Using Employer Branding to Attract Senior Talent

March 3, 2023 – Despite fears of a looming recession, the job market remains tight. And while we find that compensation and flexible work policies are the biggest factor in attracting talented candidates, a successful approach to “employer branding” can help set you apart in the mind of potential prospects, according to a new report by ACCUR Recruiting Services. And in a tight labor market, every advantage can make a major difference.

So what are some factors that affect employee satisfaction and retention? “In the past we have polled our database of thousands of candidates to find out what non-monetary perks most influence their job satisfaction,” said Edouard Thoumyre, CEO of ACCUR Recruiting Services.  According to ACCUR’s poll, the following three factors ranked the highest:

A work from home option or strong flexible work policies. Different employees have different reasons for favoring work-from-home, but we are finding that employees increasingly favor flexibility or a fully-remote option.

A four day workweek: A variation of flexible work policies, a four-day workweek ranked high on our poll.

Free development courses: Employees really responded to the idea of an employer investing in their professional development through courses, conferences, and other forms of formal professional development.

Elements of an Employer Brand

Mr. Thoumyre stresses the importance of an employer’s brand and offers some key areas to think about in crafting it.

Values and culture: How does your company define its values? If this has never been formalized, it might be worth taking steps to formalize it.

Location and amenities: Employees like being in cities with lots of amenities and when that is not available, it’s valuable if their employer offers extras like a gym or free wholesome snacks.

Work/life balance: Employees prize work-life balance and if that has never been formally defined at your company, it can be a strong component of an employee brand, according to Mr. Thoumyre.

Sustainability: ACCUR’s poll found that sustainability ranked surprisingly high on the list of factors that influence job satisfaction, so it’s worth considering in crafting your employer brand.

Family friendly policies: Parental leave is a strong component in many employer brands.

Related: Referrals, Reputation & Your Recruitment Brand

DEI policies: Many employees want to know what their employers are doing to ensure they are proactively seeking to hire candidates that reflect a variety of backgrounds, Mr. Thoumyre explains.

Investment in education: Employees like to see programs to help them advance and sharpen skills. Its also essential to do your research. The best place to start in terms of crafting an employee brand is to assess what has been done in the past and what others in the same industry are doing.

Mr. Thoumyre offers some things to consider:

• What materials already exist, for example values statements.

• What materials need to be defined.

• What materials need to be developed, such as marketing materials like websites and/or social media and newsletter campaigns.

“Consider using your existing employees for intelligence,” said Mr. Thoumyre. “Current employees are a great resource to enlist in crafting an employer brand. Consider using a survey or focus group to gather information from different employee groups.”


How Brand Authenticity Attracts Top Talent
In executive recruitment, brand authenticity is becoming an increasingly important moral obligation and tool to attract top talent from your industry. With COVID-19 restrictions loosening up across the nation, more candidates are looking to get back in the office with a company they can trust. The core elements of brand authenticity lie in integrity, transparency, and credibility, says a recent report from Govig & Associates.

“Maintaining a moral backbone draws the right candidates to your doorstep,” said the Scottsdale, AZ-based search firm. “But what does business morality mean? In simple terms, morality is the act of enabling people to perform honestly. In business, it starts by leading with ethics and treating your employees and customers right. Operating your company with integrity will have lasting positive effects on your organization’s reputation and employer brand.”


How do you disseminate your employer brand? “The most typical way to disseminate an employer brand is through digital channels, possible through a stand-alone website or web campaign,” Mr. Thoumyre said. He points to other ideas for presenting your employer brand:

• Newsletters.

• Employee job fairs.

• Conferences.

• Social media, including networks like Linkedin, Facebook or even TikTok.

Veteran Recruiters

ACCUR Recruiting Services is a boutique executive search firm specializing in consumer industries (beauty, wine and spirits, watch and jewelry, food and beverage, tobacco, cannabis, hospitality). It was established in 2006 and has offices in New York City, New Jersey, and Miami, with additional consultants in Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, and Bogotá. ACCUR focuses on recruiting for middle- to senior-level positions, mostly for sales and business development, marketing, export, retail, finance and operations.

ACCUR’s search process is the combined effort of a full direct approach strategy geared towards passive candidates working in target companies, and soliciting the large network of consumer industry professionals the firm has built over the years.

Mr. Thoumyre is founder and managing partner of ACCUR Recruiting Services and has become a key player of the recruitment and executive search industry for consumer and luxury goods brands in the U.S., in export and in travel retail. With previous experiences in management consulting (Oliver Wyman, Ernst & Young) and entrepreneurship (co-founder of Assisteo, an education and healthcare B-to-C service provider), Mr. Thoumyre offers a well-rounded understanding of recruitment needs focused on sales, marketing, finance, or operations.

Related: Staying Ahead of the Great Talent Migration 

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media

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