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Training And Compensation’s Role In Recruiting And Branding
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Most people see the role of recruiting as a relatively isolated one. Managers and recruiters are intimately involved in recruiting, but other HR functions (like training and compensation) play only a shadow role. This is a major error, because the training and compensation functions need to accept that they also have a key responsibility in helping build an organization’s external image and brand as a “great place to work.” An Example When you survey applicants, and ask them what they expect in a job, learning and growth in training are consistently listed in the top five reasons for accepting or remaining in a job. Unfortunately, outside applicants generally have no chance to find out about a company’s training and learning programs because training departments fail to take an active role in outside PR, marketing and brand-building. If outsiders are unaware of the quality of a firm’s training programs (because training failed to see the need for external marketing), they certainly will be less likely to apply to that firm. The same may be true for compensation. Paying extremely well, but keeping it an internal secret, does little to inspire applications. The company must sell the candidate on both:
Training and compensation can play a significant role in both of these “sales” roles. It can spread the word in the general media in order to build the company’s image as an employer that develops and rewards its people. Training and compensation can also have a major impact on potential applicants by providing them directly with job specific information on the excellent training, learning and compensation opportunities an organization offers. The “Sales” Role Of Training And Compensation Unfortunately, most HR functions seem to expect PR and marketing to do all the image building. Most training (and almost all compensation) departments do a poor job of building their internal image within the firm. This hurts recruiting, because if your current employees fail to see the excellence of your training and compensation, they are unlikely to “sell” it to other professionals they meet outside the firm. This can have a negative impact on the number and the quality of employee referrals. <*SPONSORMESSAGE*> When it comes to external marketing however, both functions are complete “non-players.” Some of the steps that training and compensation can take to help build our internal and external brand and to excite potential applicants about our training, learning and compensation opportunities include:
Success Metrics It is equally important for the training and compensation departments to assess how well they are doing in building the company’s image and brand. This can be done in a variety of ways, including by:
Conclusion Building the brand and making outsiders and employees aware of the quality your HR programs is the job of everyone. It is essential that HR staff functions like compensation, benefits, and training are both measured and rewarded for excellence in building your company’s image. Making insiders aware of your excellent programs also aids in retention. Recruiting and PR can help build your image, but if you’d expect to become an employer choice, other functions must also take an active role.