What: Days are gone when a pinball machine was enough to attract top talents. Now a sound strategy is needed to stand out on the market.

Why it is important: Department Stores suffer from both a poor image of the retail industry and the belief that their often historical and respected name is sufficient to attract talents.

Employer branding is increasingly important in a world where talent is becoming scarce and potential applicants have choice (all the more that retail is perceived as less appealing than other industries, such as tech, for instance). It is not about perks now perceived as gadgets, such as pinballs or juice bars, but a real strategy based on 3 pillars:

• Reputation: which is fostered through social media. Reputation can be evaluated by applicants according to the three Cs: Career catalyst (will I move my career forward by working here?), Culture (work environment), Citizenship (impact on the community and society at large).
• Proposition: what is the “give and get” that applicants will receive? Transparency and honesty here is central as overpromising might be damaging to the employer brand. For instance, Tesla suffers from a bad perception of the employer brand among its former employees, who make it known.
• Experience: the employee experience is extremely valuable and solidifies (or not) reputation. It is somehow a one-way process, however: if the employer brand is sitting at the top, top candidates might overlook a poor experience, but in the case of a poor brand, even the best-in-class experience will not  help to recruit the best talents. The employee experience is directly dependent on the ability to deliver an Employee Value Proposition as expected.

Employer branding does not rely on gadget decisions, on but on a matured strategy helping to stand out in a competitive environment.

Make your employer brand stand out in the talent marketplace