BUILDING BRANDS AND VALUE PROPOSITIONS

Executive Summary

1.     This briefing examines employer brands and employee value propositions from five perspectives – the strategic case, what 'winning' brands comprise, the applied thinking behind propositions, the importance of culture/work environment, and the challenges faced in these aspects of talent management. A summary of Key Learning Points is provided to guide executive thinking.

2.     The strategic case for considering brands/propositions rests on the benefits that may be achieved from their deployment. More effective sourcing of talent, improved employee retention, better engagement, greater job satisfaction and enhanced business results are five outcomes in leading organizations.

3.     Developing an employer brand as a corporate reputation for exemplary employment practices is an imperative aspect of talent management. It helps establish an organization's 'uniqueness' and comprises different sets of considerations. Deciding on and deploying brand elements, differentiating the brand and living up to its promises are three examples. Window dressing must be avoided at all costs.

4.     Usually, a brand converts into a defined value proposition, or 'value package' at different levels depending on an organization's resources and talent circumstances. The most notable propositions go well beyond a pure 'deal' incorporating a mix of tangible/intangible benefits, using them as a framework to shape the employment experience, or as a renewable process under the theme of talent management.

5.     Increasingly, an organization's culture, levels of employee engagement and the work environment are being developed and promoted as integral aspects of brands/propositions for three reasons. They tend to bond the organization and its people, in addition to enriching the employment experience and providing a unique talent advantage that cannot be replicated.

6.     Challenges will have to be faced with regard to these aspects of talent management. Connecting the organization's talent imperative and focus to brands/propositions, defining 'make or break' attributes for them, and creating a sense of purpose and place are three. In addition, brands/propositions will have to be continually evaluated leading towards the ultimate of having customized offerings for different talent populations.

7.     A case study, case reports and advisers provide a range of experiences for the issues above, including Key Talent Propositions and Practices. The organizations featured are Agilent Technologies, BP, OMI Inc, PETsMART Inc, South Auckland Health, Southwest Airlines and The Motley Fool.

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