Across all industry sectors, talent has emerged as the top issue for business leaders. Deloitte’s 2015 Human Capital study states that culture and engagement have ‘virtually exploded’ to become the top issue companies face around the world. With talent as the key factor in future profitability and success, there has never been a better opportunity for HR and marketing to become the best of friends.
How so, you ask? Aren’t culture, values, and behaviour the responsibility of human resources? And isn’t marketing focused on the external brand and customer loyalty? Why yes! And that is precisely why we believe this could be the perfect relationship—a friendship of true collaboration—built on the inherent, complementary strengths of each function.
After 41 years of experience, one of the truths those of us at Interbrand know is that strong brands are built from the inside. When it comes to attracting talent, research shows the most successful and cost-effective way to recruit new employees is to have existing employees refer them. Employee referrals have the highest applicant to hire conversion rate – accounting for 40% of all hires.
In a service-based economy, where businesses will compete on talent first, it is imperative that organizations focus on building a culture that attracts and retains talented people who support business growth. Poor employee engagement poses a serious threat to organizations, holding back or even derailing growth plans. Those firms that break down internal silos to develop a well-informed and brand-led approach to finding and retaining talent will gain a much-needed competitive edge.
Below are four ways that HR and marketing can begin this beautiful friendship:
Create an inspiring employer value proposition: Research shows us that just 13% of employees are “highly engaged” globally. This means that only one in eight workers is psychologically committed to his/her job. This is an enormous problem for organizations that rely heavily on employee engagement to enhance customer service, innovation and creativity—all intangible measures that affect business performance. HR’s understanding of employee needs and behaviours, coupled with marketing’s understanding of the brand, present the perfect opportunity to cut through the clutter and create an EVP that is embedded in the everyday, or connected to the customer experience.
Instill a sense of purpose that connects with the next generation: An organization’s purpose is essential to retaining the new generation of talent and explaining ‘why are you here.’ Not only does the purpose of an organization help clarify roles, but it also signifies their intrinsic value to the organization. Purpose requires breakthrough communications and who better to engage millennials than marketing? By connecting purpose to brand, HR and marketing can create inspiring communications to help current employees find purpose in what they do and, more importantly, show why what they do matters to their colleagues, customers, the business and the world.
Dial up the employee experience: Far too often orientation, reward and recognition programs, corporate values, and training are siloed within the HR department. By working together, HR and marketing can create highly innovative programs that connect the employee to the customer, whether that employee is customer-facing or not. With great knowledge of segmentation, millennials and social media, marketing can revitalize the employee experience in new and exciting ways.
Create a unique customer experience: In any customer experience, employee behaviour is the gating factor. In fact, research tells us that only 14% of customers defect because of product quality. The majority of customer defections—68%—occur because of staff indifference. We need only look at social media to see examples captured for all time. By identifying appropriate brand-driven behaviours, HR can collaborate with marketing to provide the right training, coaching, and mentoring to create a memorable and positive customer experience. But, it’s more than just training—the right reward and recognition, metrics, and communications need to be in place too.
By working together, HR and marketing can break down the silos and take a holistic approach across departmental boundaries to improve reputation, growth and market value. This is the time to explore a new model of brand-driven collaboration and it needs to start with the talented people inside an organization.
Carolyn Ray, (@thecarolynray) is managing director of Interbrand Canada, and previously led the firm’s global brand engagement practice. She was recognized as one of Canada’s top female entrepreneurs in 2013, and is a recognized expert in leadership and change management
