who don't.
Expressing Company Culture Through Employment Branding
Since it's difficult to fully describe a culture in a job posting, Robert Half also works with CareerBuilder.com, which gets more than 23 million unique visitors a month. "We can link directly from our CareerBuilder.com posting to our website, where candidates can get a wealth of information about us and see if they're a good fit," says Gentzkow.
During the interview process, job seekers also meet with several Robert Half employees, who talk about specific aspects of the company's culture, so the candidate gets a full picture of the company and what it stands for. For example, Robert Half's culture is entrepreneurial, and that point is always stressed during the interviews. "We have a rich history and we emphasize that," says Gentzkow. "But we also have a start-up spirit, which means we need people who will thrive in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment."
To ensure that the fit is really right, Robert Half also uses a technique called behavioral interviewing, in which candidates are asked how they handled particular situations at previous jobs. "By seeing how people tackled challenges, we can see if they truly embody our LEAD Principles," says Gentzkow.
More Efficient Recruiting
The result: By developing a strong employment brand, and getting out the message, Robert Half's recruitment process has become more efficient, and ultimately more successful. It not only experiences fewer hires that aren't the right fit, but lower turnover as well. Employment branding doesn't just help land candidates who work for the company, but who live it.
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