Finding the right talent is a one of the biggest challenges that businesses face around the world, and how they go about retaining the talent they do find, from a brand and culture perspective, is equally important.
ChapmanCG co-hosted an HR Roundtable with Danone in Jakarta to bring together HR leaders from some of the major brands in Indonesia to discuss Employer Branding.
Some brands have become so strong that one of their key the challenges is to maintain a “contender’s” mindset and stay hungry as opposed to resting on their laurels. Building a strong employer brand is about putting the customer first, emphasising a “higher purpose” that employees can identify.
Employer branding must begin internally by positioning employees as internal customers. It starts with treating them and promoting behaviours that align with the company values–what it stands for. To do this, many of the HR leaders present mentioned they have organised at least one of the following:
- Identifying Brand Ambassadors,
- Organising Brand Weeks, and
- Developing an employer brand portal and toolkit, on-boarding portal, employee social advocacy program.
Social Media is playing a very important part in creating Brand Awareness and raising the profile of many of the organisations in attendance. HR leaders are now partnering closely with Communication teams to make sure the right message is shared externally, as well as internally.
Even though the world is getting more digitalised, people are still the biggest asset for any organisation. And as companies are becoming leaner, more agile and their structure more horizontal and fluid, HR has an integral part in building of a culture of inclusivity, empowerment and collaboration to support this transformation. But HR alone can't change the mindset; a strong leadership is crucial. Retaining key talent starts from the Talent Acquisition phase by not necessarily selecting the best talent, but the “best fit”.
As organisations become more agile, career development becomes less linear and mobility resemble a game of chess consisting of lateral and even backward movements. Rotating talent across functions as well geographies is one of the key ways large organisations can develop and retain its top talent. On the other hand, smaller companies and starts-ups, especially in the Technology sector can offer higher flexibility, a sexier workplace, remote working opportunities whilst demanding higher levels of commitment through options and golden handcuff type deals usually reserved for only the very senior employees.
Talent who can work amidst ambiguity and make solid decisions with limited information is in high demand anywhere in the world, but companies must be equally agile and decisive when identifying these individuals. By creating a strong employer brand and a culture of inclusiveness, empowerment and collaboration, companies can maintain a healthy level of retention.
Here’s what participants had to say:
It was really good to have a meeting with such remarkable people to discuss everyone’s varied experiences on Employer Branding. The network was strong and I loved the presentation which consisted of many good moments.
Supartopo Djaluputro, Head of Human Resources at Linde Indonesia
A great meet-up and learning session with HR leaders from various industries. The session has left me with the realization that we Indonesian HR practitioners are on the right track in partnering with business leaders to drive for a sustainable climate for the best workplace for our employeea. Thanks, Vargin and Chin from ChapmanCG for organizing. And thanks, Danone for hosting.
Sondang Saktion, Head of HR SEA at OLX Group
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