Employer Branding Strategies helping Canadian Business Attract World Class Talent

TORONTO - March 26, 2013 - PRLog -- Often when people think of branding they are referring to products and services. In the last three years more companies are focused on evolving their Employer Brand Strategy and are seeing dramatic business results.

"An employer brand strategy is an increasingly critical element for attracting, engaging and retaining top talent,” said Stacy Parker, Managing Director of the Blu Ivy Group.

"An employer brand is not a recruitment advertising campaign. The key to long term and measurable success is integrating the employer brand into all touch points of the employee life cycle in the organization, including employment products and services, communications and talent strategy, and having solid analytics to track the business impact." says the Global Employer Brand Manager of Scotiabank, Estela Vazquez Perez Colombo.

Parker elaborated on these points by stating, "When companies do it right, they attract world class talent, increase profitability and revenue, and take more market share from their competitors. It requires a strong team of leaders from Human Resources, Marketing, Communications, and IT, as well as the support of the CEO to ensure you have an employer brand strategy that sticks."  

Blu Ivy Group co-founder Leandra Harris points out, "The simple fact is that every company has an existing employer brand and reputation. On-line employer ranking sites like Ratemyemployer and Glassdoor, which are similar to a TripAdvisor for employers, enable employees to share their employment experiences with a company, and rank the strengths and weaknesses of the employer. Most executives are not only surprised to learn of this, but surprised when they hear what employees are saying, and how it impacts the corporate reputation. Companies really are being held more accountable than ever to provide an authentic employment experience".

Harris goes on to highlight that "more than 50% of Canadian employees are disengaged with their current jobs. Many companies have cut employee programs, and restructured or reduced staff over the last couple of years due to economic pressures. After two years of doing more with less, corporate cultures are demanding a shift in how the employee experience is both measured and conveyed.  It is the single largest demand on many CEOs today."

Highly engaged employees, who understand the employer and corporate brand simultaneously, provide more value, better customer service and loyalty for companies. In fact, global data shows that a 10% increase in employer branding spend can increase annual productivity between $1200 to $2,400 per person per year and can reduce hiring costs by as much as 50%.

Blu Ivy Group will be facilitating programs for Human Resources and Marketing Executives on winning Employer Brand Strategies and the latest Global Employer Branding Trends at the Great Places to Work Conference on April 8th, and at the Retail Council of Canada HR Conference on April 9th.  

About Blu Ivy Group

Blu Ivy Group is a Toronto-based employer branding consultancy, providing research, strategy and communications solutions for all aspects of the corporate employer brand. Blu Ivy Group is a proud Canadian partner to Great Places To Work and Employer Brand International. Blu Ivy Group's mission is to create award winning cultures and authentic employer brands that generate greater profit and market share for Canadian employers. For more information, please see bluivygroup.com

For more information, media may contact:

Stacy Parker, Managing Director

Blu Ivy Group Inc.

sparker@bluivygroup.com

647-308-2352