EMBRACING THE WORLD OF EMPLOYER BRAND
#112

3 Powerful Lessons from RecFest USA

I used to think professional development conferences were dull — then I went to RecFest.

Goodbye to the usual dreary conference rooms, stuffy clothes and uninspiring content, this event lives up to the “fest” in its name. We’re talking sunny outdoor venue, buzzworthy speakers, circus tents, cotton candy, carnival rides, you name it.

Who says HR is boring?  

Since 2014, RecFest UK’s attendance has exploded from 100 to over 5,000, making it one of the TA industry’s largest and most-loved events. So much so that it’s now held in Nashville too.

During my time in Music City this year, I rubbed shoulders with more than 2,000 industry movers and shakers. 

And the jam-packed schedule of talks covered everything exciting happening across the TA and HR space.

Here are three main insights I took away from the sessions.

1. You need to be a Swiss Army knife

In my days of working for a small non-profit, I had a boss who used to stress the importance of being a “Swiss Army Knife”…

What happens to your EB when everything about your company flips on its head? 🙃

After Mimecast first defined its EVP and brand in 2019, life threw several spanners in the works —  increased cyber threats, changes in strategy, and oh, that national pandemic anyone?

After all the kerfuffle, the cybersecurity company desperately needed a refresh to keep up with the times and its 2000+ employees. But when the founder, CEO, and CMO upped sticks during the project, that's where things got... complicated.

Want to know how we got through it? Join Senior Strategist Julie Randall from Ph. Creative and TA lead Sabrina Rossetti from Mimecast to discover:

1. The key signs it’s time to refresh your EVP/EB

2. How to do an effective refresh

3. How to manage complex stakeholders and leadership change

4. How to build a strong client-agency partnership through the chaos

⏰ 22nd October, 17.30 - 18.30 BST

(Available on-demand for other time zones.)

Is anyone out there?

If your social content isn't getting the likes and clicks you hoped you would — try this. 

Use multiple photography slides to showcase your employees and locations.

Seriously, just look at the numbers.

• Carousels on Instagram get 2.5% higher engagement rate than single image/video.

• Multi image posts on Facebook increase reach by 5%. 

• The same posts on LinkedIn get a click-through rate of 9% (7% higher than other content types.)  

[Pssst. Want help with your engagement on socials?]

We rate this recruitment video from Purpose Media. It’s warm, authentic - plus, it gives a great “behind-the-scenes” vibe, showing off the company workspace and team collaboration so the viewer can visualise how they fit into the picture.

But most importantly, Purpose Media are not trying to be everything to everybody.

They get clear on the main selling point - their people - and stick to it like glue.

Sure, some talent are drawn by exciting projects, flashy new tech or big growth opportunities. But for others it's enough to say, "Hey, we're a friendly bunch. And we know our stuff. So if you like working around friendly, knowledgable people, you'll like it here."

Lesson learned: sometimes the simple stuff works best.

Stand-out quote: "I've said this many times — the best thing about working at PM is the people."

ICYMI

Hug 111 - 6 SEO trends every employer brander should know

EVENTS TO EMBRACE

World Employer Branding Day
9-11 October, Amsterdam

Employer Branding Stars Festival
22-23 October, Virtual

Gartner Reimagine HR Conference
28-30 October, Orlando

ERE Recruiting Conference
12-14 November, Anaheim