Dive Brief:
- Marriott, Johnson & Johnson, and Hilton were the top three companies in a ranking of employment brands completed by WilsonHCG. The study “analyzes and ranks the employment brand of each of the Fortune 500 companies based on more than 17,000 data points around six key employment branding and promotion categories.” Those categories included employee reviews, career pages and recruitment marketing, which made up 80% of the total score. Johnson & Johnson previously held the top spot in each of the last four years.
- On an industry level, the scientific, photographic, and control equipment category had the highest average score, just ahead of Information Technology Services, followed by three industries (computer software; mail,package and freight delivery; and pharmaceuticals) that tied for third.
- The report outlined three key trends in employment branding: treating candidates like customers, managing the five generations now present in the workforce, and using employee voice instead of “filtered versions of brands” in employment communications. “[People] want to hear about and see real people,” the report said.
Dive Insight:
Over the past few years, as leverage in the job market has shifted from employers to workers, branding has grown in importance as a strategic HR priority. In December of last year, HR Dive named Southwest Airlines the Employer Brand of the Year, citing the well-respected company culture and high ratings on review sites, while other airlines struggle mightily. The company received 300,000 applications in 2017, and could only hire 2%.
Additionally, CHROs are working more closely with chief communications officers than ever, due to employee and leadership stances on social issues and the role of corporate culture in the talent market, according to a recent study.
Multiple surveys have found climate change to be the subject that moves the dial most for job-seekers, with one of the surveys highlighting plant- and lab-based foods, aviation safety, living wage, data security, and union concerns as the next most important issues.
In the interest of growing their employment brand, companies are making a sincere effort to publicize their people management efforts, including diversity goals, employee appreciation initiatives, and new benefits offerings.
Benefits packages are helping employers stand out, both for branding and retention, especially as their offerings become more creative and customized. Tuition reimbursement, parental leave, student loan repayment, wellness programs and expanded healthcare are among the most popular benefits becoming newly available.
