Report: Creating an employment brand

CASE STUDY : Hays

Throughout the last decade, we have evolved from a business services group to become one of the world's leading companies in specialist recruitment and HR services. Our brand recognition and reputation increasingly precede us.

In the words of Denis Waxman, our Chief Executive, "Building and maintaining a strong brand is fundamental to the success of leading businesses. Powerful brands can help companies transcend their competitors and dominate their markets by consistently delivering excellence to their customers".

Hays has a brand promise, to which we adhere:

• For Hays to be recognised as the leader in specialist recruitment and HR services.
• For our people to believe they are working for the best recruitment consultancy.
• For everyone at Hays to share a passionate belief in the importance of placing the right people in the right jobs, and earning a fair fee for doing so.
• For Hays to be every employer's and candidate's first choice as a recruitment partner and provider of HR services.
• For Hays to be recognised by investors as the most successfully managed specialist recruitment and HR services business.

Everyone at Hays has a responsibility to the Hays brand to ensure that we match and exceed our brand promise.

To realise our ambition of remaining the best specialist recruitment business within Australasia, Hays created the following core brand values to which we adhere. These beliefs drive the way we do business with all our customers, and so communicate our employment brand to potential employees:

Talk straight

• We communicate honestly and directly.
• Actions speak louder than words.

Celebrate success

• We work hard. We enjoy what we do. We celebrate results!
• We promote on merit.

Expect excellence

• We are driven to achieve superior results for our customers, through exceptional service delivery.
• We recruit, train, develop and retain the very best talent in our industry.

Work with passion

• We apply our energy and passion as a team to achieve incredible results.
• We want to win (and win fairly)!

Lead from the front

• We aim to be the very best in our specialist areas and in our industry.
• We act with courage and resolve, holding ourselves accountable for delivering exceptional results.

These values drive everything we do and promote exactly who we are to potential employees and the general marketplace.

Internally, our values are promoted throughout the recruitment process and in all possible interactions with staff, from our training sessions to our Intranet and right down to mouse mats, mugs and pens.

Externally, we believe the consistency with which we present ourselves in all communications with clients and candidates is paramount to reinforcing and protecting the Hays brand values wherever and whenever they are used. Therefore we created a brand manifesto which establishes simple, concise guidelines to assist all staff in consistently delivering the brand values of Hays to external audiences. Our marketing department ensures our brand is delivered and offers practical guidance to all staff in this area. From our website to business cards, advertising layouts and interview procedures, all actions and items are designed with our values in mind.

WHAT IS AN EMPLOYMENT BRAND?
BENEFITS OF AN EMPLOYMENT BRAND
POPULAR BRANDS
EMPLOYMENT BRANDING AND RECRUITMENT
CREATING YOUR EMPLOYMENT BRAND
A WORD OF WARNING
CASE STUDY : Hays

Issue 5: Creating an employment brand