How to Make Sure Your Employer Brand Strategy is World Class: Interview with Brett Minchington

What is one reason you feel that HR leaders should attend the North American Employer Brand Summit on June 13th?

The main reason leaders should attend the North American Employer Brand Summit on June 13th is to ensure they are across the latest global trends and developments in employer branding (such as a shift in focus towards an ‘employer branding ecosystem’ approach) and to understand what this means for their business strategy in 2019 and beyond.

The event will appeal to leaders from not only HR, but across all traditional lines of leadership including marketing, communications, IT and finance. Companies at the forefront of employer branding around the world are developing strategy to position employer branding as a business function.

What are two of the biggest changes you are seeing in the employer brand space at present and how do you feel that is going to change the role or focus of HR /Communications leaders in 2019?

The two biggest changes in employer branding are:

1. Companies are starting to consider how they need to reorganise their resources to ensure that the right talent is available for the right projects at the right time. With the increasing impact of technology in the workplace, companies are fast realizing they need to rethink their business strategy to ensure they can deliver world class customer experiences though their people. HR/Communication leaders will play an important role in resolving the organisational structure and design that is going to be needed to stay relevant in coming years.

1. Around the world senior executives are beginning to realise the value and role of employer branding in business success. However, still too many HR leaders and/or those responsible for employer branding, struggle to communicate this value in a way that engages senior executives to invest in employer branding, so there is a competency gap there. An increasing amount of HR, Communication and Marketing leaders are seeking to build their own competencies in employer brand leadership and those of other team members through formal training and/or accreditation. The challenges of the modern workplace means that employer branding can no longer be left up to one person or simply be part of the job function of an already overstretch HR leader.

What are you most excited to share with attendees on June 13th as it relates to how employer branding is evolving and what it means for business in 2019?

Over the past 12 years I’ve travelled to more than 35 countries and have had the opportunity to meet and discuss with thousands of leaders about how employer branding is evolving in their country and inside their company. I’m excited to be sharing these insights with attendees and to showcase just how far employer branding has evolved in the past three years.

I will show how different cultures are addressing similar problems such as talent shortages and how by rethinking their business model, leaders can build stronger employer brands in their own region or be more effective in localising their strategy in markets they operate in around the world.

This will ensure attendees are focusing on developing solutions to the right business and talent challenges in 2019.

What would you like Canadian business leaders to know about you and how you are shaping the world of employer branding globally?

I am coming back to Canada with an open mind to encourage business leaders to rethink their approach to employer branding and to initiate the discussions that need to be had inside their companies to ensure their talent systems, policies and processes evolve to meet the demands of their target audience at scale, whilst managing the complexities of the external market environment.

I am also going to share the main takeaways and future directions from World Employer Branding Day 2018 which was held in Prague last April and brought together 450 leaders from more than 40 countries.

It will be my 4th trip to Canada and I’m also looking forward to enjoying some more of your famous maple syrup!!