Why would I want to work for me?

MB Piland has questions:would you hire you?I stongly believe a company's brand is only as strong as its talent. That's why our Expert Source model is such an asset in our  work.

But whether your structure is traditional or nontraditional, the truth remains: talent will make or break you.

That leads me to two thoughts about how to attract the brilliant minds you need to differentiate and power your company forward..

  1. You should be in the talent search business all the time. Not just when there's a vacancy on your org chart. 
  2. You have to have attraction activities that are purposefully drenched in your brand and purpose.

The "curse of knowledge" makes it hard to put yourself in the shoes of someone who really doesn't know what you do. Do candidates really know what they might be getting into when they come on board? Are they excited about being part of your brand? Do the candidates you want even know you exist?

To help you think more objectively about your recruitment process, below are some things to consider:

purpose and culture

  • What is our unique value? To employees? To customers?... and is that part of our conversation when we're interviewing?
  • When we tell candidates about our company, do we share our brand lore—the company stories—that bring our heritage and history into living, breathing personality?

communications

  • Do treat recruitment communications like they're important—or are they just an afterthought?
  • Is there strong content on our website for potential employees?
  • Do we have a quality recruitment brochure, and is it well branded?
  • We probably use testimonials in our outbound marketing, do we use them in recruiting, too?
  • Do we pay attention to our internal social media? What do our colleagues and partners say about us online?
  • Do our own social media efforts show what it's like to be part of our team and how we live our brand?

environment

  • Do work areas, employee lounge and dining spaces present a positive place where a person can envision working—and fitting in?
  • Is our environment branded through-and-through, or is it only window dressing?
  • When we're interviewing, do we build in time for unforeseen circumstances so a candidate isn't left waiting? Or worse yet, interviewed by people who are ill-prepared for the meeting?
  • Do we visibly demonstrate our brand or only pay it lip service?

cultivation

  • Do we have internship programs and shadow days that give developing talent a glimpse of the "real us"?
  • Do we like the Real Us?
  • Do we give information interviews and help others make connections?

Once you've done some soul searching, listen to others on the inside. Ask people all across your organization—in HR, Marketing, Operations and Finance—these same questions.

Don't delay. This is a powerful way to help build your brand's strength and vitality from the inside out. It's important, and it works.

brand-o-matic
MB Piland Advertising + Marketing: Culture Quiz
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