Positioning Yourself in the Competition for Talent

by Alicia Buckley, Consultant MadlinHanna Consulting

The competition for talent is blisteringly hot and shows no signs of letting up. As in many other industries, employer brand for corporate affairs agencies is increasingly important. The most common brand issue that agencies have, is the perception that all agencies are the same. It’s one of the driving factors behind those highly sought-after in-house moves. So, what are the key elements that agencies can highlight to attract talent and differentiate themselves?  

History  

A large part of deciding to go somewhere new is about choosing a new home. The history of the business paints a picture that helps candidates to visualise their contribution; where has the business come from? How has it got to where it is now? What will it look like for the future? It also really helps with distinguishing between different firms. What better way to show how different you are from the competition than discussing how you began. 

Clients and Structure  

Sharing client examples is very useful but what is increasingly important is being able to talk about the impact of the work for those clients. People don’t necessarily expect to work on big blue-chips all the time and are often more motivated by the quality & influence of their work. Are you focused on offering broad, strategic support for a smaller business or running a press office for a FTSE 100? The way that the business is structured & the reasons behind that are also important. Some people are best suited to a generalist approach whilst others are looking for sector-specific teams & a more tailored portfolio.  

Culture  

Everyone talks about culture being important, so how do you demonstrate the culture without using buzzwords that lose all impact? There are two ways: evidence and policies. Use real-life examples to add real meaning to the message. If you talk about transparency, is leadership accessible or do big decision meetings take place behind closed doors?   

Working policies and the wider benefits package can demonstrate intent to look after the team. What is the approach to flexibility? What are your parental leave policies? - (we firmly believe this is something that needs to be more transparent across the industry). How do you support working parents? Do you have DE&I working groups? Softer benefits like socials and events do factor in as well. Do not underestimate how much all these elements help to build a picture of the business for someone from an external perspective.  

Online presence  

Social platforms (LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter etc) can be a window into the atmosphere in the office and amongst colleagues. It’s all well and good highlighting business wins and awards but what charities have you engaged with? Do the team get involved in sports activities? Celebrating and championing the individuality of the team members and having an online presence to reflect this is a must.  

The goal is to make your brand recognisable but more importantly, distinct. The competition in this market requires people to cut through so having all interviewers, recruitment partners and leadership singing from the same hymn sheet is critical.    

MadlinHanna Consulting is a recruitment consultancy specialising in corporate affairs, covering public affairs, corporate communications and financial PR. Contact us on 020 8088 4102 for more information or a confidential conversation about these services and more.