GIVE & GET EMPLOYER BRANDING

Two branding experts suggest how companies can attract the most appropriate employees.

Adams and Marshall put forth a bold strategy for smarter hiring: They recommend “leaning into the harsh realities of your organization, being open to proactively going out of your way to deter people from joining your organization, and even provoking some existing employees to rethink their career options.” Toward that end, they urge employers to craft “a meaningful employee value proposition (EVP) based on a mutual value exchange that we call the Give and Get.” That strategy may feel unsettling to corporate conventionalists, but the authors argue convincingly that an authentic EVP can work as a filter “to weed out people who are unsuitable,” and their book is essentially a guide to doing that. The authors begin by explaining the “Give and Get” framework and lucidly discussing what makes employees happy, including working for a “purpose-led” company. Then comes a recipe for building a “Give and Get” proposition founded on five ingredients, such as the “vulnerability” and “relevant strength” of the organization, each described in detail. To create an EVP, the authors suggest a process that includes doing both internal research into the company’s attributes and employee opinions and external research that can help with developing a marketplace “persona,” defined as “an archetypal representation of each audience segment.” Adams, the co-author of Getting Goosebumps (2018), and debut author Marshall provide extensive guidance, including steps and checklists, for doing that research. Especially engaging is their discussion of using storytelling to highlight brand attributes; the authors cover the “essential building blocks” for a solid employer brand story and suggest techniques to improve corporate storytelling. Also useful is a list of items that make up the “employer brand tool kit,” such as “branded swag” for events. Adams and Marshall offer a clear, well-conceived, and comprehensive plan for implementing their “Give and Get” methodology; the real question is whether corporate managers will share their enthusiasm for innovative change.

A strong, substantive argument for redefining how companies recruit employees.