5 Old-School Brands That Can Win the Fight for Fresh Talent by Revamping Their Employer Brands
As the new year approaches, I’d like to recommend that a few employer brands have makeovers. New year, fresh look, ya know?
Plenty of legacy brands compete beautifully with the new kids on the block. Think of Apple or Nike. Their employer brands are as fresh as anyone’s out there. Better, really. But because employer branding is a new(ish) discipline, there are some older companies out there who still aren’t quite with the times. Many of these brands have strong consumer-facing brands, or at least make a killer product, and all of them have competitors that are besting them in the competition for talent.
1. HarperCollins
Reading books is cool again! eBooks and audiobooks are cool too! So it’s surprising that more of the Big Five publishers haven’t used the popularity of the book industry to recruit talent.
For example, HarperCollins’s employer brand presence leaves much to be desired. The publisher’s careers page is uninspiring, and mostly text.
Even its page on DEI is a corporate statement from parent company News Corp.
HarperCollins doesn’t use third-party platforms to its advantage either. Its Instagram feed is consumer-facing only, and it hasn’t used the valuable real estate on Indeed and Glassdoor.
The publishing industry has reputation problems. Pay is low, promotions are rare, remote roles are almost nonexistent (which means you have to be able to afford to live in New York City on pennies), and the industry doesn’t have a history of being friendly to nonwhite workers. And in early 2022 editors at some of the Big Five houses left in what was called the “Great Publishing Resignation.” If ever there were a time for recasting oneself as an employer, it’s now, guys.
Consider this: HarperCollins is up against competitors like Hachette, another one of the Big Five, which has a well-built-out careers page with detailed information, plenty of photos, and employee testimonials.
Hachette is also using one of its Instagram feeds to tout its DEI efforts and commitment to developing young publishing professionals.
2. Barnes & Noble
Like I said, reading is cool again, so Barnes & Noble is a brand that could really jump on all the new BookTok and Bookstagram enthusiasm to recruit workers, but alas, they have not.
There is very little information about the company on its careers page—just benefits and company values. It all feels so anonymous.
The company has many opportunities to show off its workplace culture, but it misses almost all of them. B’Nobes runs active, entertaining Instagram and TikTok feeds, and we get to see right into the stores on almost every post, but almost never hear about the people who work there. The three employees who run the TikTok feed are delightful. Would I get to work with them?
On B&N’s Instagram feed, we are introduced to one employee (just one!), Mando, recommending Native American authors to try. I want more!
3. Hunter Boots
Hunter’s employer brand does not exist. I’m not joking. This is Hunter’s careers page.
But look! Hunter has a beautiful page on their corporate social responsibility plan, called Hunter Protect, just full of high-quality visuals and info potential hires would love to hear about, like:
In 2021, we pledged to ensure that 100% of our packaging would be recyclable.
By 2024, we will build on this to ensure that 100% of our paper packaging is also traceable and comes from FSC®-certified and other sustainable sources - in line with our Forest Materials Policy.
In 2022, we measured our direct and indirect global emissions and offset all direct emissions from our global stores and offices. By 2023, we will set internal carbon reduction targets and by 2024, we will sign up to the Science Based Targets Initiative which ensures full accountability and transparency.
As we continue to nurture a culture where everybody feels valued and accepted, by 2023, we will put into practice our revised recruitment policy, increase internal communications around D&I and conduct a gender pay gap analysis to ensure we are upholding our commitment to pay equality.”
This is the foundation of a beautiful, environmentally-focused employer brand. Hunter, you’re so close.
(Should you bother with an employer brand even if you’re not hiring? Yes.)
4. Hunter Fans
Different Hunter. This one makes the fans for your house. Look, I get it. It can be tough to sell ceiling fans as a career, but if Crown Castle can make cell tower management look chic, then anything can be done.
Hunter’s employer brand presence feels hollow, corporate, and anonymous. Their careers page is bannered with this claim, and I’m not sure I care.
There are no real employee faces to speak of. The appeal made to draw prospective workers to the company’s hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, are links to pages on the Memphis tourism board site.
5. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Like Hunter Fans, there is little indication, from Wyndham’s careers page, that real people work there, just beautiful stock image models.
The company tries to convey culture in a sad, gray wall of words.
Even less exciting is the list of ways you’ll get to grow your career. Which is also a gray wall of words.
On the other hand, Wyndham’s closest competitor is Choice Hotels, and they’ve definitely gotten the employer brand memo.
Choice’s microsite is decked out with video, images, graphics, and detail about the experience of working in the company. It features, among other things, a four-minute video of employees of many races and of many ages stalking about what it’s like to work at Choice, saying things like, “it’s not uncommon for associates at all levels to work on projects with leaders or seek mentorship from executives,” and the Choice Caregiver Leave Program allowed me to help my family take care of my mother without having to worry about using personal or vacation time.”
Just like you build a consumer-facing brand with competition in mind, build a candidate-facing brand with the same spirit.
Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza is a freelance reporter who writes about the workplace, recruitment, the future of work, and women’s experiences on the job. Her bylines include The Washington Post, Fast Company, Digiday’s Worklife, From Day One, and Food Technology.
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