From the course: Employer Branding to Attract Talent

Replicating someone else's brand won't work

From the course: Employer Branding to Attract Talent

Replicating someone else's brand won't work

- I've been working with a client named Doug who just finished graduate school and needs help with his job search. Doug's a little gun shy, and with good reason. Doug thought he had found his perfect match when he saw a job posting for an energetic college grad to join what was described as a forward thinking, hip company. Naturally, the first thing Doug did was to check the company's website. What he saw confirmed what was in the posting. Lots of pictures of young, hip, energetic people in one of those cool open environments where employees swing in hammocks all day. But when Doug went for his interview, it turned out that the only cool thing in that office was the air conditioning. And he felt betrayed. Taking someone else's employer brand and claiming it as your own is a common mistake, even if your company has lot in common with a company whose brand you've borrowed. The whole idea behind branding is for a company to differentiate themselves from the competition. If everyone looks alike, then no one stands out, including you. Then there's the whole bait and switch issue that Doug experienced. He asked me, why did that company think it was okay? Did they think I wouldn't notice. He also wrote a review on Glassdoor.com about his bad experience that will probably deter other job seekers. Look, I get it. Some companies are more exciting than others. But here's the thing, not every job seeker wants to work for a hip, cool company. Some people prefer to work for a family business where the CEO actually knows your name. Or they're looking for an established organization with close ties to the local community. So, when you're looking to differentiate your company in the marketplace, resist the temptation to go the copycat route. Consider who you're specifically trying to attract. Learn what appeals to those people, and look for ways to showcase all the great things about your company. And don't despair. If you're having trouble defining your employer brand, you can always bring in an expert, or look for additional training on this site. And as for Doug, he finally found a great job with a company that was the right fit for him. And at every step of the hiring process, they presented themselves exactly as they are, which was what mattered most.

Contents