FINAL PROJECT REPORT ON

EMPLOYER BRANDING AT TRIMAX

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF Prof.Channpreet Kaur Bhatia

SUBMITTED BY Guneet Kaur Chadha ROLL NO: 14 MMS 2009-2011

_______________________________________________________

TO

THE UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI

IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF TWO YEAR FULL TIME DEGREE / DIPLOMA

OF

Masters of Management Studies

GURU NANAK INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES MATUNGA, MUMBAI 400 019.

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the study presented by Guneet Kaur Chadha to the University of Mumbai in part completion of the two year full time degree/diploma of MMS under the title of Employer Branding at Trimax IT, Infrastructure & Services Ltd has been done under my guidance.

To the best of my knowledge this project is in the nature of original work that has not been submitted for any degree of this University or any other University.

Signature of the Candidate

________________________ (Guneet Kaur Chadha)

Forwarded through the Research Guide

Signature of the Guide

(Channpreet Kaur Bhatia)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It gives me immense pleasure to thank Mumbai University and Guru Nanak Institute of Management Studies for providing me with an opportunity to prepare this project report which helped me to get acquainted with an upcoming concept in the arena of Human Resources. It has been an extremely enriching and a great learning experience.

I am extremely grateful to my project guide, Prof. Channpreet Kaur Bhatia for her invaluable support, guidance and inspiration. And Ms. Swati Rokde (Sr. Manager HR) for her support in completion of this project at Trimax.

I would also like to express my gratitude towards fellow students and well wishers for their constant encouragement.

DECLARATION
I, Guneet Kaur Chadha studying in the Masters of Management Studies (M.M.S) course in the academic year 2009-2011 at Guru Nanak Institute of Management Studies, Matunga, hereby declare that, I have completed the project titled Employer Branding at TRIMAX IT, Infrastructure & Services Ltd in complete fulfillment of the course requirements. I further declare that, the information presented in this project is true and original to the best of my knowledge.

DATE: 4th March 2010

PLACE: Mumbai

SIGNATURE:

TABLE OF CONTENT
HEADING Introduction Literature Review Theoretical foundation and Conceptual Framework of Employer Branding Pre-requisites for successful Employer Branding Journey / Steps of Employer Branding Employer Branding Strategy Benefits of well conceived Employer Branding and highly engaged workforce Brand Misalignments and problems which manifest disengaged workforce Measuring effectiveness of your brand Employer Branding Institute and Awards Research Methodology About TRIMAX Survey Findings & Recommendations Examples and Case Studies Key Findings from Literature Review Conclusion References Appendix PAGE NO. 7 9 9 14 16 23 36 38 40 44 48 51 53 56 59 60 61 62

INTRODUCTION

CONCEPT OF BRAND According to the American Marketing Association, a brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or combination of them which is intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors. Brands are among a firms most valuable assets and as a result brand management is a key activity in many firms.

CONCEPT OF EMPLOYER BRAND Although firms commonly focus their branding efforts toward developing product and corporate brands, branding can also be used in the area of human resource management. The application of branding principles to human resource management has been termed employer branding. Employer branding is defined as a targeted, long-term strategy to manage the awareness and perceptions of employees, potential employees, and related stakeholders with regards to a particular firm. Ambler and Barrow (1996) define the employer brand in terms of benefits, calling it the package of functional, economic and psychological benefits provided by employment, and identified with the employing company. In a similar vein the Conference Board (2001) proposes, The employer brand establishes the identity of the firm as an employer. It encompasses the firms value system, policies and behaviors toward the objectives of attracting, motivating, and retaining the firms current and potential employees. These definitions indicate that employer branding involves promoting, both within and outside the firm, a clear view of what makes a firm different from its competitors and desirable as an employer. The employer brand puts forth an image showing the organization as a good place to work

BRAND vs. EMPLOYER BRAND In reality, a company only gets to have one brand. Its not as if you can have a consumer brand that targets consumers, an employer brand that targets employees, an investor brand that targets investors, and a vendor brand that targets vendors. We dont isolate our opinion of a company as an employer from our opinion of it as a product maker or service provider. Not surprisingly, employee loyalty and customer loyalty are highly correlated. It only makes sense to think of the brand holistically. Studies show a high correlation between consumers admiration for a companys product and their willingness to work for that company and vice versa. Since theres only one brand for many targets, every department from HR to PR is thus a stakeholder in your brand. They all have a responsibility to hold up their part of your companys reputation and their cohesion is critical. We cant have the HR people scurrying around building a brand that clashes with what the marketing people or the PR people are doing. The term employer brand merely speaks to HRs responsibility as a stakeholder for the overall brand. HR owns the task of conveying the brand in a compelling way to the labor market. Its important to remember that your brand already exists. Employer branding is not about starting from scratch trying to conjure up some positioning that you think employees will find engaging. You already have a culture, a vision, and values (and theyre all already being communicated by other departments). Your employees already have a certain attitude towards the company. Jobseekers already have preconceptions.

OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT

The focus of this project is to understand the theoretical base about the modern concept of Employer Branding. It becomes essential for an organization not only to attract talented candidates, but also retain and develop these potential resources, which can be achieved through Employer Branding. In order to understand the theoretical construct, the pre-requisites for success, employer value proposition, steps and strategies for Employer Branding are reviewed which are supported with the help of examples and case studies. Other issues such as brand misalignments, measuring effectives of brand and employer branding during recession are dealt with, in order to further strengthen the course of study.

LITERATURE REVIEW
THEORETICAL FOUNDATION OF EMPLOYER BRANDING The practice of employer branding is predicated on the assumption that human capital brings value to the firm, and through skilful investment in human capital, firm performance can be enhanced. Resource-based view (RBV) supports this, suggesting that characteristics of a firms resources can contribute to sustainable competitive advantage (Barney, 1991). Arguably, the possession of resources that are rare, valuable, non-substitutable and difficult to imitate allow a firm to move ahead of its competitors (Barney, 1991). While we commonly think of plant, equipment and capital as resources that create competitive advantage, human capital has also been shown to operate as an important resource creating competitive advantage (Priem and Butler,2001). For example, a state-of-the-art facility and technology can create competitive advantage only when there is a highly competent workforce to utilize them (Boxall,1998).

External marketing of the employer brand establishes the firm as an employer of choice and thereby enables it to attract the best possible workers. The assumption is that the distinctiveness of the brand allows the firm to acquire distinctive human capital. Further, once recruits have been attracted by the brand, they develop a set of assumptions about employment with the firm that they will carry into the firm, thereby supporting the firms values and enhancing their commitment to the firm.

Internal marketing helps create a workforce that is hard for other firms to imitate. By systematically exposing workers to the value proposition of the employer brand, the workplace culture is molded around the corporate goals, enabling the firm to achieve a unique culture focused on doing business the firms way. Unique workforce, however, can be a source of competitive advantage only if it is stable. If the source of competitive advantage is not sustainable, neither is the advantage (Barney, 1991). Besides helping create a workforce that is hard to duplicate, internal marketing also contributes to employee retention (Ambler and Barrow, 1996) by using the brand to reinforce the concept of quality employment and thereby contributing to employee willingness to stay with the

organization.

The theory of the psychological contract and its effect on the employee organizational relationship provides a second foundation for employer branding. In the traditional concept of the psychological contract between workers and employers, workers promised loyalty to the firm in exchange for job security (Hendry and Jenkins, 1997). However, the recent trend toward downsizing, outsourcing, and flexibility on the part of the employer has imposed a new form of psychological contract, in which employers provide workers with marketable skills through training and development in exchange for effort and flexibility (Baruch, 2004). In the face of negative perceptions of this new employment reality, firms use employer branding to advertise the benefits they still offer, including training, career opportunities, personal growth and development. In general, firms have been perceived to fail to deliver some of these offerings (Newell and Dopson, 1996; Hendry and Jenkins, 1997) so employer branding campaigns can be designed to change perceptions of the firm.

The concept of brand equity provides a complementary theoretical perspective for understanding employer branding. In marketing terms, brand equity is a set of brand assets and liabilities linked to a brand that add to or subtract from the value provided by a product or service to a firm and/or to that firms customers (Aaker, 1991). Customer based brand equity relates to the effect of brand knowledge on consumer response to the marketing of the product (Keller, 1993). In terms of employer branding, brand equity applies to the effect of brand knowledge on potential and existing employees of the firm. Employer brand equity propels potential applicants to apply.Further, employer brand equity should encourage existing employees to stay with, and support the company. Employer brand equity is the desired outcome of employer branding activities.

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EMPLOYER BRANDING: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

According to the above figure, employer branding creates two principal assets brand associations and brand loyalty. Employer brand associations shape the employer image that in turn affects the attractiveness of the organization to potential employees. Employer branding impacts organization culture and organization identity that in turn contribute to employer brand loyalty. As we have mentioned, organizational culture also feeds back to the employer brand. Employer brand loyalty contributes to increasing employee productivity. Employer Brand Associations Employer brand associations affect the image of the firm as an employer. Employer brand image mediates the relationship between employer brand associations and employer attraction. Employer brand associations enhance the process of person-organization value matching. The employer brand presents information that contributes to formation of a psychological contract between the employer and the employee. Accurate information portrayed in the employer brand reduces employee perceptions of breach or violation of the psychological contract. Employer branding messages that fail to adequately provide a realistic job preview will contribute to intentions to quit and turnover. If the employer brand provides an incomplete picture of organizational culture, employees may be more likely to seek to leave the organization. 11

Employer brand loyalty Employer branding reinforces and changes organizational culture. Organization culture mediates the relationship between employer branding and employer loyalty. Employer branding strengthens organizational identification among employees. Organizational identity mediates the relationship between employer branding and employer loyalty. Employer brand loyalty is positively related to employee productivity. Employer branding provides a framework, and support, for the organizational career management program.

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COMPONENTS OF EMPLOYER BRAND Here are some things to consider with respect to your employer brand: 1. Internal communication 2. Reward & recognition 3. Learning & development 4. Measurement systems 5. Performance appraisal 6. Team management 7. Recruitment and on-boarding 8. Working environment 9. External marketing 10. Values / Corporate Social Responsibility 11. Senior leadership Two of the biggest elements of employment branding are communication and culture. People always want to feel like they fit in and they always want to be communicated to in an open and authentic manner.

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PRE-REQUISITES OF SUCCESSFUL EMPLOYER BRADING Employer branding is becoming increasingly important in strategic decisions. There are several global trends driving the increase, and some may require you to rethink your employer brand. Many of these trends are the same as those driving the global move toward Free Agents, or people who self-manage their careers without being permanently linked to an employer. Free Agents are typically the most skilled and valuable employees. So what are the five steps to building your powerful employer brand that will help you to attract and retain great staff and keep you ahead of the game? 1. Understand where your business is going: future direction of your company, where it will grow, and what markets you will enter. 2. Identify the employees you need to get there. Identify skill gaps and plan when you need employees. Too few employees will lead to stress on your current team and brand damage. Too many and you may need to retrench, which causes even greater brand damage. 3. Determine the key employer brand attributesthose that define the experience of working with you. 4. Maintain consistency with the corporate brand. It simply must be in harmony. 5. Develop a communications plan. Key considerations are budget, timing, markets, media and the priority you give to each.

PRIORITIES OF EMPLOYERS CHOICE Employers of choice have built much of their standing on their reputation as exciting places to work. They regard their reputation as an essential part of their employer brand and flaunt this image among graduating classes and in the job market. But there is more to their success than mere smart publicity campaign. The brands of the employers of choice have much higher congruence with the employment deal expectations of their high performers. This holds especially true for the high quality of their culture and the good quality of their leadership and management. Most companies only partially meet the expectations of their most valuable employees. Answers to the following questions can avoid such a mismatch. They build a basis on which an employer brand can be built successfully:

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1. What types of employees are fundamental to the success of the business? 2. What do the high-performing employees expect from the company? Answering the above questions enables the employer to build a brand that reflects its business and culture and is attractive to targeted employees. Besides the company needs to share and live the brand. The employer brand may not remain a secret for HR professionals, but should be widely disseminated and shared within and outside the company. The employers of choice have proven that well-developed employer brands help attract and retain talent. A strong employer brand shows what a powerful means of differentiation an employer branding can be. It can be thus be concluded that a remarkable reputation, perception and image in the job market builds on both the attractiveness in factors that are of fundamental importance to high performers as well as elaborate efforts, which make this attractiveness visible in the job market.

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THE EMPLOYER BRAND JOURNEY 1. Getting the right people on board 2. Welcome to the company 3. Getting to work 4. Entrenching the brand 5. The power of goodbye

The experiences along the employer brand journey can be as significant as being inducted into the organization, receiving recognition for a job well done or being made redundant, through to receiving their pay slip, or talking to senior managers. They also include experiencing the way their organization is positioned or represented in the media and advertising compared with the reality of working there. The journey a typical employee experiences in the life-span of one job and examples of how some organizations have brought to brand the life at each stage of the employees journey.

Step 1 - Getting the right people on board At this stage, the potential employer is wearing his or her external stakeholder hats. This is where the employer brand journey begins. Even for the outsider looking in, organizations have an identity, a story, and a culture, that targets the right audiences at the right times, and differentiate them from their competitors. Employer rankings such as The Guardians Ideal Employer List, FORTUNES 100 Best Companies to Work For or even Working Mother Magazines 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers help to shape perceptions in a more definitive way. Organizations which land on top employer lists often offer challenging assignments, exciting training and development prospects, and therefore recruit bright people selectively. Or they may offer market leading products and services and people are attracted by the external perception. Quite simply, they have developed clear messages about who they are and what they stand for and communicated them consistently.

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E.g. The Royal Navy Royal Navy launched an original recruitment campaign for the Royal Marines in a popular mens magazine. The campaign entitled Are you man enough? ran for 6 weeks, and was conducted through Zoo magazine and online at www.zooweekly.co.uk. An advertising campaign, to invite the target audience to take part in Royal Marine training competitions at ten regional sites followed. RAF and Royal Navy began recruitment campaigns on YouTube and through mobile phones. The Army has also been using so-called viral videos on their website to entice possible recruits and encourage them to pass the videos onto other people. The Royal Navy advertising campaign challenges men to see if they have what it takes to be a part of the Marines. It is less about current skills and more about required behaviors, values and mindset. These new recruitment approaches ensure that an engaging message reaches the target audience with greater accuracy and through the right interactive channels.

Step 2 - Welcome to the company First impressions matter, so the induction process is the first opportunity to offer new recruits a taste of what an organization stands for, its current priorities, and what it will be like working there. New recruits should leave informed, confident and inspired, having spent no longer in induction meetings than absolutely necessary. Theres only so much information someone can digest on their first day or week, but armed with tools such as Employee Handbooks and company intranets, that doesnt necessarily matter. Nobody enjoys spending the day watching mind-numbing health and safety videos and listening to lots of motivational management speak, so interactivity and creativity are critical. Another dimension is how to distil what working for an organization means into a simple and symbolic induction experience. This can matter more than the hours or days of presentations, meetings and information. It packs it all into a one-hour experience which brings the employer brand to life very quickly and powerfully.

E.g. Land rover Land rover uses the power of symbolism to communicate what it means to work there. Land rovers dipped in green induction is famous. As well as the usual induction meetings and information, each employee is given firsthand experience of driving or being driven in one of the

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car markers vehicles around a test track. This brings to life what Land rover is about in a very simple, practical and symbolic way the thrill and delight of the Land rover driving experience.

Step 3 - Getting to Work It can be hard for new employees to reconcile a miserable workforce, lack of training and poor management interaction with the organizations slick, sparkly external branding. . That is why it is important that external and employer brands align closely otherwise, disappointment and cynicism sets in. A comprehensive and integrated approach to every aspect of the employees working experience is required to ensure employees remain engaged and motivated by the organizations mission. A culture of open and honest communication takes time and planning, and should not be considered a given within any organization. Inside the organization, employees see everything, warts and all. And that includes what the organizations leaders are saying and doing. Do leaders walk the talk or, as so many employee surveys show, do they say one thing and do the other? This is one of the most powerful elements in the employer brand mix. Leaders set the tone and pace of an organizations culture. It requires visible demonstration of what the leadership team believes is important for success leaders also need to take related action which shows they are serious. Of course, it would be unrealistic to imagine CEOs stopping at every desk for a chat with each employee. That is where cultural trickle-down theory is important.

Cultural trickle-down theory Child psychologists will tell you that children copy the behavior (intentionally or subconsciously) of their parents. It is no different in organizations, where employees see leader(s) as substitute parents to follow, adore, please, be frustrated and embarrassed by, and, ultimately, imitate. Leaders set the behaviors and cultural ways of working, and then live those, demonstrating to those working around them closely that they are serious about this. Direct reports start to behave in the same way (voluntarily or out of a keen interest in their own career prospects). Practical demonstration of the behaviors and culture by this next layer of managers encourages others to live the employer brand. This process is replicated until most of the organization understand and live the desired behaviors. Without the visible direction setting and

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ongoing demonstration by leaders, employees assume that, say, a new set of values is not really important and just ignore it.

E.g. British Gas British Gas was experiencing a revolution in its consumer markets. Up against ever tougher competition, the one-time monopoly had to fight tooth and nail with other energy suppliers. That meant brushing up on the way it served customers. With a culture where customer numbers mattered more than customer service, this was going to be tough. It had to get employees to understand the importance of customer service, and create a culture where this was a reality not just a slogan. Former Director of Strategy and Marketing, Nick Smith, was very clear what British Gas needed. A root-and-branch re-evaluation of how each employee experienced the new employer brand focus on the customer. We wanted employees to behave differently and that could not come from a poster or slick video. Hence, the employer brand wheel came into existence. Every part of the business that had an impact on the employees brand experience acted as a spoke on that wheel. Each spoke was involved in re-assessing and re-shaping to align itself with the required culture and behavior set.

Activities such as leadership development, frontline training, operational KPIs, external marketing, HR processes, internal communication were all redesigned to reinforce the new behaviors. Functional leads were responsible for specific actions that contributed to the wheel moving in the right direction. A number of spokes often had to work together. As such, leadership development and internal communications were tasked with challenging and changing a hierarchical, top-down, fearful culture. The organization wanted its employees to think more creatively and independently to serve customers quickly. But failure was inevitable if its people were afraid of taking any initiative without being punished for making mistakes. The importance of a more open culture was accepted by the British Gas management team. And they knew they had to lead the way. Nick Smith acknowledges that he and his colleagues had to change the way they behaved to give permission and encouragement to others to do likewise. Open dialogue and the invitation of constructive criticism; more informal, discursive focus groups led by a different leader every Friday; a change in dress-code; being comfortable with employee debate on issues in fora such as the employee tabloid newspaper and in face-to-face meetings all these

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played their part in loosening up the culture.

Step 4 - Entrenching the brand: Reward and Recognition For the organization to entrench the employer brand, it needs to retain the people most likely to actively live that brand. That requires the right employees being recognized and rewarded for demonstrating the right behaviors as well as going the extra mile in achieving the organizations goals. This is not about employers dangling carrots on sticks. Money talks, but a reward and recognition package that is solely focused on financial gain will not get the most out of your workforce or help to retain them either. It also sends the wrong messages about what your organization thinks is important. Psychologically, financial rewards have a diminishing return. They have a time-limited impact on motivation. Many workforce surveys show that personal fulfillment and being recognized for jobs well done, is a surer and longer-term way of motivating and mobilizing employees.

To pay or not to pay ? According to a recent Gallup survey of more than 80,000 employees, recognition is a key factor in employee engagement and retention. Recognition and praise ranked fourth among the twelve dimensions that consistently correlated with those workgroups that have higher employee retention, higher customer satisfaction, higher productivity, and higher profits. The dimensions do not include pay and benefits. That does not mean that pay and benefits are not important. But it does mean that compensation levels do not differentiate great workgroups from the rest. According to The Gallup Organization, Historically, praise and recognition in the workplace has been handled from the perspective of If you dont hear anything, assume youre doing a good job. In contrast to this old industrial workplace mindset, the new knowledge-based worker relies and depends upon praise and recognition as the means of defining what is valued by the organization. Today, praise and recognition are communication vehicles for what is deemed as important.

E.g. Vodafone Vodafone is encouraging its employees to live the companys brand values through a powerful

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recognition scheme. The Legends scheme, now in its third year, finds and recognizes individuals who demonstrate Vodafones brand values in their everyday work. Unlike previous recognition programmes, Legends specifically ties recognition to the companys employer brand and the achievement of its strategic goals. Employees, excluding senior management, are invited to nominate colleagues and assessors (non-management employees who are given training to judge nominees) choose the winners. After the assessors work is done, 100 Legends are selected for that year. The Legends, drawn from across the organization, receive senior management recognition and both financial and non-financial rewards. The programmes impact has helped recognition become part of the everyday culture within Vodafone. Encouraging employees to give positive praise to each other not only builds a sense of satisfaction and mutual respect; it also helps drive overall engagement.

E.g. British Gas A similar recognition programme, British Gas Everyday Heroes involved employees by asking them to vote for the colleague of the year. Over 60% of employees voted by post, online and SMS to choose the Everyday Hero who best represented the companys values and went the extra mile to bring them to life. The interactivity of Everyday Heroes created extensive viral awareness and understanding and engagement with the brand values.

Step 5 - The power to say goodbye People choose to leave their jobs for a variety of reasons, some of which are outside of an organizations control. For an organization, saying goodbye to a key player is inconvenient at the best of times, but for the well engaged employee, a professionally handled departure is the icing on the (farewell) cake. This is important as employees who have departed can be stakeholders in other ways often customers and influencers who play a part in the organizations ongoing success. This includes activities such as continuing to buy products from the company or positively shaping the perceptions of people in their circle of influence. What can organizations do to positively influence the way an employee continues to engage with their former employers brand? One example is exit interviews, which are extremely commonplace these days, and offer both

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departing employee and employer (usually line management) the opportunity to talk about the individuals work and to gather feedback. For example, how might the organization improve or better engage their workforce with the working environment, systems or procedures? It is a golden opportunity to find out exactly what is going on. Far more than a formality, these meetings can help instigate positive change for the future, and encourage employees to think back favorably to their time at that organization.

E.g. NASA What happens when employee debriefing and exit interviews can become a last-minute effort or a chore? Often within organizations, processes and best practice examples are not documented and are simply lost when people decide to move on. NASA realized in 2006 that 50% of its workforce was actually eligible for retirement if they wanted it, and realized that unless they came up with a viable solution, years of experience and knowledge would literally walk out of the door. Efforts to retain at least some knowledge or expertise were integrated into a new knowledge debrief. This debrief is conducted through asking employees to complete job manuals, write case studies, tell stories, give best practice examples, and provide their top 5 knowledge resources. Depending on the type of role and associated skills and expertise, the information is stored in a way that is the most meaningful for remaining employees. The process adds to the learning curve of newer staff and ensures that valuable expertise and perspectives are hard-wired into the corporate memory. Importantly, the process of asking employees for such information and feedback can both engender fond memories and pride or, where some experiences have been negative, cathartic. All of it contributes to the lasting impression the employer has on their former employee.

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EMPLOYER BRANDING STRATEGY This is a market oriented era. If you have a good brand value in market, you will get good response if not; its very difficult to convince people. From an HR point of view branding is very important. If your organization has a good brand image in the market, it will help you in getting right workforce at right time and at the same time you will have a control over the employee cost. An organization with no brand name has to shell out lots of money to attract and retain the right candidate.

Branding can be done in two ways: (1) External Branding and (2) Internal Branding. Lots of factors may influence the branding strategy of an organization, like A) Nature of Business B) Nature of market C) Target reception D) Budget flexibility E) Long term mission of the organization F) Organizational structure. Etc. These are the few to count on but there may be many as per the business.

Branding Strategy 1. Nature of Business Branding should be based on the nature of business. Like if an IT company goes for a fashion show, it may not yield the same results as it would have got by going to IT Fair or something similar. A real estate company may go for some road show on property market.

2. Nature of Market It is always recommended to gauge the market before going for any project which involves market risk Like if you are targeting to explore a Financial market or banking and at the same time it is marred by some other factors like Inflation, you need to design your strategy which could help you in overcoming the negative trend.

3. Reception Target Its always good to define the reception target or the audiences. If you are planning to sell Villas and targeting the middle class, probability is very high that you will end up spending your time and resources in wrong direction.

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4. Budget Flexibility Budget always plays an important role in deciding the strategies. If your budget doesnt allow you to spend a lot, its always recommended to partner in any event where other participants are not of your field and it has got at least one participant who has got a good market value so that you can attract the crowd.

5. Long Term Mission of Organization Also the long term as well as short term goals of the organization should be kept in mind. If the organization does not have any long term goals in the target market or location, its always recommendable not to go for branding or it is very much required go for a small, low budgeted branding event.

6. Organizational Structure Organizational structure is also very vital part for deciding any strategy. Organizational structure is the strength of any organization and any event or branding can be done based on that. Like if your organization does not have lots of hierarchy steps, you can boast of Flatness and claim of equal behavior. And if you have different layers, you can market the clear definition of roles etc.

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EXTERNAL BRANDING External branding refers to branding which is done by using external sources and which may (or may not) require some investment in monetary or other forms. Lets see the different means of doing external branding.

1. Use of Job Sites As HR the first thing which comes to the mind is recruitment, so Job sites also offer good branding opportunities through different means like 2. Pop ups, pop ins etc. Its always better to go for pop ins as most of web browsers come with pop-up blockers.

3. Banners Banners are also a good mean for branding. Banners can be of both types means Online Banner and Street banners. By Online banner, your organization name will be flashed on different web pages as per your choice and price. Street banners are good for bigger requirements.

4. Road Shows Road shows are also an important mean for creating brand awareness. You can organize talks, presentations, seminars etc. for attracting people towards your organization.

5. Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate social responsibility refers to corporate getting associated with society for some noble cause. The association can be in any mode either getting associated with a Charitable Trust or a NGO or some other public venture. Corporate can align and attach with any of these and share the stage. Always keep in mind that choose as per you organization status meaning if you are a small firm, do associate with a medium sized organization and if medium you can align with either of these- large or medium. Idea should be you get a nice coverage in the popularity cake.

6. Public Events Public events are one of the major ways of creating a brand image. An organization can participate in any of the public event and assuring that it does not get disappeared in the crowd of many brands or big names.

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7. Newspapers Branding can be done through newspapers as well. If you target the local public, you can go for advertisements considering the individual day circulation, target readers, rapport of newspaper, type of newspaper etc. If you target only to employ people for your workforce requirement, you can place job Ads which may seem expensive at the first glance but in terms of attracting the correct workforce, it can do magic.

8. Email For mail ids related to job portals, you can create an auto reply which can contain brief description of the key aspects of candidates and public interest and at the same time introducing your company to the public. It should be informative as well as crispy so that the audience reads it and just doesnt do Shift Delete.

9. Tagline Create a nice, attractive tagline or a punch line for your brand and give it a significant visibility in all your branding efforts. The tag line should be in accordance with your organization values, goals, work etc. so that it reflects an overall image of the brand everywhere.

10. Align with celebrity Aligning with a celebrity is also a good way of creating a brand image. But this may cost you big bucks and ultimately increasing your cost dramatically. This is an expensive method of branding.

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INTERNAL BRANDING Internal Branding is comparatively a cheaper way of branding. You can use your internal organizational staff for this purpose.

1. Front Office Always pay attention to your front office because first impression is last impression. It should be kept neat and clean with a pleasant receptionist who always maintains freshness and welcomes the guests with courtesy.

2. Stays Interview - HR can always conduct stay interviews in which they can interact with the employee and ask them regarding their career prospects, there alignment with the company, there feedback regarding their concerned departments, etc. These feedbacks can be analyzed and used for different purposes by which you can create an internal brand image of the country.

3. Exit Interview An exit always carries a fair chance of initiating the chain reaction among the employees so always be very careful in analyzing the exiting reasons so that you can overcome the justified ones in the future.

4. Employee Satisfaction Employee satisfaction is always very important for any organization to grow. A satisfied employee is a productive employee. If your employee is satisfied, you can relax because they will create a good and positive rapport for the company in the market outside.

5. Policy Information Always design your policies very strategically. A policy should be designed in such a way that it holds good even after a long period of time. A frequent internal policy change sends a message to the outer world that the company is not consistent and knowledgeable and reliable.

6. Customer Orientation Customers are always the most important factors. Always keep your workforce motivated towards delivery of customer oriented services. Customers can

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be of either type, internal or external.

7. Employee Participation Always try to ensure the maximum participation from the employee side, either in terms of internal events participation or external events.

8. Trained Employees Always ensure proper training of employees before they are engaged in work. The training should be in all the aspects like policies, vision, mission, organization. This will project a good picture of organization on the new employee.

These are few to count with but based on the requirement and strategy, the list may increase or shorten.

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HOW TO ACTIVATE AN INTERNAL BRAND?

Discovery: 1. Assess the current organizational atmosphere in terms of culture, employee satisfaction, and values. 2. Methods may involve company-wide surveys, focus groups, or behavioral observation. 3. Helps clarify what defines your brand.

Road Map: 1. Create a clear, appropriate and deliverable Employer Brand Identity. 2. Employer Brand Promise, a statement that describes the value proposition in working for a company. 3. The tone, attitude and content through which this message is communicated become your Employer Brand Voice.

Activate: 1. Implementation of communication, human resources and leadership learning strategies and tactics, developed in the Road Map.

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Measure: 1. Includes the ongoing measurement of client driven metrics which helps benchmark the program's impact and its contribution to organizational goals.

A JOB IS ABOUT PASSION AND NOT JUST ABOUT PAY INTERNAL BRANDING, KEY TO ENGAGED EMPLOYEES The notion of an employer brand can be defined by using two simple parameters: what an employee knows about an organization and how they feel about it. Positive examples of what these parameters mean in practice are: Understanding and experienceI know where this organization is headed. I know what our priorities are and what my role is in delivering them. I am receiving a good pension scheme and training and development opportunities. My company gets us involved in a variety of community-based projects. My organizations leaders do what they say they will. Emotive engagementI like working for this company. I am proud of what the company stands for. I feel valued through the work that I do. My organizations leaders care about me and my future. Im not afraid to voice my opinions about issues that matter to me. How emotionally engaged are employees in your organization? And how positive is their understanding and experience of what your organization stands for? By knowing the answers to both these questions, organizations can see how many of their employees are ambassadors for the brand. These ambassadors are people who both understand and are emotionally engaged. The notion of an employer brand can be defined by using two simple parameters: what an employee knows about an organization and how they feel about it.

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The ambassadors matrix is used by a number of organizations to understand how many of their employees are brand ambassadors, and how many are bystanders, loose cannons or wreckers. The challenge for every employer is to move employees into ambassadors and minimize the number of employees who are bystanders, loose cannons and wreckers.

Loose cannons Employees who are highly engaged whilst having a relatively weaker understanding or experience of the organization and what it stands for

Ambassadors Employees who are emotionally engaged and have a strong understanding / experience of the organization and what it stands for

Wreckers Employees are both emotionally disengaged and have a weak understanding of the organization and what it stands for

Bystanders Employees who have a strong understanding / experience of the organization and what it stands for but are emotionally disengaged

Taking Employees on a journey of understanding and engagement Building, shaping, or reinforcing an employer brand does not happen overnight. Nor is it a one hit process. Many organizations put their employees through sheep-dip brand engagement experiences that are often no more than a marketers or event managers wet dream. Lots of money is spent in a short period of time to achieve limited employee understanding, motivation and engagement.

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Deep and long-term employer brand building encompasses the life-span of an employees time with an organization. From before joining to after leaving it, and including every experience in between, an employer has to positively shape and reinforce an employees relationship with the brand.

This approach is known as employer brand journeys. Employers define the significant experiences employees have when working for an organization and seek to influence each experience in ways which improve brand understanding and engagement.

Effective communication starts within the organization. The pleasant, well-dressed and attentive salesman at the motor fair was asked a question: I believe there is a diesel automatic model of this car planned. Do you know when that will be? His response was an unexpected, yet honest: Well, youre telling me something I dont know. Of course Im not surprised; they never tell us anything in this company.

When you consider the mind-boggling budget that this particular world-renown automobile manufacturer pours into its branding, marketing and promotions not to mention its R&D, design and quality control this worrying lapse of not keeping all its front-line employees up-todate and involved in the companys current thinking and future plans is short-sighted to say the least.

As short-sighted as the management of the supermarket chain who spent thousands of dollars on a countrywide, in-store promotion to encourage customers to fill in a form and pop it into the special container at the store. Trouble was, they did not ensure all the branches workforces knew about the promotion and, consequently, some customers who asked, Where do I post my form? were met with a Sorry, I dont know response from people who clearly should have known and found themselves embarrassed not to. In both cases the employees felt somewhat ashamed of their own and their companies shortcomings. There are countless examples of these gaffes which serve to highlight the fact that, for all the organizations who have finally got the message that communicating effectively with the customers is an integral part of persuading them to be loyal to their brand, there are still

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many who havent quite grasped the fact that communicating internally (i.e. with their own people) is just as important possibly more so.

If they are the sort of organization content to have their employees put up those You dont have to be mad to work here but it helps signs, so be it. How much better to have a workforce which is proud to work for its chosen employer, proud of the brands associated with the organization, confident that the part they play is important and recognized as such by management, and comfortable in the knowledge that they will be kept informed of changes, developments and issues within the organization. Much is said about such concepts as corporate social responsibility and its inherent recognition that employees are as important as the customers. Much is said about internal market orientation recognition that it is an essential precursor to market orientation; that employees have to be committed, motivated, informed and skilled to carry out their tasks. Much is said, but the danger comes when the much-is-said is merely the precursor to little-isdone.

To be and to stay competitive, organizations need the full engagement of their employees. They need people who will talk with pride about their companys services or products. Whether at work or socializing, employees who are walking, talking advertisements for the organization are the sort the clever employer needs on the payroll. Macro and micro levels of relating to the workforce getting them on the payroll is not just a matter of offering the best remuneration package.

Many potential employees usually the ones with the best qualifications and skills to offer do not merely want a well-paid job; they want to be passionate about working for an organization with vision and direction. And, just as a customer will be prepared to pay more for a brand they respect and trust, a potential employee is likely to accept a lower financial reward if it gets him/her a job with a company which delivers respect and trust through its brands.

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In their 2008 Employee Engagement Report, global consulting firm BlessingWhite say that although North America has one of the highest proportions of engaged employees worldwide, fewer than one in three employees (29 percent) are fully engaged and 19 per cent are actually disengaged. Engaged employees stay for what they give (they like their work); disengaged employees stay for what they get (favorable job conditions, growth opportunities, job security).

Blessing White say: Employee engagement is a complex equation that reflects each individuals unique, personal relationship with work. As such, there are limits to what organizations can do with broad-brush workforce processes or communication programs. At a macro level, you need to provide resources, tools, and the overall workplace environment that supports engagement. Ultimately, at a micro level, employees, with their managers help, need to establish a thriving personal connection with their work and carve out a satisfying future in the organization.

There is, they say, a clear correlation between engagement and retention, and the most successful organizations make engagement an ongoing priority, not just a once-a-year event. But is employer branding merely a fad, or is it where the future of HR lies? That is precisely the question which the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the UK professional body for those involved in the management and development of people, asked. They say: How often have you shelled out a few extra pence (or maybe many extra pounds) on a product whose brand you recognize, trust and admire? In consumer marketing, you can simply charge more on the basis of the strength of your brand. In the world of employment marketing, the same benefit of a well-developed brand applies, but is expressed rather differently. With no brand, no profile, no reputation, youre forced to compete on money. Like many organizations, you may find yourself simply throwing money at a recruitment problem, and getting embroiled in some crazy kind of auction in which you and your closest competitors try to outbid each other on salaries (and whos ever recruited in the graduate market will know just how this feels).

With a fully-formed brand, youll have plenty of other areas in which you can compete successfully for talent. Youll be joining the ranks of those fortunate organisations who can say: Of course, we dont pay the highest salaries, but people are queuing to join us. They like

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working for us and they know our name will look good on their CV. Marks & Spencer aim to connect with employees on every level attracting the right sort of people is merely a first step. A few months later they need to be able to take stock of their new career, be confident they made the right choice and be fully engaged with an organization they are willing to go that extra mile for.

The Marks & Spencer brand, for instance, depends on an organization which puts value on connecting on every level with current and potential employees in a manner which aligns the organization with its people and motivates them to deliver the very best service for the customer. In return for optimal productivity and increased commitment, reports Deborah Fernon, the company works towards further improving employment terms and conditions, modernizing its policies where appropriate and better involving its people in the decision-making process. Underpinning all of this is a comprehensive program of targeted and ongoing training.

Louisa Peacock reports that Telecom giant 02, which employees 12,500 across the UK, engaged staff with the company brand by a combination of HR and internal communications practices. Annabel Sweet, head of HR strategy, introduced a People Promise listing seven brief statements that encapsulate what 1,000 staff had said the company was good at, and what it should be striving towards. She said: We already had a Customer Promise and creating the People Promise shows there are two sides to our coin: both people and customers. When you come to the office or visit the intranet site, you can feel the brand instantly; you know exactly where you work and what your organization stands for.

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BENEFITS OF HIGHLY ENGAGED AND RETAINED WORKFORCE 1. Better customer engagement and satisfaction 2. Improved morale and heightened loyalty employees living the brand and sharing the vision 3. Facilitates growth and promotion from within investment in personal development and training provides a return 4. Leaders vision is understood and embraced 5. Advances skills and knowledge transfer promotes knowledge sharing within the company 6. Retains skills, experience and interest 7. Collaborative work environment improved morale, inspiration, passion 8. Generates brand ambassadors encourages positive word of mouth promotion 9. Aligned on behaviors and common sense of purpose unified identity as an employer 10. Reduced employee turnover provides significant cost savings 11. Improved efficiency and profitability

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BENEFITS OF WELL CONCEIVED EMPLOYER BRAND 1. Inspire and engage with your employees improving morale and increasing retention 2. Cascade the leaders vision and the organizations values 3. Increase referrals and word of mouth promotion underpins successful marketing and advertising activity 4. Achieve competitive positioning in the minds of target audiences and candidates 5. Facilitate planned workforce and organizational development 6. Attract and retain right-fit talent, improving business efficiency and reducing staff turnover 7. Increase referrals and pro-active candidate applications less reliance on advertising 8. Be positioned as a preferred employment destination employer of choice status 9. Communicate more effectively 10. Achieve competitive positioning in the minds of candidates 11. Fill hard to fit positions attract specific skill-sets 12. Align your present employer brand with your aspired one 13. Create high visibility campaigns that engage with candidates and employees

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BRAND MISALIGNMENTS Most employer brands fail to recognize the importance of performance management, growth and development and pay and benefits, respectively. Delving more deeply into these factors shows where highest misalignments occur. High performers expect: 1. Multiple career paths to be open to them 2. Supervisors to ask them for feedback 3. Regular feedback on their own performance 4. A transparent system for determining variable pay.

Most of the employers do not regard these as crucial elements of their employer brand. However, high performers show considerable expectation for their compensation. High performers consider base pay to be the most important part of their compensation package. Interestingly, employees who have high expectations of growth and development opportunities consider variable components of compensation almost as important as base pay, whereas other employees have far greater interest in base pay. High performers believe that their efforts and contributions to the company should be remunerated far above average compensation levels.

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KEY PROBLEMS THAT MANIFEST A DISENGAGED WORKFORCE Here they are challenges from organizations both large and small: 1. Employee morale falls across the organization 2. Employee productivity falls 3. Employee turnover increases 4. Increased absenteeism 5. Poor attitude results in dissatisfied customers 6. Product defect rate increases 7. Lack of focus on business objectives 8. Lack of direction becomes hard to move forward as a team 9. Work in silos become individual and defensive 10. Change initiatives dont gain traction 11. High levels of workplace stress, affects relationships and quality of work 12. Infighting and point scoring 13. Poor brand representation 14. Job seeking and inappropriate use of organizations time 15. Leaders viewed with apathy and skeptism 16. Cliques form long termers v newbies 17. Diminishing loyalty to the organization 18. Employees not reliable 19. Negative world of mouth and malicious gossip inside and out Any of these problems can have a detrimental effect on your organizations bottom line and should be identified quickly before they have a chance to take hold.

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MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS OF YOUR BRAND When was the last time you benchmarked your employer brand against the best in the industry? Are you aware of the key drivers of why people enjoy (or dislike!) working for you? Founding partners of the Employer Brand Institute, Brett Minchington and Kaye Thorne discuss employer brand effectiveness. Developing a leading employer brand is not just important for attracting and retaining new talent; it is a whole of business concept that can be used throughout an organization to identify employee, customer and stakeholder satisfaction. Developing your employer brand will assist in creating a nurturing culture which enables individuals to give their best performance and supports the organization in delivering on its brand promise. As a holistic process it has a strategic and dynamic role in delivering a truly competitive edge to organizations. Recruitment is about attracting the most talented and capable people efficiently and effectively, so any positive messages and demonstrable actions that you can transmit into your local community about your employment offering gives a company the advantage it needs. Equally important is engaging and retaining these people beyond the initial induction period. It's an employee's market and job candidates can be very choosy about where they work. It is not just about pay and benefits, increasingly employees are looking for organizations who match their values, which care about the environment they work in, and the service they offer to their customers. The biggest challenge in employer branding is ownership. As it is often not clear who should sponsor it, the responsibility can fall down the middle between marketing, corporate communications and HR. To succeed, it needs an integrated process linking all departments with endorsement from the highest level within the organization. As an aspirational goal it also needs a pragmatic approach to achieve it.

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Consistency in the delivery of the employer brand is very important. The companies who really live by their employer brand are those who consistently deliver through their people, products, premises and processes, a level of service excellence that is forever consistent. Employer branding is not about smart advertising, the best recruitment advertising is pointless if the communication inside the organization is disconnected or the time to hire is slow due to bureaucratic processes. Minchington and Thorne developed the Minchington-Thorne Employer Brand Global IndexTM measure to link all the stages together in a holistic way. Through extensive research and analysis of the key drivers of an employer brand, 14 constructs or enablers were identified, which fundamentally contribute to the development of a companys employer brand. These include: 1. Strategic intent 2. Recruitment & induction 3. Communications 4. Leadership 5. Internal business processes 6. Performance management 7. Innovation and re-invention 8. Work environment 9. Measurement & evaluation 10. Thought leadership 11. Global perspective 12. Corporate social responsibility 13. Developing people 14. Customer relationships Having identified the constructs, they then drilled down to analyze the day-to-day touch points (or pain points!) which significantly impact on the development of an employer brand. Interestingly, every organization has an employer brand. Whether you own it or not, your

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organization is influencing its employer brand constantly. Even as you are reading this article, someone is either reinforcing the key behaviours and positive messages about your employer brand, or quietly destroying it. This is not just relevant to your front line customer facing employees; it equally applies to the CEO, the Executive Board and your interactions with suppliers. The most fundamental part of the development of a strong employer brand is built on behaviours, self-esteem, confidence and pride in the organisation. The execution of your employer brand strategy should raise the standards and competencies of the whole organisation and raise its profile as an employer of integrity. When asked to describe the brand of the organisation there should be a common belief based on shared vision, values, aspirations, behaviour and practice. By bringing all these aspects of an employer brand together, not only is there more coherence, there is a constant benchmark. Minchington and Thorne recently had an opportunity to undertake a benchmark survey with a sample of middle-senior managers from a mix of ASX100, private companies and government departments using the MTEBGITM. Respondents were asked to rate how effective they believed their organization was in delivering on the total employment experience. A scale of one (to a very little extent) to seven (to a very great extent) was used to rate the responses. The results from the Australian benchmark study revealed some very interesting findings, said Minchington. In the analysis of the results one of the highest scores related to Corporate Social Responsibility. An increased global emphasis on becoming a preferred employer and the need to be an ethical employer is reflected in the high scores for this construct. Increasingly organisations are realising that brand loyalty is created in many ways, but essentially it is all based on the relationships that an organisation builds with its partners and its local community. This is equally reflected in the scores about the work environment at a time when retention is on the minds of employers, improving the working environment is one way of improving the commitment from employees. Most organizations also realize the importance of communicating with their employees, however one of the lower scoring individual questions related to the

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statement, employees are empowered to provide feedback, highlights the idea that communication may only be one way in some organizations. Surprisingly, leadership was also comparatively low scoring and aspects within this construct such as having a clear strategy for succession planning and having active mentoring programmes across the organization were areas also lacking in attention. Adopting a global perspective also appeared low on the agenda of many organizations. In many ways, SMEs are ahead of their corporate counterparts by recognizing and leveraging the power of the internet in creating a global marketplace and how increased use of technology has opened up the world for trading, as well as global communication. No longer can organizations afford to trade just in their own back yard. Other areas, which require greater emphasis, based on the results from the study include: 1. Employees requiring training in how to deliver the employer brand promise to customers 2. Increased involvement and engagement of employees across all levels in the development of the strategic plan 3. Establishing and supporting a process for capturing, sponsoring and encouraging individual innovation 4. Identifying employer value propositions for target audiences and reinforcing our unique employment offerings through internal and external communications 5. Designing work spaces which are conductive to creating good working conditions What the results of the study indicate is the beginnings of a benchmark in how effective organizations are in building their employer brand. Whether you own it or not, your organization is influencing its employer brand 24/7.

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EMPLOYER BRANDING INSTITUTE AND EMPLOYER BRANDING AWARDS With the tremendous interest on Employer Branding, Worldwide Employer Branding Awards receive tremendous attention from both the media as well as amongst the corporates. The Institute looks at this award to be most credible & transparent, which would be present on the day of ceremony where an envelope announcing the award winners is opened in the presence of several Professionals & the Jury. Thus the process entails a sincere approach to selection with a belief of creative value as an employer.

The Employer Branding Awards has originated in the last decade. Employer Branding Awards have been very active in the last 6 years across Europe, parts of America & some parts of Asia Pacific region like Singapore, Malaysia & India. The attention and spotlight has been on India because of the growth and the opportunity that it offers. Besides the importance that India has gained over a period of time. 6th Employer Branding Awards 2011-2012 Award for Talent Management 1. Tata consultancy services ltd 2. Standard Chartered Bank 3. LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd 4. Broadridge Financial Solutions (India) Pvt. Ltd 5. Aircel Award for best HR strategy in line with business 1. Standard Chartered Bank 2. LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd 3. Reliance Infrastructure Ltd 4. Amara Raja Group of Companies 5. Yes Bank Ltd

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Award for managing Health at Work 1. LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd. 2. Reliance Capital Asset Management Ltd 3. Persistent Systems Ltd 4. Aircel Ltd 5. Steria Ltd Award in Excellence in HR through Technology 1. Tata Consultancy Services 2. Standard Chartered Bank. 3. LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd. 4. Godrej Agrovet Ltd 5. Yes Bank Ltd Award for continuous innovation in HR strategy at Work 1. Standard Chartered Bank 2. LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd 3. Amara Raja Group of Companies 4. Yes Bank Ltd 5. HUL Award for innovation in recruitment 1. Standard Chartered Bank 2. LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd 3. KSRTC 4. Reliance Capital Asset Management Ltd 5. Yes Bank Ltd

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Award for Innovative Retention Strategy 1. Standard Chartered Bank 2. LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd 3. Reliance Capital Asset Management Ltd 4. Multi Screen Media Pvt LTd 5. Aircel Ltd Award for Innovation in Career Development 1. Standard Chartered Bank 2. LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd. 3. Sterlite Technologies Ltd 4. HUL Award for Global HR Strategy 1. Standard Chartered Bank 2. Reliance Entertainment Pvt Ltd 3. HUL Award for Excellence in Training 1. LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd. 2. Reliance Infrastructure Ltd 3. Reliance Capital Asset Management Ltd 4. Adea Technologies Pvt Ltd 5. Aircel Ltd HR Professional of the year Chandan Chattaraj, Chief HR Officer, Aircel Ltd.

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Top 5 employer brands of India 1. HUL 2. Standard Chartered Bank 3. Aircel Ltd 4. Steria Ltd 5. Yes Bank Ltd Methodology & Process of conducting Employer Branding Awards 1. Receipt of Entries 2. Acknowledgement by Organizers 3. Academic Council goes through all the Entries 4. These entries are passed onto the Professional Council 5. Regional Rounds are conducted 6. Jury then finalizes on their decision based on Live Presentations & Questions & Answer sessions 7. Results are declared and the final award ceremony is conducted

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research is an art of scientific investigation. Research comprises defining and redefining problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions, collecting, organizing and evaluating data, making deduction and reaching conclusions and at last carefully testing the conclusion to determine whether they formulating hypothesis.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY: While analyzing this purpose it was important to know the
features and steps of employer branding. How it was implemented, what were the initiatives taken for employer branding in Trimax. The benefits of employer branding, what changes are brought and why trimax should continue with employer branding.

DEFINING THE PROBLEM

The purpose of the study is to find out; effectiveness of employer branding in Trimax. How Trimax brings about employer branding and how it is helpful for building a brand.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The primary objective of the study is to evaluate and understand the effectiveness of employer branding in Trimax. How Trimax brings about employer branding and how it is helpful for building a brand.

DATA COLLECTION METHOD

Data sources: QUESTIONNAIRE Data is collected from primary and secondary sources. Collection of the data is of primary importance the research process. Data which is collected for the purpose of research helps in proper analysis which is helpful to conduct research effectively. The data source, which is very important in the collection of data, is primary data and secondary data. Both primary and secondary data are taken into consideration for the study

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Primary Data: Primary data was collected through questionnaire method data was collected from the executives of Trimax. Secondary Data: Includes information from internet and also from articles and journals on Employer Branding Questionnaire Design: A structured questionnaire was designed in accordance to the objective of the study. It consisted of 15 questions, which were a mix of qualitative and quantitative questions. Questions pertaining to the organization as well as individuals view on the various aspects of employer branding were asked in order to get a complete picture of the scenario created by the organization for development of an employee. For Secondary data: A review was done of the already available data of the organizations through their portal, presentations and documents. Survey Approach: The questionnaire was administered through direct contact with respondents. 1. Sample Size & Sampling Technique: Total Respondents = 12 Executives A random sample of junior to top level Managers was taken for the study. 2. ORGANISATION SURVEYED: The study covers a sample of employees of Trimax. The Respondents were selected on a Random Sample basis from the category of Junior Level Managers to the Top Level Managers. Sample Variety: Respondents are mostly selected at random from the CFO Senior Manager HR Manager

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Sr. Executives & Executives. Sampling Procedure: The sampling method used was Random Sampling. This sampling Method was used in order to get a response and view of the overall working of an organization from all the departments present in the organization at different levels. The sampling unit selected mostly from Junior Level to Top level Mangers. The sample size was fixed to 12 respondents; the sampling procedure was to survey all the Managers personally with the designed questionnaire for the same purpose. Statistical Tool: In this research various percentages were identified in the analysis and these were presented pictorially by the way of bar charts and in order to have a better quality. Development of an analysis plan: Analysis of data received on surveying 12 Employees was first compiled into an excel sheet. This data was then analyzed using bar graphs to get a clear picture of the type of responses which could be analyzed further for interpretation of results. Each question present in the survey Questionnaire was analyzed for all the 12 responses received on interviewing executives and managers and accordingly appropriate charts and symbols which best suited the representation and easy interpretation of data were used for the purpose of getting a clear picture of the organization.

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ABOUT TRIMAX: Trimax IT Infrastructure & Services Ltd. (Trimax) is a leading End-to- End IT Services and Solutions Provider offering Data Center set-up, Management and Operational Services, System Integration and Managed Infrastructure Services. Trimax is a partner to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and offers Managed Network Services from its ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 Certified Network Operations Centre (NOC) running in Mumbai and Bangalore.

With over 2,200 qualified technical professionals, and a well-qualified and ITIL-certified technical team, Trimax services its customers through its reach at more than 600 locations across India including Talluka level, and its headquarters in Mumbai. The company aims to be the preferred technology integration, management and solution company for its global customers. Vision To remain most admired managed services & technology integration institution of our customers. Trimax Advantages: Staying competitive in todays dynamic business environment means finding new ways to reduce costs while maximizing the value of your technology and personal resources. More than ever, your ability to "do more with less" determines how successful your organization will be. That's what Trimax helps you achieve by channeling our in-depth expertise gained from over 15 years of IT Domain experience. We provide a full bandwidth of services specifically designed to meet your complete IT needs for completing business solutions wherever you are located.

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Accolades:

Leading Systems Integrator & IT FMS Company, incorporated in the year 1992. Commenced operation by providing total IT products, solution & services. Operates from 8 regional offices in India, with across the country service & support facilities.

Empanelled system integrator for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. Extended business presence to the dynamic space of contact centers & BPOs by providing entire IT Infrastructure Facility Management Services & Products.

Leading integrator for providing WAN solution on BSNLs MPLS-VPN network. Accredited with the prestigious ISO 9001 2000 quality certification. The growth of Trimax is synonymous with the evolution of call centers & the BPO & telecom industry in the country, keeping pace with changing technology, the world over & providing error free services.

Recognized by international call centers & BPOs, as their trusted IT vendor for products & services.

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SURVEY FINDINGS:

INFERENCES
The above bar diagram represents the opinions of 12 employees in Trimax belonging to different levels and departments, regarding employer branding. It can be inferred that most of the

employees strongly agree HR is playing an important role for employer branding in Trimax, they feel a sense of pride while at work at Trimax. For HR talent acquisition is the main concern was agreed upon by many employees. Employees also perceive that Trimax has a good reputation and stand in the job market. All employees agree proper induction program is conducted when a new candidate comes on board in order to brief and make him aware about Trimax as an organization and its working. 80% employees said that new recruits are given adequate resources and facilities. 60% employees do not plan to shift in the near future to another organization; they are satisfied with the work assigned to them at their current organization. Most employees agree that there is good communication between the HR and employees from the time of enter till their exit. All issues and employee related grievances are handled in a healthy manner by the HR.

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On the basis of qualitative and quantitative survey it can also be analyzed that employer branding is carried out in this organization. In Trimax the main concern for HR is talent acquisition and retention and employee satisfaction. A strategically planned recruitment process is followed wherein the best candidates are sorted out of a pool of resumes through job portals and references, these candidates are selected based on the job profile and accurate fitment is the made. There is a high level of accuracy seen while screening resumes in order to get the best talent from the market. Candidates with good level of relevant experience and from good companies present in the IT industry are selected. On campus recruitments are also done to hire MBAs. It is a sight to see HR in Trimax work to recruit the cream in the market, they put in a lot of hard work and efforts and the results achieved are great. Many HR policies are present in order to attract and retain the best candidates. The work culture and environment at Trimax is very professional. Employees after entering this organization are given equal opportunities to put forward their ideas and view. They have to follow a set of rules and regulations led down by the management but still they have freedom to have fun at work. Proper induction programmes conducted so that the employees become aware about the company and about aspects like policies, vision, mission, organization. Also training of employees before they are engaged in work is given importance. This projects a good picture of organization on the new employee. Many recreation activities like celebrating festivals, recreation activities, get together etc are organized for the employees so that they can even enjoy apart from their hectic work schedule. Employees are given timely incentives, fair salary and appraisal based on their performance in order to reward their work and motivate them to continue working efficiently. All grievances/queries of the employees are solved out by the HR department. There is a good communication that takes place between the employees and HR department. So it can be concluded that along with attracting good employees, retaining them is also a task carried out well by the HR department of Trimax. Employees who are resigning from the organization are also said bye in a pleasant manner. Proper exit interviews are executed and employees are counseled and asked the reason for leaving the company. In this way the HR department at Trimax put in their hard work and dedication just for the branding of Trimax IT, Infrastructure & Services.

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RECOMMENDATIONS: Trimax IT, Infrastructure & Services as an organization is well equipped with latest technology and hard working dedicated employees. It sets an example to other corporate to have a work culture and environment like the one Trimax has. The only few recommendations I suggested were: 1. It should have PF policies for all employees, since the PF implementation is not yet started at Trimax. 2. It should bring in place proper assignment of designations based on a candidates experience and not reference. 3. It should have proper canteen facility which is hygienic and employees can have their lunch there since thats the only meal they have in office after working for long hours.

CONCLUSION: Trimax as an organization if not excellent then carries out the best Employer branding.

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EXAMPLES

OF

DEVELOPING

COMPELLING

EMPLOYER

BRAND

FOR

RECRUITMENT Finlands Nokia is known for its cutting-edge mobile phone design and usability. Its employer brand reinforces those traits when the company says it is creating amazing new ways for people to connect to each other, and to the things that matter to them. It asks potential employees if they want to be at the heart of the mobile internet revolution and a part of a global organization with a dynamic, open culture.6 The company is clearly trying to attract individuals with a particular set of skills and working style who will be aligned with its values. Its implied in this language that individuals preferring a slow-paced, highly structured work environment may not be a good fit in this culture. This approach works well for Nokia, but may not work as well for some other companies. One size does not fit all when it comes to building the employer brand. The key to building the right employer brand begins with identifying the distinctive qualities of the organization that create an emotional connection between employer and employeethe qualities that make people love working there and bring them fulfillment. Such qualities motivate the workforce to help advance the companys mission. Global beverage giant Coca-Colas employees and they will say their brand is exciting, unique and challenging and that their work makes people happy and refreshes them.8 Employee endorsements like these can be powerful recruitment tools. And its critically important to pay attention when highly motivated employees speak of disappointments with the company because they usually point to areas where the company may be falling down on its promises to employees and to customers. Apple, for example, tweaks its recruiting messages to draw specific types of talent. In targeting engineers, it says it is seeking ingenious engineering minds that design and develop Apples revolutionary products. To reach sales professionals, it invites the right combination of passion and product knowledge to deliver the Apple experience worldwide. The messages differ, but align well with the companys mission, values and culture.

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CASE STUDIES

South West Airlines Case Study What began as a small Texas airline has grown to become one of the largest airlines in America. Southwest Airlines Inc. has been profitable every year since 1973. It has 31,000 fun-loving employees and describes itself as the only company in America that considers itself sense of humor, a critical criterion for hiring. Here is how Southwest Airlines went about personalizing the Southwest experience for employees, just as it does for customers.

1. Create the right External Brand positioning statement. The Marketing Department that guides $ 100 million in marketing budget provided Southwest HR with the External Brand positioning statement around freedom. The External Brand positioning statement has a rational part and an emotional part. Here is how the rational part defines freedom: Southwest Airlines makes it possible for more people to experience things firsthand: to see and do more things more often than ever before. This is because of their fundamental commitment to always provide low fares to the places people want and need to go. Here is how the emotional part of the brand defines freedom: Freedom is Southwest Airlines brand promise and must be viewed as a sacred responsibility. It is SWAs higher calling.

2. Create Internal Brand positioning statement from the External Brand positioning statement to guide the $ 2 billion annual people investment. Southwest created an internal tagline for the emotional part: Freedom begins with me, to capture the personal commitment they want each employee to make to themselves, customers and the company.

3. Reinforce the Internal Brand To reinforce the Internal brand, Southwest airlines packaged their $ 2 billion annual people investment into eight freedoms: Freedom to pursue good health, Freedom to create financial security, Freedom to continually learn and grow, Freedom to contribute and be recognized, Freedom to travel, Freedom to work and play hard, Freedom to be yourself and have fun and

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Freedom to stay connected.

Matched with clever and subtle branded employee communication through different employee policies, recruitment material, training and development programmes, Southwest has managed to convey a consistent brand promise to employees that matches its External Brand promise of freedom to customers.

Accor Case Study Employer Branding Communication With 168000 people in 140 countries, Accor is the European leader and one of the worlds largest groups in travel, tourism and corporate services, with two major international activities: Hotels (Sofitel, Novotel, Mercure, Ibis, Motel 6) and Services to Corporate Clients and Public Institutions managed by Accor Services. Accor has launched a new communication campaign to attract talent in hotel and services: YOUR SMILE, YOUR FUTURE. This campaign attends to Accors needs in terms of recruitment all over the world (More than 22000 recruitments in 2005).

Accors Employer Branding had always featured smiling employees focusing on three prominent themes: 1. Leading Group 2. Professional ladder with many career opportunities 3. Mobility and Trainings, a reality

In line with the previous HR catch lines (The future smiles on you; At Accor, one smile leads to another) this campaign features Accor employees smiling. It places the candidate as an actor of his own evolution and shows the reality of the professional ladder within Accor. The campaign also highlights the diversity of Accor in terms of countries, brands, positions and cultures through portraits and professional success stories

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KEY FINDINGS FROM LITERATURE REVIEW

Firms appear to be expending considerable resources on employer branding campaigns, indicating that they are finding value in the practice. There is usefulness of employer branding in an increasingly knowledge-based economy where skilled employees are often in short supply.

Employer brands are developed to be consistent with the firms product and corporate brand. There are some similarities between the employer brand and the product and corporate brand, but there are also two key differences. One, the employer brand is employment specific, characterizing the firms identity as an employer. Two, it is directed at both internal and external audiences whereas product and corporate branding efforts are primarily directed at an external audience. In some cases, the employer branding process can be rolled together with the product and corporate brand campaign.

To shape a successful employer brand which supports your organizations strategic goals you need to define what kind of culture, values and behavior will help deliver the organizations goals. And you have to get leaders to be very clear about what kind of organization they want to lead. This vision of the desired employer brand has to be realistic and achievable. It has to be rooted in the organizations current cultural traits so employees can recognize aspects which are important to their self esteem and why they joined the organization in the first place.

Employee engagement is an essential element for the success of Employer Branding. Also the alignment between the strategy of internal and external branding is crucial in order achieve success.

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CONCLUSION
Employer branding is a relatively new approach toward recruiting and retaining the best possible human talent within an employment environment that is becoming increasingly competitive. Employer branding has the potential to be a valuable concept for both managers and scholars. Managers can use employer branding as an umbrella under which they can channel different employee recruitment and retention activities into a coordinated human resource strategy. Integrating recruitment, staffing, training and development and career management activities under one umbrella will have a substantially different effect than each of the processes would have alone.

The value of the employer branding concept for management scholars parallels the value it has for managers. Management scholars can use employer branding to integrate many different but related constructs that have been discussed in the recruiting, selection, and retention literatures under one umbrella. The employer branding concept can be especially valuable in the search for an organizing framework for strategic human resource management.

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REFERENCES

Webliography
www.emeraldinsight.com www.scribd.com http://www.contentwriter.in/articles/hr/employer-branding.htm http://www.slideshare.net/jordioni/brand-vs-employer-brand http://www.accorservices.co.in/ProductAndServices/TicketRestaurantMealVouchers/ValueAdde dServices/Documents/HR%20Connect/Issue%202.pdf http://www.employerbrandingawards.com/ www.trimax.in

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APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Name of employee 2. Designation

: :

Question Segment

Kindly put a tick ( ) mark on the only answer from various alternatives given below:

1. Do you feel a sense of pride while at work? A) Yes B) No C) Maybe

2. Talent acquisition is the main concern for HR? A) Yes B) No C) Maybe

3. According to you is the perception about your company good in the job market? A) Yes B) No C) Maybe

4. Do you have specific induction training scheme for new candidates on board? A) Yes B) No C) Maybe

5. Are adequate resources/facilities provided to new recruits? A) Yes B) No C) Maybe

6. Do you plan to shift to other firms in near future (1 year)? A) Yes B) No C) Maybe

7. Is their good communication between employees and the HR department at various levels? A) Yes B) No C) Maybe

8. Are employee grievances / complaints quickly settled by the HR department? A) Yes B) No C) Maybe

9. Is employee exit conducted in a planned manner? A) Yes B) No C) Maybe

10. Are the employees satisfied with the current HR policies available to them? A) Yes B) No C) Maybe

11. Employee get together and recreation activities are done?

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A) Yes

B) No

C) Maybe

12. It is said that the retention rate in the company is high? A) Yes B) No C) Maybe

13. Timely performance measurement and appraisal is carried out? A) Yes B) No C) Maybe

14. What is the determining factor towards joining Trimax? 15. How you attract and retain good talent? Elaborate on the recruitment cycle followed?

THANK YOU.

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