It goes without saying that talent attraction and management has changed dramatically over recent years. Yes, pay is still an extremely effective way of attracting the best talent but professionals are now looking for considerably more from an employer than they have done in the past. Employees now want a holistic package that includes factors like the ability to work flexibly or internationally, to work for an ethically sound company and the chance to have their voice heard, amongst many others.
These factors have meant that organisations now need to communicate their EVP much more effectively to their target audiences than they ever have done in the past. And at the same time as these changes have taken place, social media has appeared and has created an entirely new avenue for employers to engage with talent. However, there’s an ongoing battle that continues to rumble on within many organisations with the same question being asked – who will manage social media recruitment, marketing or HR?
Marketing departments would argue that the responsibility should fall in their laps; after all, they’re the ones who traditionally manage social media. That means they already know the channels, know their target audiences and are good at creating content that consumers engage with.
However, social media – from a marketer’s perspective – is generally seen as a method of selling the company’s key messages and not necessarily it’s EVP. It’s therefore argued by HR that they should in fact manage social media recruitment. Jobseekers are an entirely different audience to the one targeted by the company’s external brand and therefore require an entirely different message that only the specialists can accurately convey.
The issue looks to set to rumble on for some time and indeed, we recently held an employer branding event to discuss a number of key challenges that HR professionals are facing, including this one. The topic was debated at great length and arguments were heard for both sides, however a concerning conclusion became apparent; no one really knows who should manage the social media recruitment process. It was even argued by one delegate that a senior figure in the business could take ownership, rather than either HR or marketing, highlighting the wide spread of difference in opinion on the subject.
To me, the solution seems obvious. If you aren’t already, you and your fellow HR professionals need to look to engage and collaborate with their colleagues in marketing in order to find a solution to this ongoing issue. EVPs are highly nuanced and can be affected by the smallest factors, so their management is utterly crucial to an organisation’s hiring success.
As long as the struggle between marketing and HR continues, EVPs will continue to fall between the two stools and won’t be effectively communicated to their target audiences. Go down to the marketing department today and have lunch or go for a drink with one of your colleagues, you might be surprised how much can be achieved through a little collaboration; you might even come back with access to the Twitter account.
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http://www.communicatemagazine.co.uk/component/content/article/5819
Iain Blair is managing director of Rethink Talent Management
