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What is Your Recruiting “Micro-Brand”?

What is your Recruiting “Micro-Brand”?

I HATE the saying “people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers”. Not because I don’t believe it to be true, in fact I can honestly agree with it in most cases. The reason I hate this statement is the fact that it’s a justification, an oversimplification of a larger problem. Over the last decade or so, companies have really started embracing the idea of establishing and professing their employment brand, their “message” to attract the best talent possible.

Unfortunately, many organizations have really missed the mark as it relates to what is effective in attracting top tier individuals. A corporate, or “macro-brand”, is great, but have you identified what your “micro-brand” is? What is the hiring manager’s story, what is the compelling reason, given the local market competition and trends, that someone should join your team? Can you articulate why the problems, the pain, that this person experiences every day or every week or every year are going to be different with you? I have found that the clients that are most successful in attracting and recruiting top talent can not only leverage their “macro-brand” but understand the value in articulating and leveraging their “micro-brand”.

To develop this, it is critical to know and understand your competition. Not just what they profess, but specifically what they are doing in the market that is making them successful or stalling their growth. What is their boss known for? What issues have you seen arise when competing with them, what complaints have you heard from previous employees of that organization? As I am sure you can imagine, this IS different depending on your target.

Can you imagine if you approached every sale with a one size fits all solution? Just like any sale, it’s critical to know and understand the pain experienced by your target, specifically how it pertains to their employer and their market and solve that pain with your “micro-brand”. This is not about money, this is not about titles, this is about creating a comprehensive solution that addresses the candidate specifically.

In my professional experience, I have seen that those that can speak this message with consistency, honesty, and thoughtfulness are FAR more likely to see success in attracting and on boarding the right talent. For those that are struggling with this, our team at Nenni is happy to help you understand and leverage your “micro-brand” to enhance your recruiting strategy. Regardless of your company size, compensation package, competitive landscape, this message, this “micro-brand”, is by far the most important piece of the recruiting puzzle.

Written By:  Corey Kravitz