Originally published on the TalentWise blog January 21, 2016.
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Let’s just be forthright about it: HR’s job is not getting any easier in 2016. Between the changing landscape of talent acquisition, more demanding administrivia, and the evolving strategic seat at the table, the HR organization needs as many allies as it can get.
Fortunately, a valuable partner already exists within the organization: Marketing! Adopting some Marketing strategy behind positioning, promotion and progress can help HR to shine in the coming year.
Positioning = a stronger employer brand.
Smart marketers never launch a campaign without firm positioning, and HR is wise to follow suit when thinking of the employer brand. Partnering with marketing to position the employer brand offers more creativity through a proven process, as well as another great perspective for selling the company as a great place to work. Engaging with the employer brand throughout the hiring process also has a significant impact on your candidate’s journey, with compounding advantages for your organization.
Promotion = a social approach to recruiting and advocacy.
If you’re not taking advantage of social media to amplify your company culture, Marketing can explain how to do it and what kinds of benefits to expect. Letting the employer brand shine through social media is a necessary foundation for social recruiting strategies, which are necessary for attracting the best talent and can tip the scale against a competing offer with a company who doesn’t have social exposure and brand recognition.
Increasing your brand presence online—especially transforming employees and customers into a community of brand advocates—also means extending your network and the reach of your content, potentially generating even more sales opportunities for the company.
Progress = ongoing improvement from analytics.
Technologies are helping HR to be a data-driven department in ways they never have, with huge advantages in talent acquisition and talent management. Beyond offering great benefits to encourage retention, HR can get ahead of retention with predictive analytics around hiring, churn and employee satisfaction. Lean on your data-driven pals in Marketing to help navigate your analytics, get the insights you need from your data to make impactful decisions and make ongoing improvements in the organization.
New and improved HCM technologies are rising above the murky waters of complex reporting requirements and compliance risk, but tech can only get HR so far. If you let some marketing strategy permeate your HR world, I’m quite confident that the HR organization will run a little smoother in 2016.
Spencer Czapiewski 