Fall 2008 Volume 10
 
 
In this issue
 

Talent branding - A multi-generational perspective
 
With four unique generational segments in the workforce and increasing competition for talent, companies must develop attractive internal brands to attract and retain employees - both Gen Y's at a junior level and experienced Baby Boomers at a senior level.

Although Baby Boomers and Gen Y's differ in terms of what work benefits they value most, their work enjoyment is ultimately tied to how well an employer engenders the following:

  1. Employees trust who they work for (employee - management relationship)
  2. Have pride in what they do (employee - job/company relationship)
  3. Enjoy the people they work with (employee - co-worker relationship)

Companies that are striving to be a top employer must find ways to foster this trust, pride, and enjoyable work culture in their workplace.

Although the internal brand gets shaped and lived in all day-to-day activities, companies must provide a platform from which it is lived. The employment experience platform created could include company wide communication guidelines, updated health benefits, and work-life balance initiatives. It is within employment areas such as these where companies can improve value for employees; however the value proposition differs between generational segments.

What specifically drives Gen Y's vs. Baby Boomers?

  1. Health is an important element of all employment areas for Baby Boomers. 62% of boomers worry about their health in retirement, and 60% of older baby boomers already suffer from chronic health problems (1). Intuitively, this need cannot be addressed solely through health benefit packages - it encompasses all areas of Baby Boomers work experience, including a healthy physical work environment, work flexibility to accommodate personal needs, and strong office relationships to reduce stress and foster a sense of community.
  2. For Gen Y's, career development is a critical element of all employment areas. Companies must have a structure to help junior level employees develop within their organization. This structure can be developed through supporting further employee training, implementing performance feedback systems, reducing barriers to open communication between junior and executive level employees, and simply motivating junior employees to aspire to their bosses job.

Bottom line, all employees value the three relationships listed above but companies must develop the platform and foster a culture that addresses unique generational needs - health and well-being for Baby Boomers, and Career Development for Gen Y's.

(1) Mckinsey Quarterly, November 2007.

A Strong Brand will help weather the Economic Storm


We attended the first two days of the conference as participants and led a half-day workshop on brand building and customer experience on day 3.

The following key themes emerged from the conference:

  1. During times of economic upheaval, it is even more important to focus on the key differentiating elements of your brand.
  2. In keeping with North American business trends, internal branding is now being heralded as the key to employee engagement and customer experience management.
  3. When the role of market research in internal branding was discussed, the message was clear: when internal and external market research identifies the same brand issues/gaps, it is much easier to get senior buy-in.
  4. As one would expect, speakers stressed the importance of integrating interactive, on-line marketing and web based communications with marketing campaigns. The key is to not focus on any one marketing tactic too much, but integrate interactive into the entire campaign.
  5. Larger organizations with call centers have an opportunity to leverage this key customer touch point to build brand. These companies pay relatively more attention to internal branding / employee connection to the brand to ensure employees are delivering on-brand customer service.

I hope that you enjoyed these key conference insights and find an opportunity to leverage your internal brand to engage employee and senior management as you advance your brand.

Upcoming Events and Publications


American Marketing Association, Toronto, February 19th. Brand Matters is leading a panel discussion on the dynamics of employer branding with an expert panel. Registration is not yet open, more information to follow.

This newsletter is published by Brand Matters, a brand consulting firm that specializes in market research, brand repositioning, internal branding and implementation. With Patricia McQuillan as President and Founder, the firm has delivered success-driven results for a variety of renowned organizations since 2000. This newsletter was sent to friends, clients and associates of Brand Matters Inc.
 
Client Testimonials About Us Capabilities Brand News