Will you buy me??

Mr. Gavin Richardson, the HR head of a leading consultancy firm, is driving to one of the most prestigious B schools of country. Looking at the astounding CVs of potential employees on his laptop, he was optimistic about signing up the top talent for his firm.  But on arrival, an enervated sight was ready to greet him. Only 10 students had turned up for the recruitment process. A mere 2.5% turnout for a 20 year old firm offering a stupendous package. Reason, a certain site named Glassdoor bellowed of the excruciating working atmosphere and stress in the company. 

Step into the world of employer branding. Where the organization and the employer, not the employee, has to create an impression of who you are and what you stand for. Coined by Simon Barrow in 1996, the definition of employer branding goes as “Package of functional, economic and psychological benefits provided by employment and identified with the employing company”. In other words, it promotes an organization as the employer of choice to desired target group of its ideal employees to secure the achievement of company’s business plan. 

According to the Times job survey, 66% employees agreed that brand name and organization image matter. In an another research by Business and research body CRF institute in 32 countries, 59% employers believed employer brand management is the key to HR Strategy. So, why has employer branding has become a topic of such paramount importance in today’s world. The answer is in the various aspects a job aspirant sees in his potential recruiter.

In modern era, career is an important part of people’s identity and an integral part of their life. For them, it is not just about making money. But more than that, they look for meaning and purpose in their job. Questions such as ‘why should I work here, how does it fit in my life goals or do I relate to the company’s long term objectives’ are gaining prominent voice. Individual attitudes and perception are gaining a stellar role in any firm. Putting differently, people are more of having fully developed minds than heads full of just facts.

All this puts HR firmly on the frontline, with responsibility of branding and brand strategy. It becomes his foremost task to create and maintain an identity that is true, credible, relevant, distinctive and inspirational. He should be able to evaluate the potential employees’ career expectations, formulate company’s strategic objectives and Employer Value Proposition (EVP). EVP is set of unique employer offerings which makes it an exceptional employer which involves:

·         Salary

·         Employee benefits by employer

·         Job security

·         Work life balance

·         Pleasant working environment

·         Career progression opportunities

Effective employer branding is combination of market research, advisory services, marketing and communication to achieve a credible and desirable brand position. It begins with understanding unique employer qualities and continues into sustaining the employer brand as living, vibrant and attractive entity. HR provides the ideal forum for investigating, influencing and defining the brand culture. People appreciate being engaged with and listened to. By involving employees in the process, not only can HR create essential brand expressions that have traction, it can also reduce the ‘not invented here’ resistance that is the downfall of many new branding initiatives. 

So, “How to create a brand image”? The answer would be Differentiation. Most of the companies are associated with many generic opportunities. But without key differentiation, all employers start to sound alike. Candidates are left with broad, ambiguous image and their questions of associating meaning and purpose to their work remain unsolved. For most people today, work is an extension of their values. Companies that understand this quest are able to differentiate themselves from the crowd. These companies include names like Google, Microsoft, Apple; giving a relaxed and creative work environment, international atmosphere and innovative products.

Thereby, to make an impact on business, HR people are thinking like marketers. Employees are venting on Glassdoor. Job seekers are asking questions on LinkedIn. People are talking about company. And on internet, the conversation never ends. And as such, the role of employer branding is becoming preeminent for the HR department across the globe.

Ready to take stance in group discussions??

As the winter draws to an end, a new season is scheduled to start. The season of admission in top notch B-schools and for placement in some of dream companies. The season would be marked by a lot of havoc; emails would be sent, calls would be received and people would travel long distances to bridge the gap between them and their dreams. And as the summers will knock on the doors, the heat would further rise for two other ongoing of the season- the Group Discussions and Personal Interviews that will take place and the second one? IPL auctions are over marking the beginning of the world’s most acclaimed cricket league.

Group discussions and cricket, looks to be two very or say totally different things. But there exist a close relationship between the two. We can define different people in a GD group with the batting position of a batsman. Don’t agree, read ahead..

The opening person:

Have you come across someone who is always eager to take the initiative and start the GD for those extra brownie points? Or are you yourself such a being. If yes, then you are the opening batsman of your group.

Pros:

The innings played by an opening batsman sets the tempo for the whole team. If he plays well, the morale of the whole team goes up.  But if he fails to deliver, the rest of the team has to do the damage control.

Likewise, you have the advantage that apart from getting the extra marks for starting the GD, you set the rhythm for the discussion to proceed. It is most likely that the discussion will revolve around the ideas that you have put forward, giving you a distinctive edge over the others. Furthermore, if you give an appropriate start, you will come across as a leader to the jury, capable of leading the team from the front and on the right direction.

Cons:

Now let’s look at the other side of coin. Your opening the will be well and good as long as you are well aware of the pitch conditions and nature of the incoming deliveries. In the context of group discussions, it is your awareness of the topic and the validity of your points. Not knowing the location of your enemy in a battlefield and still running aimlessly in front, to be appreciated for your bravery, is nothing more than a suicide mission.

So if you think you have the potential to become a Sachin or a Sehwag, go ahead and drive the hell out of the bowler. Else, you may end up being clean bold on the very first delivery.

The middle order batsman:

This is arguably the most important place in a batting line up, and my personal favorite. Reason- It has the most challenges associated with it, and when the challenges are more, the things start getting interesting. Doing the damage control if openers fail, stabilizing and structuring the innings to drive the game home are just some of the responsibilities of a middle order batsman.

Pros:

You get more time to get familiarize with the topic, and with your peers. You get to know the strong players of the group and plan your striking strategy according to it. You are the one who will structure the GD, carry forward the opinions set by the opening speaker, try to set a consensus among the group and drive the group towards a conclusion. And if the discussion is going in some other direction, you should be able to pull it back on the track, and come across as a smart, logical person to the jury.

Cons:

This is the category where its strength can become the weakness; because there are just too many players for this slot. And if you are not strong enough in your skills, chances are that your voice will be lost amidst so many people.  You have to be assertive, yet not argue. You have to be loud enough to be listened, yet not shout. And you have to convince the opposition, yet not debate with them. Belonging to this category takes much self work and planning, but once you are through, you are at the likes of Sir Don Bradman, Ricky pointing and Viv Richards.

The Finisher:

Are you the M S Dhoni of your group? Do you like to finish the things off with a six, and bag the Man of                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   the Match award? Then welcome to the lethal category of the finisher. You may be sitting quietly over the whole match, watching others play their roles, appreciating them in between and doing a little of this and that; but when you deliver, you are the one to strike the home run and bring the game home for your team.

Pros:

A finisher, as the name suggests, finishes the GD with a crisp and concrete conclusion that agrees with the consensus of the group. Sounds easy? Believe me, its one of the trickiest and mind boggling jobs. But once you have adapted to its art, you may end up with the highest tally in the group, for slamming the last nail in the coffin. Again, the time plays on your side in this role, since you have a good stretch to think of your opinion and strengthen it with some relevant examples. Also, since other members would have most probably extinguished themselves by then, stakes are high jury would be attracted towards your sudden heroic entry.

Cons:

A finisher in cricket has to deal with tremendous amount of pressure on account of doing a sizeable amount of work under less amount of time. And the same goes in GD. Another factor that may jeopardize you is that you may be sitting for the whole duration of GD waiting to end the proceedings, but you become so inundated that your mouth may just refuse to open up. Or some other group member may end the discussion giving an apt conclusion, leaving you in a fiasco. But then, not everybody can become MS Dhoni or AB  Delliviers.

The Pivot:

He was not an orthodox opener, not a specialist finisher and not an absolute middle order batsman. But he rotated himself according to the call of the hour, batting from position 1 to 8 in the order, sometimes opening, sometimes stabilizing and sometimes finishing the innings. But he almost always played the role of pivot, doing his role silently and perfectly- taking singles, striking fours and sometimes going over the fence. The Wall- Rahul Dravid.

And he can be the perfect role model for how a person should play in the group discussion. Get hold of the jest of the topic, if get a chance, open the discussion, else let other person do the job. If other person gives a good start, build upon it. Else, take the role of a opener and try shifting the GD in the right direction. Build partnerships by listening to others and supporting them, and in return, get their support when you make your point. And most of all, try to be present till the end of game. Keep changing the gears throughout.

The pitch and attenuation will play a decisive role in your overall impact. A good orator will vary his pitch among the lows and highs, just like a well composed cricket inning has everything from singles to sixes.

And most importantly, believe in yourself. Believe in the practice sessions you had, believe that you can deliver when it matters the most, and that whatever will follow will be in best of your interests.

Lyk its often said-

                “Give it your best, and then let God do the rest”.