Until recently, companies had no problems recruiting personnel. A vacancy announcement in a newspaper or a recruitment site was sufficient for the firm to receive hundreds of applications.
However, companies are now under pressure to become proactive in their recruitment procedures and to develop improved strategies to attract professionals.
Some companies are already using advertising agencies to develop an employer brand. A very popular human resource strategy is now the ‘‘Employer of Choice’‘ label. Holcim, one of the top cement and construction-related service providers, is now using such ideal employer strategies in the mass media to attract new staff. ‘‘We have conceived a concerted campaign of messages for the media. The fact that we concentrate on each employee’s career is something to advertise to our potential candidates,’‘ said Nicoleta Salajan, Holcim Human Resources Manager. Holcim believes that a strategy for developing an organizational culture reinforces advertising campaigns. The company invests some €600,000-700,000 annually in personnel training, including that for top management.
Other companies promoting their employer brand are military missile production company Elmec and car dealer Porsche. This form of publicity targets prospective employees, and companies advertise their organizational culture (work environment, career development opportunities, and benefits) rather than their products. ‘‘Besides offering good salaries, employers of choice also provide reliable management to properly evaluate employee performance and offer a real chance for career advancement,’‘ said Eugen Dumbrava, HR consultant, formerly HR Manager for Leo Burnett.
