Employer Brand Headlines: The "Ain't Nobody" Edition (#135)

James Ellis

Mar 07, 2022

Our mission: push the conversation around employer brand forward.

Employer Brand Headlines, is brought to you by James Ellis.

In this issue…

Dopamine junkie
The happy middle of personas
Strategic disruption isn’t big
The languages of career development

The big idea

Here’s a confession about how I see the work of employer brand:

I’ve been trained by school, media, and social platforms to look for that feeling of accomplishment when we complete something. I seek to check something off the list, to launch the thing, to check out stats, to get the budget, etc. I am addicted to the dopamine rush that comes with seeing something “done.”

I notice myself looking for those moments. I find myself feeling the need to check a box just to feel like I’ve accomplished something. Feeling stuck? Build a report! Polish off a new social card! Think of a new tactic! Ahhhh… that’s better.

But the surprise is that for as much energy I spend in pursuit of that rush, the things I do in service of that rush serve me and not the work. It might feel good to scratch that itch, but the brand didn’t get any better because of it.

Great employer branding is like water wearing away at the stone over time. You don't see the impacts every day, but there's no question that the stone is changed from your efforts.

Maybe that means employer branding has its best opportunity to be great when we actively avoid things that create dopamine spikes. Maybe anything that speaks to that addiction is a hint that it’s not the right direction.

So embrace the tension of a stretched rubber band that may never snap. That’s the work. That’s the path towards building a strong employer brand.

Yep, we’re still podcasting about a book.

The revised and annotated audio version of Talent Chooses You (the revenge!) marches on with episode 7 all about forgotten audiences: Transfers, referrals, silver-medalists, and alumni.

Headlines!

The Importance of Identifying Candidate Personas to Communicate Your EB Successfully

Personas are a tricky beast. Some people build full-on “Scientist Sally loves magazines and has a complicated relationship with her mom” personas filled with research-driven “details” (usually demographics) that reveal no insight. Some go the other way and just say, “data scientists” and think that means something. Maybe there’s a way to find a happy middle? [Employer Brandwagon]

The Many Languages of Career Development

If you know the “7 C’s of employee growth and development,” you can tap into them to actually show what you mean when you say, “we offer opportunities for professional development” (because that phrase, while well-worn, means nothing). [Your Thought Partner]

Building Brands On Category Expertise

Many employer brands are build on a claim of “we’re the experts.” If that’s you, it might be useful to hear how consumers build those brands. [Brand Strategy Insider]

Hiring amid the Great Resignation: How tracking your employer brand can give you an edge

What’s the gap between what you say and what they see and feel? If you don’t know, you better go measure it! [Momentive]

4 Ways Brand Mismanagement Destroyed Sears

Ooof. For those of you in the uS old enough to know, it was almost impossible to consider that Sears would one day have all the brand luster of a used sponge. We could all learn some lessons, especially if you think you’re doing well. [Brand Strategy Insider]

Strategic Disruption That Works

As a “new” function gaining traction, we are disruptive (especially if you sell job board slots or are a recruiting who still gets paid to post and pray). Turns out, some of the biggest disruptions (positive and negative) are the smallest. [Thinkers50]