In your own image - Viewpoint - careers advice blog Viewpoint careers advice blog

In your own image - Viewpoint - careers advice blog People want to work with top consumer brands, but that doesn’t necessarily make recruitment and engagement easy. A sharp brand sells. It also attracts top talent â€" after all, who wouldn’t want to work for an organisation associated with high-quality products and services? L’Oréal, for instance, which owns 27 brands including Ralph Lauren Fragrances and Lancôme, attracts 20,000 applicants to its graduate scheme each year. In reality, of course, not every loyal customer will make a suitable employee, and businesses need to treat even their greatest fans with the same discerning eye as any other potential candidate. But while not every customer will make a good employee, HR teams should also ensure that the business treats its staff with the same respect it affords its paying clientele. The fact is, a high quality product or service is unlikely to come from disengaged and unenthusiastic people. HR and marketing teams should collaborate and ensure that employees remain connected to the business and the brand that they represent. Global restaurant chain KFC, for example, has mirrored its ‘So good’ customer promise with the employer brand, using ‘So good to work for us’ in its recruitment activities. Problems can arise when employees are unable to afford the goods or services they sell. That’s why L’Oréal aligns staff experiences with those of its customers by treating employees in its luxury brands to a spa treatment and hotel stay. With perks like that on offer, it’s no surprise the graduates are so keen to join. View the full article from issue 6 of our bi-annual publication the Hays Journal, providing global insights into the world of work. You can view the article in the Hays Journal online, via the Hays Journal iPad app or request a printed copy from haysjournal@hays.com