5 Steps to Crafting a Highly Social Talent Brand
Tuesday 18 March 2014, 7pm – 8pm (UAE)
Ramy Bayyour
Pascale Comaty
Ala’ Abu Gharbieh

Agenda
• Welcome
• Housekeeping notes
• Session starts
• Q&A
• End of webinar

About the HR Observer
• The HR Observer is an initiative by IIR Middle East
aimed at becoming a platform for HR professionals in
the Middle East to exchange insights and expertise,
both online and offline, in an effort to take the industry
forward.
• The initiative features a blog, LinkedIn group, Twitter
feed, online webinars and a series of offline informal
networking functions.

Housekeeping
• Un-answered questions will be posted with answers
to our blog
• Slides will be available on our SlideShare page, link
will be emailed to you
• Recording of the webinar will be available to
download, link will be emailed
• Take the time to complete post-webinar survey that
will pop up at the end

Pascale Comaty
MENA Marketing Manager
LinkedIn
Ala’ Abu Gharbieh
Branding & Media Consultant
LinkedIn
Meet your presenters
talent.linkedin.com

Why we’re here
83%Agree that employer brand
has significant impact on
ability to
hire great talent
talent.linkedin.com
Prioritisation of employer brand
(by company size)
69%
Agree employer brand
is a top priority for
their organisation
67%
70%
67%
78%
< 500 Employees
501-1,000 Employees
1,000-10,000 Employees
> 10,000 Employees
For more details, see lnkd.in/stateofeb

Why you should invest in your talent
brand
3 reasons to invest in your talent brand
Lower cost per hire by up
to 50%.
Reduce employee
turnover by up to 28%.
Influence the conversation
with candidates.
91%
of companies increased or at
least maintained their talent
brand investment in 2012.
talent.linkedin.com

Why talent brand?
talent.linkedin.com
A more talent-centric way of
thinking about your employer brand

5 steps to a highly social talent brand
STEP 1
Get buy-in
STEP 2
Listen and
learn
STEP 3
Craft your
approach
STEP 4
Promote and
engage
STEP 5
Measure and
adjust
talent.linkedin.com

Step 1: Get buy-in
talent.linkedin.com
DM
• Start at the top
• Share compelling
data
• Bring partners to
the table
STEP 1
Get buy-in
STEP 2
Listen and
learn
STEP 3
Craft your
approach
STEP 4
Promote and
engage
STEP 5
Measure and
adjust

How to get executives to champion
your
talent brand
Start at the top
• Your CEO and their
team must get behind
your talent brand, and
commit to helping
promote it.
Arm yourself with data
• Universal facts
Stress the business impact
of your talent brand.
• LinkedIn insights
Data on your company’s
social presence
• Number of employees
with profiles,
• Aggregate number of
connections, etc.
• Recruiting metrics
Who you’re losing talent to
& where you’re struggling
to hire
Bring partners to
the table
• Examples: HR,
Communications,
Marketing, IT .
• Create a cross-
functional talent brand
task force.
talent.linkedin.com
DM

Step 2: Listen and learn
talent.linkedin.com
• Start at the top
• Share compelling
data
• Bring partners to
the table
• Audit existing
materials
• Do your research:
who, what, when,
where & how
STEP 1
Get buy-in
STEP 2
Listen and
learn
STEP 3
Craft your
approach
STEP 4
Promote and
engage
STEP 5
Measure and
adjust

Look before you listen
Audit checklist
• Candidates • Employees
• Employee exit interviews
• Candidate feedback
• Employee LinkedIn profiles
• Activity on other social media platforms (e.g.,
Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr)
• Other online discuss forums (e.g., blogs,
LinkedIn Groups, rating sites like Glassdoor)
Public
• Corporate website
• Graduate recruitment materials
• Recruitment advertising
• Live event materials
• Company and Career Pages on LinkedIn
• Official presence on other social platforms
Private
• Direct communications with candidates and alumni
• Company intranet
• Training and development materials
• Performance management process
Official Unofficial
Perform an audit from the shoes of:
talent.linkedin.com

Decide who, what, when, where &
how
Who
• Think internal and
external
• Include real-world
views (e.g., candidates
who declined offer)
What
• Find out:
• What attracts talent?
• What keeps them
there?
• What to improve?
talent.linkedin.com

Sample questions
talent.linkedin.com
 What are the most important values you
look for in a job?
 Where does XYZCo do a very good job of
delivering on these values?
 Which important values do you feel XYZCo
does not deliver on?
 What originally attracted you to join
XYZCo?
 To what extent have your expectations been
fulfilled? Where have they been exceeded?
Where have they not been met?
 If you wanted to convince a friend to work at
XYZCo, what story would you tell them?
 How likely would you be to recommend
XYZCo as an employer?
 What are the most important values you
look for in a job?
 When you think about companies that hire
people with your skillset, which companies
come to mind?
 How familiar are you with XYZCo as a
place to work?
 How likely would you be to consider a job
at XYZCo?
 What is your overall impression of XYZCo
as a place to work?
 Based on your knowledge of the company,
where does XYZCo do a very good job of
delivering on these values?
 Based on your knowledge of the company,
which important values do you feel XYZCo
does not deliver on?
Current employees Passive candidates

Decide who, what, when, where &
how
Who
• Think internal and
external
• Include real-world
views (e.g., candidates
who declined offer)
Where are the inconsistencies between what you say and what they think?
How does the feedback vary by audience?
What are the biggest issues you need to address?
When
• Regular cadence
• Change in strategy or
leadership
• Decline in hiring
results
Where &
how
• Focus groups
• 1-on-1 interviews
• Surveys
• Suggestion boxes
What
• Find out:
• What attracts talent?
• What keeps them
there?
• What to improve?
talent.linkedin.com

Listening can make all the difference
Strategic annual survey use
Challenge: Keeping employees engaged
in a connected world.
Approach: Through annual survey,
JPMorgan asked what employees need/
want in order to stay. Top answers:
mobility and development opportunities.
Result: Launched extensive internal
mobility program.
• In 10 months, internal hire rate rose
by 5% (they fill 75K positions/yr)
• Ranked #1 in Europe and #2 in the
US in Vault’s 2013 Best Places to
Work for Internal Mobility rankings.
talent.linkedin.com
Ellie Shephard
Global Recruiting
Program Manager,
Vice President

Step 3: Craft your approach
talent.linkedin.com
• Be real
• Be personal
• Be brave
• Be consistent
• Set your goals
• Start at the top
• Share compelling
data
• Bring partners to
the table
• Audit existing
materials
• Do your research:
who, what, when,
where & how
STEP 1
Get buy-in
STEP 2
Listen and
learn
STEP 3
Craft your
approach
STEP 4
Promote and
engage
STEP 5
Measure and
adjust

talent.linkedin.com
Authenticity is everything

How to deliver an authentic talent
brand
REAL
CONSISTENT
PERSONAL
BRAVE
talent.linkedin.com

Begin with the end in mind
Sample goals for your talent brand program
• Increase offer acceptance rate by X%
• Reduce attrition by X%
• Improve employee survey ratings by X%
• Increase baseline familiarity with your talent brand in external surveys by X%
• Double the number of employees with an optimized social presence
• Increase Talent Brand Index score by X% relative to key talent competitors or
for high-priority functions/regions
talent.linkedin.com

Step 4: Promote and engage
• Upgrade profiles –
yours & team’s
• Brand via Jobs
• Spruce up your
Company Page
• Use targeted status
updates
• Launch your Career
Page
• Leverage ads on
employee profiles
• Create brand
ambassadors
talent.linkedin.com
DM
• Be real
• Be personal
• Be brave
• Be consistent
• Set your goals
• Start at the top
• Share compelling
data
• Bring partners to
the table
• Audit existing
materials
• Do your research:
who, what, when,
where & how
STEP 1
Get buy-in
STEP 2
Listen and
learn
STEP 3
Craft your
approach
STEP 4
Promote and
engage
STEP 5
Measure and
adjust

8 golden rules for promoting (and
protecting) your talent brand
Look in the mirror.
Make sure that what you do (and don’t do) is
what you’d like employees to emulate.
Empower your employees.
Lay out the goals and show them a clear, easy
path to action.
Inform your leadership.
Use data to gain support, ease concerns, and
help explain your choice of platforms.
Target your messages.
The more relevant your message is to a particular
audience, the greater its impact will be.
Make your culture shine.
It’s never just about jobs. Focus on your people –
their stories and emotions.
Go viral.
For amplified results, find creative ways to get more
people talking about your company’s great culture.
Be visual.
Bold and colorful images, graphics, charts, and
videos can bring your brand to life.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
Show that your efforts are scalable and sustainable
on one platform before moving on to another.
talent.linkedin.com

1. It all starts with the profile
Engaging, friendly
picture
Who wouldn’t want to
work with Brendan?
Links
to branded destinations
Arresting summary
Written in the first
person, oozing with
passion
Descriptive
headline
that goes beyond
the title
Other features
we like:
• Core skills,
endorsed by
your network
• Volunteer
experiences
• Just enough on
prior positions
to build
credibility
#talentbrand | talent.linkedin.com

2. Help your team shine on LinkedIn
Dell trains global employees at scale
talent.linkedin.com
Brent Amundsen
Executive Director, Global Talent
Acquisition
• “SMaC University”
(Social Media and Communication)
• Global certification program with
structured classes
• Strong exec support
• 5,000 trained since mid-2010

3. Craft job posts for passive AND
active candidates
50%
of job applications on
LinkedIn via ‘anything
but search’85%
of professionals fine with
being approached with
relevant opportunities
75%of working professionals
around the world are
considered passive
candidates
The other 25% are
actively seeking a
new job
talent.linkedin.com

3. Brand through Jobs with these 6 tips
Use your job post as a talent
branding vehicle.
Showcase the position’s impact.
Try a conversational tone.
ART
Avoid overly-creative job titles.
Tie the job to your LinkedIn
Company Page.
Give high-priority positions more
attention.
SCIENCE
talent.linkedin.com

4. Spice up your Company Page
01
Talk to your marketing team and
coordinate your approach.
02
Add an image that welcomes visitors to
your page and showcases your brand.
03
Post status updates to start a
conversation with your target
audiences.
04
Feature relevant groups to attract a
broader audience and extend your
reach.
4 tips to jumpstart your
Company Page
talent.linkedin.com

5. Use Targeted Status Updates
Tips for targeted status updates
Share jobs, relevant news stories about your
company, employee interviews from your
blog, etc..
Mix it up
Sketch out what you’ll say in advance and
build a dialogue with your followers.
Have a plan
Remember the messaging you’re trying to
get across and think about how to
incorporate it.
Stay on brand
talent.linkedin.com
71%
of company followers on
LinkedIn are interested in
career opportunities at
companies they follow.

6. Launch your Career Page
Think visually.
Use bold images to give a real-world glimpse
into your organisation.
Think digitally.
Whatever you say, keep it brief. Content
from your glossy graduate recruitment
brochure may not make sense online, where
attention spans are shorter.
Think video.
You’ll be able to engage candidates more
deeply if they hear real people tell their own
stories, so make video a core part of your
strategy.
Think customized.
Adapt your content to viewers based on their
LinkedIn profiles. You can target your Career
Pages based on a candidate’s job function,
industry, geography, and more.
talent.linkedin.com

7. Advertise where the eyeballs are
talent.linkedin.com
Clickthrough rates 20x industry average

8. Unleash your employee
ambassadors
Tips courtesy of TNS Employee Insights. For more on this topic
see www.slideshare.net/linkedin-talent-solutions
Ensure your executives are on board.
Get C-suite support to drive widespread participation.
Encourage share and tell.
Share authentic stories, pictures, and company events
across a variety of media so your employees (and
followers) can repost and drive viral discussion.
Educate employees on your brand.
The more connected they are to the brand, the better
ambassadors they’ll be.
Monitor for success.
Measure engagement and create action plans to build your
foundation of engaged, enthusiastic brand ambassadors.
talent.linkedin.com

Promoting your talent brand
beyond LinkedIn
talent.linkedin.com

“Spend Time”
Professional NetworksPersonal Networks
“Invest Time”
Source: Q10a– Information to receive
Base: Professional SN users (5204) Personal SN users (8692)
The Mindset Divide
1
2
3
4
5
Socialize
Stay in touch
Be entertained
Kill time
Share content
Maintain professional identity
Make useful contacts
Search for opportunities
Stay in touch
Keep up to date for career
36
talent.linkedin.com

• Assess key
indicators
• Use Talent Brand
Index to prioritize
Step 5: Measure and adjust
talent.linkedin.com
• Upgrade profiles –
yours & team’s
• Brand via Jobs
• Spruce up your
Company Page
• Use targeted status
updates
• Launch your Career
Page
• Leverage ads on
employee profiles
• Create brand
ambassadors
• Be real
• Be personal
• Be brave
• Be consistent
• Set your goals
• Start at the top
• Share compelling
data
• Bring partners to
the table
• Audit existing
materials
• Do your research:
who, what, when,
where & how
STEP 1
Get buy-in
STEP 2
Listen and
learn
STEP 3
Craft your
approach
STEP 4
Promote and
engage
STEP 5
Measure and
adjust

If you don’t measure, you can’t
manage
only one out of three
talent.linkedin.com

Sample metrics
Key indicators of talent brand success
• Your offer acceptance rate goes up
• Employee retention increases
• Internal surveys confirm your employees are excited about your company as a place to work
In-house
• Traffic to your employee video stories goes up
• You double the number of employees with an optimized social presence
Online
• Your Talent Brand Index score rises versus your peers and in the segments that you care most
about
Talent Brand Index
talent.linkedin.com

How Talent Brand Index works
Talent Brand
Reach
1,873,354 members
Viewing employee profiles
Connecting with your employees
Talent that is interested in you as an employer
Researching company and
career pages
Following your company
Viewing jobs and applying
Talent Brand
Engagement
264,362 members
Talent that’s familiar with you as an employer
talent.linkedin.com

What percent of people who know about you show an interest?
Talent Brand
Engagement
Talent Brand
Reach
Talent
Brand
Index
How Talent Brand Index works
Talent Brand
Reach
1,873,354 members
Talent Brand
Engagement
264,362 members
=
talent.linkedin.com
Benchmark your score, e.g. v.s key competitors

• Assess key
indicators
• Use Talent Brand
Index to prioritize
Let your talent brand journey begin!
talent.linkedin.com
• Upgrade profiles –
yours & team’s
• Brand via Jobs
• Spruce up your
Company Page
• Use targeted status
updates
• Launch your Career
Page
• Leverage ads on
employee profiles
• Create brand
ambassadors
• Be real
• Be personal
• Be brave
• Be consistent
• Set your goals
• Start at the top
• Share compelling
data
• Bring partners to
the table
• Audit existing
materials
• Do your research:
who, what, when,
where & how
STEP 1
Get buy-in
STEP 2
Listen and
learn
STEP 3
Craft your
approach
STEP 4
Promote and
engage
STEP 5
Measure and
adjust

Next steps: download the playbook
and contact us for help!
talent.linkedin.com
Questions?
STEP 1
Get buy-in
STEP 2
Listen and
learn
STEP 3
Craft your
approach
STEP 4
Promote and
engage
STEP 5
Measure and
adjust
Visit talent.linkedin.com to learn more about our solutions