Standing out insights from celebrated employer brands - Randstad
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standing out employer
brand research
2018.
insights from
celebrated
employer brands.
human forward.
content. foreword 3 face to face with jos schut, chief human resources officer, randstad 4 daring to be different: how heineken is bringing a taste for adventure to its employer brand 12 we are future makers: seeing the real siemens 17 itching to switch: what attracts talent, what makes them want to stay and what drives them away? 25 focus, persevere, breakthrough: why huawei sees its spirit of dedication as key to success 34 our people are our employer brand: the passion that enables changi airport to shine 41 looking beyond the obvious: how deutsche telekom wants to get candidates thinking 49 the toyota way: a vision for a high-tech future that’s built around people 55
foreword.
The annual Randstad Employer Brand
Research is the most comprehensive study
of its kind. In 2018, we asked more than
175,000 people from 30 countries what
are their preferred sectors to work in, what
As business models evolve are the best companies to work for, and A particular focus of this year’s interviews
and labor market competition what makes them attractive. The results is how to sustain the human dimension
can provide valuable insights to help your when technology is coming to dominate so
intensifies, your employer organization understand and shape your much of our lives. Beyond a narrow focus
brand is more important employer brand. on pay and promotion, many people want
than ever. to work for organizations that operate on
Featuring interviews with HR executives a human scale; where they can make a dif-
from six organizations that have con- ference and where empathy, creativity and
Your employer brand is the image of sistently scored highly in the Randstad individuality are prized. A key strength of
your organization among current and Employer Brand Research, 'Standing Out: the featured companies’ employer brand-
prospective employees, along with a Insights from celebrated brands' looks ing strategies is their success in projecting
wider set of stakeholders that include at what makes an employer appealing to these very human qualities.
people who might work for you in the prospective and existing staff.
future or people that influence them
such as their family, friends or social We would like to thank the executives
networks. Your employer brand is not from Siemens, Heineken, Huawei
just what you say about yourself, but Technologies, Deutsche Telekom,
what everyone says about you, the Toyota Argentina and Changi Airport
opportunities for which have been Group for kindly sharing their employer
greatly increased by social media. branding insights.
We hope that you find the publication inter-
esting and useful for your organization.
content
face to face
with jos schut.
standing out 2018 | 4
content
human forward
harnessing
technology to
empower people
not bypass them.
Technology enables businesses to serve in the center of the picture – creating an
more customers, at greater speed and at experience for our clients, candidates and
less cost, while turning today’s eruption of employees that’s more personal, more
data into valuable business intelligence. Yet impactful and which allows them to realize
technology can’t replace the human touch their full potential. Technology is very much
– the creativity, empathy and engagement part of this journey into the future, but it’s
that customers prize and which drives there to empower rather than bypass or
innovation and differentiation. How can replace people,” says Jos Schut, Randstad’s
businesses strike the right balance between Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO).
technology and human touch? How can
they guide their workforces through the We asked Jos to describe the thinking
uncertainty of major disruption and change? behind Human Forward and what lessons
he can share with other organizations as
“Through ‘Human Forward’, Randstad’s they seek to bring a human dimension to
new brand promise, we’re putting people digital transformation.
standing out 2018 | 5
content
Standing Out: Randstad is a business Through our Digital Factory and the
Four out of five that seeks to make the right match Randstad Innovation Fund, we’re also
believe that it’s between candidates and employers. developing groundbreaking new tools
important for How can technology support this? that enable us to match the right candi-
dates and clients with greater precision
recruitment Jos Schut: Technology is the engine that than ever before. On the candidate side,
agencies to powers our world. Here at Randstad, the innovations include gamification
recognize them the first point of interaction with clients and psychometric tools that allow us
and people looking for a new role is now to develop a 360-degree profile of
as individuals, almost always digital – online, mobile or capabilities, experience and personality
beyond social media. We need to ensure they can traits. On the client side, the innovations
their resumés. engage with us easily and seamlessly – include rich new data-driven insights,
when, where and how it suits them. which enable businesses to gain a better
understanding of their evolving talent
demands and develop more proactive
workforce plans. We’re also developing
tools that enable businesses to reach out
to a much wider spectrum of potential
candidates and target their recruitment
spend and subsequent selection much
more effectively.
Standing Out: What are the limitations
of technology and why is a human
dimension still so important?
Jos Schut: Technology can only go so
far. It can even make organizations lazy.
In a sector like ours, the risk is relying
on technology to identify a certain
number of people in your database to
fill a certain number of posts without
really getting to know the businesses
and candidates, and hence whether the
people we’re putting forward would fit
in and help to create real value.
standing out 2018 | 6
content
Research we carried out
in the US supports this.
While most candidates
recognize the value in
technology, they’re frus-
trated when it supersedes Other sectors face similar
the human aspect of the challenges. For example,
recruitment process. a lot of banks are closing
Almost all believe that branches and moving
technology should be processes and client
used to aid the recruit- interactions online. Yet
ment experience, not there are limits to this.
replace it. Four out of five People are fine with
believe that it’s important automated payments or
for recruitment agencies checking their balance
to recognize them as on their cell phone. But
Without a human individuals, beyond their when making a critical
resumés. Employers life decision such as
dimension, services agree – more than four arranging a pension or
can also quickly out of five prefer a staff- a mortgage, they want
become commoditized ing partner who provides a qualified person to
a personal perspective understand their needs,
and undifferentiated. about candidates. talk them through the
options and guide them
through the process.
randstad employer brand research | 7
content
Standing Out: How is Randstad looking They want
to put people first?
a qualified
Jos Schut: For all the reasons I’ve said, person to
we believe that staying relevant and understand
differentiated in our fast-changing
Without a human dimension, services
marketplace demands more than just their needs.
can also quickly become commoditized
and undifferentiated. The real value of digital transformation. A seamless digital
technology is in enabling businesses to experience is no more than the price
do things better and to do new things, of entry. What has and will continue to
rather than simply getting a machine mark Randstad out is the time we take to
to do what they already do. As more get to know our clients and candidates,
aspects of commerce become auto- learn about their aspirations, and work
mated, consumers also attach more out how we can help to realize them. We
value to the uniquely human capabilities don’t just want to fill posts and make up
that can’t be replicated by machines. the numbers, we want to create a perfect
Even enterprises that are seen as being fit between client and candidate.
at the forefront of technology are in fact
empowered and differentiated by this
human dimension. For example, there’s
been a lot of focus on Netflix’s use of
artificial intelligence (AI) to profile viewer
preferences and drive personal recom-
mendations for its on-demand content.
Yet, this profiling has been made possible
by human teams who ‘train’ the AI, one of
the key roles of which has been to break
down movies and people’s responses to
them (e.g. switching to another movie)
into thousands of emotional touch
points. Only people can create that kind
of emotional connection.
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The real power of technology is in
enriching the ‘know you’ conversations
we have with clients and candidates. By
taking care of all the initial data capture
and basic screening, technology gives
our consultants more time to get inside
What can I offer the heart and soul of the companies we
to augment rather than simply cut
costs or automate what we do”. If you
that a machine serve and dive deeper into our candi- only apply technology to drive down
can’t and how date’s goals and potential than we would expenses without thinking about the
get from just the resumé. Technology
can I make the also provides data-driven insights that
impact on quality and service, you’ll
only end up driving customers away.
most of this. our consultants can build on to improve
the quality and value of these conversa- It’s also important that people within an
tions. That’s why we’ve launched Human organization ask themselves “what can
Forward – we want to harness the power I offer that a machine can’t and how can
of technology and the passion of people I make the most of this”. Technology is
to create an experience that is more advancing all the time so they need to
human and more valuable. ensure that their skills and ways of
working keep pace. While a lot of
Standing Out: What is the right balance money is being invested in digital skills,
between tech and touch? the creativity needed to lead innovation
and the agility needed to adapt to
Jos Schut: In striking the right balance, change could be just as important.
I think organizations should be asking
themselves “how can we use technology Standing Out: The scale of change can
be disorientating. How can you bring
employees on-board?
Jos Schut: Many employees across all
industries are fearful about how their
roles will change as a result of digital
transformation or whether they will
have a job at all.
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That’s why it’s vital to put people at the knowledge base
center of the strategy for change, rather
than simply focusing on the systems. what we can
That in turn demands active input from learn from
HR. This includes explaining the value randstad
that technology can bring to employees
– less of the work they hate and more • in a post-digital age,
time to carry out meaningful activities. human capabilities are
more important than
Some work will be automated. Therefore, ever
it’s vital that plans for retraining and • employees need to
reassignment are in place before the remain agile and ready
technology is implemented. It’s also to adapt to change to
important to ensure that employees have keep up with techno-
opportunities to put forward their ideas logical advances
and air their concerns, that organizations • if employee buy-in is
take this on board and are honest in how the key to successful
they communicate back. transformation, it’s
essential to show
At Randstad, few if any posts will how technology will
cease to be relevant. Yet, we still face make their jobs more
challenges in securing buy-in from This is a challenge that would resonate meaningful
employees. In particular, it can be with a lot of businesses. In addressing
difficult to encourage employees who’ve this reluctance to change, it’s important
been performing well without the aid to demonstrate how technology can
of too much technology to embrace it. empower people and, yes, how they’re
likely to slip behind if they fail to keep
pace. The key to making this kind of
change work is recognizing that it’s as
much cultural as technological and that
people are at the center of it.
standing out 2018 | 10content
Our guiding mission is
to make it possible for
more people to secure
employment, and more
people to be fulfilled in There is also a huge social dimension to jos schut
their work.
this. If a lot of work in various industries chief human
is replaced by machines, the people
who will suffer most are the ones resources officer
who already find it difficult to secure randstad
employment. This includes young
people who’ve never had a job and Jos Schut started his
can’t get the experience to start their career with Randstad as
career, along with older people who Branch Manager for Yacht
may see the opportunities for them in 2001.
narrowing. It also includes marginal-
Standing Out: How do these changes fit ized members of our society, such as After being HR Director
with your purpose as an organization? refugees or ex-offenders. Support for for several of Randstad's
these groups has always been a key countries/regions (UK &
Jos Schut: At Randstad, we recognize part of our mission. We believe that Middle East, Australia and
the huge importance of work in people’s everyone has an enormous amount to APAC) Jos became CHRO
lives. Our guiding mission is to make offer – the combination of technology within Randstad Holding in
it possible for more people to secure and personal touch within can help us September 2016.
employment, and more people to be to identify these capabilities, support
fulfilled in their work. Human Forward them with training, and connect candi- His key focus is people
can contribute to this by helping more dates with potential employers. development within
people to secure the work they really Randstad. For this, Jos
want. Clearly, candidates want different is leading the global
things – some might want the experi- learning and development
ence that would allow them to move up (L&D)practice including
in their profession, while others might the Frits Goldschmeding
simply want a job that pays the bills. The Academy.
more we know about these aspirations,
the more we can help to deliver the
job opportunities and client/candidate
matches that can fulfil them.
standing out 2018 | 11content
daring
to be
different.
standing out 2018 | 12content
how heineken
is bringing
a taste for
adventure to its
employer brand.
“Heineken’s employer, product and
corporate brands are three sides of the
same triangle,” says Ben Clark, Group
Head of Talent Acquisition. “We want our
employer brand to project the same wit,
style and curiosity that runs through our
product advertising and corporate
communications.” How does Heineken
bring this distinctive originality and flair
to the way it projects its employer brand?
How does Heineken balance creativity
and authenticity to convey what it’s really
like to work for the organization?
standing out 2018 | 13content
Standing Out: Why is
your product, corporate
and employer brand
management so closely
aligned?
Standing Out: Heineken
is a company with more Ben Clark: We believe that
than 250 brands and each of the brands reflects
operations in over 70 and reinforces each other.
countries. What is the From a recruitment and
common thread that runs employer branding
through the organization perspective, potential
and the people you want recruits see in the media
to attract? that we’re an expanding
company with an ambi-
Ben Clark: The common tious corporate strategy,
thread is a readiness and they want to be part
to embrace new ideas, of that. Similarly, people
stretch yourself and strive see how we’re constantly
to be great rather than looking to break new
just good. ground in our marketing
campaigns and say to
We don’t want to stretch themselves “this is a
people unwillingly. Rather company where I can
we want to attract and do new and innovative
nurture people who want things”.
to go the extra distance.
And we provide the
scope for people to do
this in areas ranging from
the inventiveness of our
marketing to the opportu-
nity to develop great new
beers or experience so
many different cultures.
standing out 2018 | 14content
We know that our product and corporate
brands open doors for us as we look to
acquire talent. This year we had around
30,000 applicants for 25 places on our
International Graduate Program, for
example, with our visible profile being drive applications by reflecting on what
a major contributor to that interest. Heineken is about, how the interviewee
Similarly, the feedback we get from can play a role within the company and
headhunters when we’re recruiting for a help both them and us to judge whether
senior post is that our distinctive identity they would fit in and enjoy the experi-
and the interest this creates gets calls
and emails answered.
ence of working within the organization. knowledge base
Go Places has made a massive impact. what we can learn
Standing Out: How do you bring Building on that is where it gets really from heineken
Heineken’s trademark originality to the exciting. Go Places is the destination; it
way you project your employer brand? is the outcome. The next wave of cam- • employer brand
paigning will be looking at how you get marketing doesn’t have
Ben Clark: We want the projection of our there – how we can give our employees
employer brand to wow the world in the to be boring and bland
even more of the space, the scope and – there is huge scope
same way as our product advertising. the support to realize their potential
At the forefront of our brand marketing to wow people
to go places. That could be physically • communications can
is our ‘Go Places’ interactive interview, swapping roles or operating compa-
which takes people on a journey of dis- be creative without
nies. Our message will show what they losing authenticity
covery about themselves as well as our achieved and how they got there.
company. There is an interviewer – the • employer, product and
‘curator of choices’ – but the direction corporate brands can
Standing Out: How do you marry reflect and reinforce
of travel and the eventual profile are creativity with a true reflection of
guided by answers to a series of quick- each other
working for Heineken?
fire questions. This enables the inter-
viewee to play a full and very personal Ben Clark: While creative, the way we
role in the experience. The aim is to project our employer brand is very
much rooted in our DNA as a company
by seeking to articulate our values and
communicate our employee value
proposition (EVP).
standing out 2018 | 15content
And our EVP is in turn rooted in how our something remarkable. We have a saying
workforce sees Heineken and see them- in Heineken – ‘pioneers build legacies’.
selves within it. When we were developing
our EVP, we spoke to employees from The next phase of our employer brand
across the organization about what campaigns will look at how to reinforce
they view as the defining features of the this authentic voice further by conveying
company. Three words emerged from revealing real-life employee stories. ben clark
these conversations – adventure, friends By unlocking the stories from within
and fame. we deliver the ‘human proof’ of the group head of talent
employer brand, while still commu- acquisition heineken
Adventure – our people are curious, can nicating this in a very Heineken way.
work in many different countries and try The opening for this new campaign is Ben Clark joined Heineken
new things. The whole concept of Go coming up later in the year, so watch as Head of Global Talent
Places speaks to this taste for adventure. this space! Acquisition in September
2017, based in Amsterdam.
Friends – we bring people together. This He is responsible for
is a thread that runs through our Go global employer branding
Places campaign, which shows people and other global talent
working and having fun with colleagues. acquisition initiatives.
Previously he spent six
Fame – we’re clearly a well-known years at Nestlé, where
company; people see our adverts and he initially led the UK &
enjoy our products. But what we really Ireland talent acquisition
mean by fame within our EVP and team, before moving to
employer brand is the chance to do the global headquarters in
Switzerland to lead talent
acquisition globally. Prior
to this, Ben worked for
Aviva, the insurance group
and, before that, as an
executive search consul-
tant in the City of London.
standing out 2018 | 16content
we are
future
makers.
standing out 2018 | 17content
seeing
the real siemens.
Your employer brand may not reflect the
real you. This has been the challenge facing
Siemens. From revolutionizing manufacturing
to creating greener and more resilient cities,
the company is reimagining how the world
lives and works. “I think what we do and how
we do it is really innovative and exciting,”
says Christoph Knorn, Global Director of
Employer Branding. “But we haven’t told this
story well. When I ask potential recruits how
they see us, their image tends to be a rather
stuffy and old-fashioned business.” How
are Christoph and his team seeking to shift
perceptions and boost talent acquisition by
creating an employer brand that reflects the
real Siemens?
standing out 2018 | 18content
To make this Standing Out: What is the real Siemens?
innovation Christoph Knorn: We want to help
possible, we’ve make the future. As part of our move
created a culture from being a heavy industrial to a
digitally-focused business, our research
that prizes teams are harnessing the power of
curiosity and data and connectivity to create totally
experimentation. new solutions and services. We’re also
enabling manufacturers to merge the
physical and virtual worlds in a new This isn’t just a feat of modern engi-
generation of production facilities. neering, but also a milestone in local
partnership and consultation. The local
In turn, innovation is transforming training and skills development that
longstanding areas of our business come with projects like this are also
such as electrification through greater making a difference. From reducing
efficiency and use of renewable energy. outages in homes, businesses and
For instance, we’re working on a project hospitals to greater access to the
that aims to boost power generation in internet, think how more reliable
Egypt by more than 40%. electricity supply can change people’s
lives for the better?
To make this innovation possible, we’ve
created a culture that prizes curiosity
and experimentation, and an environ-
ment that encourages people to work
flexibly, collaboratively, and in ways that
suit them. Everything we do also has a
human dimension – we call this “making
real what matters”. While data is our
tool, we know that data alone can’t
provide solutions. We bring customers,
creators and developers together, so
we can learn and collaborate.
standing out 2018 | 19content
Standing Out: Why is the public percep- Working at
tion so different from the real Siemens?
Siemens has
Christoph Knorn: We’ve changed so much provided me
and so fast that most people don’t know with a 3d vision:
who we are or what we stand for anymore. Standing Out: How is your employer
We want to be known as the engineering brand transformation program seeking there are training
company of the future – with engineers, to shift these perceptions? opportunities,
yes, but also with data scientists, cloud help from
architects, robotics research scientists Christoph Knorn: In the past, we’ve been
and consultants – a company that offers too reserved about communicating the colleagues,
a wide variety of highly attractive jobs. magic of Siemens. If we want to be the knowledge to
Yet, talent often still sees the Siemens of employer of choice, we should be more be gained and
the past. forceful in getting our story out there. At
the same time, we need more than just a shared.
Part of the problem is that most marketing campaign – people won’t see a
people’s image of us comes from the lot of pictures and messages coming out Zehra Kaval, management
Siemens-branded washing machines, of the head office as authentic. To show assistant, Siemens Digital
coffeemakers and other appliances they the real Siemens, our employer brand Factory, Germany
see in the shops, even though we’ve sold should belong to the employees and
this part of the business. be projected from the inside out. That’s
why we refer to the transformation as a
Because of our long history, a lot of program rather than a campaign.
people also assume that we don’t like
change and operate in an inflexible and A big part of how we involve our
bureaucratic way. When I tell students employees is giving them the opportunity
that we’re keen to promote flexible to share their stories. You don’t have to
working, for example, they’re quite be a ‘love brand’ that consumers connect
surprised. Such perceptions make it with every day to have stories that are
harder for us to attract the talent we worth hearing and sharing. Similarly,
want, especially when we’re competing although a lot of what we do in areas such
against seemingly fresher and cooler as energy or transport goes on behind the
American tech companies. scenes, this can still have a huge impact
on people’s everyday lives.
standing out 2018 | 20content
Some people may be To get our people talking and
encourage them to take part, we've
surprised by the open door taken 360o cameras and made a trip
policy here at Siemens. around the world to record how our
I can speak directly to the people work, how they interact with
colleagues and customers, and how To change external perceptions, it’s
global head of compliance they develop new ideas. We’re now also important to engage in different
whenever I want. selecting some of these stories for ways. For example, rather than just
our publicly available Future Makers visiting students in colleges, we invite
Ibe Etea, legal compliance officer, Siemens 360o app. From exploring them to what we call a ‘student brunch’.
Siemens Nigeria the solar system to bringing educa- This setting is typically an unexpected
tion to poor communities in India, downtown environment such as an old
the immersive videos transport factory or a nightclub, which we hire for
viewers into the worlds our people the day to give students a chance to talk
are transforming. Our people are the to our people. The style of location and
guides, conveying their motivation, the informal interaction can all help to
and their passion. change their image of us as a company.
Standing Out: Your program is custom-
ized for and co-created with your local
operations. What is the thinking behind
this and how does the co-creation work
in practice?
Christoph Knorn: We’ve created a
common ‘manifesto’ built around
“making real what matters”. But to make
this more than just a slogan, our people
on the ground need to interpret and
apply it locally. What are the pressing
priorities that matter to a township in
South Africa or a rural community in
Sweden, for example, and how can we
provide solutions?
standing out 2018 | 21content
Standing Out: What is
the involvement from
your board and how do
you ensure sufficient
resources?
Christoph Knorn: If we The future is
want to be an employer digitisation:
of choice, we need when I hear the
appropriate investment.
We work closely with sound of an Audi
the board to develop or any other car,
the employer branding I know we’ve
program, ensure it’s
aligned with Siemens’ been part of that.
strategic priorities, and
make the business case Zehra Kaval, management
for resources. assistant, Siemens Digital
Factory, Germany
The investment includes
the support of an agency
in developing our Future contribute feel properly
Makers videos, social valued. The quality of the
media profile and other production also encour-
aspects of our program. ages people to share the
We also invest in profes- videos and help them
sional production, where reach a wide social media
appropriate, to show our audience. A basic philos-
appreciation of the stories ophy of the program is
being told. This ensures that there must always be
that the employees who something in it for both
the company and the
employee who tells his
or her story.
standing out 2018 | 22content
Siemens actively supports
the current administration
here in Nigeria in its ‘war
on corruption’. That’s our
Standing Out: Your program is highly interpretation of ‘making
knowledge base data-led. How do you measure progress,
real what matters.
what we can learn and how do you act on the results?
from siemens Christoph Knorn: Measurement enables Ibe Etea, legal compliance officer,
us to see what’s working, and what isn’t, Siemens Nigeria
• transforming an so we can adjust and intervene. It also
employer brand is a enables us to gauge, and to demonstrate
program not a cam- return on investment. This includes mon-
paign, which should itoring quantitative metrics such as staff
reflect strategic and engagement and applications per post.
local realities We also look for qualitative feedback to
• people prize authen- create a more rounded ‘human’ picture
ticity. That’s why of brand perception. For example,
employees are the best when we host our brunch events for
people to project the students, we ask them about their image
employer brand of Siemens when they arrive, and then
• not all companies can whether this has changed as a result of
be ‘love brands’, but the time they’ve spent with us.
they can all have a
compelling story to tell
standing out 2018 | 23content
Standing Out: What progress have you
made and how long will the program last?
Christoph Knorn: We’re about two years
into a three-year program. We’re begin-
ning to move the needle, but there’s still
more to do. While a lot of the investment
to date has been internally focused, christoph knorn
we’re looking to increase our media global director
spend over the coming year. While the
program may be extended beyond employer branding
the three years, I think it’s important to siemens
have a fixed time frame to keep people
focused and hold them to account. Christoph is passionate
about transformation
– creating something
better, more relevant
and more human. In
his current position,
he is transforming the
global employer brand
of Siemens to help the
group stay relevant
in the digital age. He
started as a management
consultant, worked as
head of digital media
for Siemens’ answers
campaign, and was a VP
for Strategy & Consulting
at Conrad Caine (now
Possible). Christoph holds
a diploma in cognitive
psychology. He loves to
travel and plays sports to
stay healthy.
standing out 2018 | 24content
itching
to
switch.
standing out 2018 | 25content
what attracts talent,
what makes them
want to stay and The Randstad Employer Brand Research
what drives them 2018 reveals that what attracts workers
away? to an employer may not always be the
reasons for them to stay. What’s especially
clear is that pay alone isn’t enough to
convince talent to stick with their
employer. So how can you ensure your
business is in the strongest position to
not just acquire, but also keep hold of
key talent?
standing out 2018 | 26content
Each year, we survey people from around the world to find out what
they want from their jobs and careers. The aim is to help employers about the research
understand employee aspirations, gain insights into what makes an
organization attractive to work for and identify the sectors and Now more than ever, your employer
companies employees find most appealing. brand is critical in winning the war
for talent.
What are the qualities most valued
by the talent you want to acquire and
retain? How does your employer brand
what do workers want? compare to your peers? What attributes
should you focus on to make your
top 10 reasons to choose an employer business more attractive to talent?
Now in its 18th year, the Randstad
Employer Brand Research can help you
attributes 2018 2017* 2016* to address these vital questions. The
study asks over 175,000 respondents in
salary & benefits 60% 58% 61% 30 countries worldwide what are their
job security 48% 46% 52% preferred sectors to work in, what are the
work-life balance 45% 45% 43% best companies to work for, and what
makes these organizations attractive
work atmosphere 44% 43% 49%
employers.
career progression 38% 35% 38%
financially healthy 34% 33% 39% In this year’s survey, we’ve also included
flexible arrangements 32% 31% 29% questions about job switching, including
strong management 28% 26% 28% what drives workers away and what
would encourage them to stay.
good training 28% 28% 27%
location 28% 29% 32%
*percentage highlighted turquoise or red, when the difference with 2018
data is 3 percent or higher
standing out 2018 | 27content
Attractive salary and benefits is the
number one reason for choosing an disconnect between employers and employees
employer, but it’s far from the only deter-
mining factor. A good work-life balance, The qualities workers most want from employers don’t match the main
career growth opportunities and flexible attributes employers are seen to offer. These findings highlight open-
work arrangements are increasingly ings that could give your business an edge. This includes developing
important attributes. an employee value proposition that emphasizes work-life balance, job
security and a pleasant work atmosphere, while still retaining the more
Workers want to know they can count tangible attributes (e.g. attractive salary and benefits).
on their companies to help achieve a
sense of purpose in their jobs, grow
professionally and provide inspiration for
their long-term goals. For the millennial
generation especially, but others as well,
intangible qualities such as the organiza- employees seek employers offer
tion’s mission and culture can also play a
huge role in winning high-quality workers.
01 salary & benefits 01 financially healthy
In turn, there are significant national
02 job security 02 uses latest technologies
and regional differences to consider. In
Russia, for example, 65% of participants 03 work-life balance 03 very good reputation
cite financial health as a key attraction,
04 work atmosphere 04 job security
almost double the global score. Similarly,
participants in Europe see work atmo- 05 career progression 05 career progression
sphere as much more important (53%)
06 financially healthy 06 salary & benefits
than workers around the world (44%).
07 interesting job content 07 work atmosphere
08 very good reputation 08 interesting job content
09 gives back to society 09 work-life balance
10 uses latest technologies 10 gives back to society
standing out 2018 | 28content
most attractive sectors sector attractiveness
Workers around the world see information
technology and communications (ITC) global
as the most attractive sector, with more
than 50% of survey participants willing to
work for ITC companies. ITC is especially
ITC* 53%
attractive among the younger, higher
educated workforce. automotive 50%
FMCG 50%
Interviews with Siemens, Deutsche life sciences 50%
Telekom and Huawei Technologies in this engineering 47%
year’s edition of Standing Out highlight
agriculture, forestry and fishing 46%
the different ways that companies seek to
differentiate their employer brand in this energy & utilities 43%
highly competitive sector. What comes financial services 42%
through strongly is the importance of logistics 41%
a distinctive identity rather than being
retail 40%
seen as just another ITC company. While
opportunities to push back the frontiers services 39%
of innovation are clearly important, these public services 37%
businesses recognize that tech talent hospitality 36%
wants to be able to apply their ideas and
developments in ways that can make a
difference within society. *the ITC sector relates to companies in IT, Technology & Communications
Indeed, as technology becomes
increasingly prevalent in our life and
work, the desire for, and importance Behind the global findings, significant regional
of, the empathy, creativity and intuition differences emerge. This includes the talent appeal of
that make us human are increasing. automotive in Latin America which we explore further in
In this year’s Standing Out, Jos Schut, our feature on Toyota Argentina. While pay is a clear part
Randstad’s Chief Human Resources of the industry’s appeal in the region, strong job security
Officer, discusses ‘Human Forward’, has enabled Toyota to stand out from the pack.
our new brand promise, which seeks
to forge the ideal relationship between
humans and technology, and enable
people to realize their true potential.
standing out 2018 | 29content
sector attractiveness
by region
north america EMEA Sectors that provide
services tend to be the
ITC 51% life sciences 43% least attractive. The need
FMCG 49% automotive 41% to develop an effective
life sciences 45% FMCG 41% employer brand strategy
is therefore especially
engineering 44% ITC 40%
pressing within these
sectors. The main factor
that puts participants
off is low pay. However,
many of the companies
latin america APAC in the service sectors
are seen as offering much
automotive 67% ITC 58%
better job security than
ITC 63% automotive 57% industries such as ITC.
logistics 61% life sciences 55% Could this be a strength
life sciences 61% FMCG 55% to bring to the fore in
developing the employer
brand?
russia
energy & utilities 72%
automotive 62%
engineering 53%
logistics 53%
standing out 2018 | 30content
switching jobs
behavior per region
open to offers
Globally, 45% of survey participants global 18%
have either changed jobs in the past 27%
year or are planning to do so in the next
12 months.
north america 20%
Readiness to change employer does not 26%
differ by education or gender. However,
retaining younger employees is more
difficult as 28% have changed jobs in lat am 19%
the past year. This is significantly higher 36%
than people aged over 45 (10%), who
tend to place more value on job security.
Younger employees are still often figuring APAC 18%
out what they want in an employer, but 28%
the importance of career progression –
and lack of opportunities to advance with
their current employer – might also help russia 23%
explain the lower retention levels among 35%
this subgroup.
EMEA 17%
26%
•• plans to change employer in the next 12 months
changed employer in the past 12 months
standing out 2018 | 31content
retention key drivers
While salary and benefits is the number
job security 46%
one driver for acquiring talent, it’s not
salary & benefits 45% perceived as being as important for
work-life balance 42% staying with an employer (45%) as it is
location 40% when choosing one (60%). The research
work atmosphere 36% also highlights how limited career paths
can drive talent away. In an example
of how this might play out in practice,
research carried out by Randstad Australia
has found that diversity and inclusion are
at the edge of the radar when looking
for a job. However, they become highly
important once employees are in post
as they begin to gauge their chances for
factors driving employees away advancement and what barriers might
lie in the way, such as lack of diversity in
compensation too low 44% senior management.
limited career path 43%
The extent to which switching behavior
insufficient challenges 30%
and reasons for staying with your current
work-life balance issues 28% employer differ by region and age high-
lack of recognition/rewards 27% light the importance of a tailored retention
dimension in the external and internal
employer branding strategy.
standing out 2018 | 32content
The interviews within Standing Out if their company isn’t offering them.
highlight different ways to motivate and The company’s integrated HR platforms
retain key talent. For instance, Heineken are therefore geared toward making it
offers employees the opportunity to as easy as possible for employees to
‘Go Places’ through its emphasis on transfer to the positions they like and
careers with “adventure”. In turn, Huawei find the career paths that suit them best,
recognizes that talent will always want wherever this is within the company’s
fresh challenges and will look elsewhere extensive operations.
the employer brand roadmap
audit current employer brand interview employees and leaders assess competitors external market analysis
• employer brand story to understand: for workforce • career motivations
• external perception • their perception of your brand and drivers
• gaps and areas for improvement • specific views of your
company improvement
launch employer develop the employer brand create the brand pillars and
brand internally strategy and creative assets employee value proposition
• gain employee
and leadership
feedback
activate employer measure, assess
brand externally and refine
standing out 2018 | 33content
focus
persevere
break
through.
standing out 2018 | 34content
why huawei
sees its spirit of
dedication as key Already the world’s largest mobile phone
to success. manufacturer, Huawei Technologies has
set its sights on becoming the global
leader in information and communications
technology (ICT). Like an elite sports team,
the company puts its success down to
uncompromising focus and perseverance
– its powerful spirit of being united as a
team, in both good times and bad. “Even
if all our factories, offices and research
centers were destroyed, I believe that the
strength of our core values would enable
Huawei to be back up and running within
days,” says Harry Bai, Huawei’s Global
Vice President, HR. It’s clear that this
mission and spirit are highly appealing
to talent – Huawei is the company that
Chinese people taking part in the Randstad
Employer Brand Research most want to
work for. How has Huawei created this
winning formula, and, more importantly,
how can it be sustained?
standing out 2018 | 35content
This is very much a global commitment.
We employ 180,000 people, from 160
nationalities in 170 countries, serving
over a third of the world’s population.
More than 70% of our employees outside
Standing Out: What kind of talent is China have been recruited locally. At At Huawei,
huawei looking to attract, retain and Huawei, outstanding individuals become outstanding
develop to help realize its vision of a global citizens. They will understand and
connected, intelligent world? integrate into local societies, economies, individuals
cultures, and lifestyles. become global
Harry Bai: The future is here. From smart citizens.
homes and safer cities to the business We recognize that there is a lot of turn-
transformation enabled by robotics and over within the technology industry. But
artificial intelligence, we’re entering an realizing our vision demands patience
era unlike anything we’ve seen before. and perseverance – breakthroughs come
We’re determined to be at the forefront when people are prepared to put in the
of these developments by bringing the time and work.
power of digital to every person, home,
and business as part of a fully connected,
intelligent world.
It’s our people who can make this vision a
reality. Technical skills are clearly import-
ant, but we also want to attract and retain
people with the spirit upon which our
business has been built. This includes
people who can thrive in a challenging,
cutting-edge environment. We also need
people who are prepared to give their all
for their customers and their team, take
pride in their work, and want to keep
improving themselves.
standing out 2018 | 36content
Employees with potential In 2017, we fast-tracked the promotions
are identified and of 4,500 high-performing employees. In
2018, we aim for 6,000.
considered for promotion
from the day they join us. This is also a business that enables
people to develop their careers and
apply their ideas on the biggest possible
stage. If you join a tech start-up, you
might have 20 or so colleagues and a
narrow market reach. Here at Huawei,
you can work with 23 research and
development centers and 36 joint
innovation centers, and the innovations
you develop can reach 170 markets
worldwide.
Naturally, financial rewards are also an
important part of Huawei’s appeal. Our
starting salaries are well above average
and high performers can do very well in
terms of pay, benefits, and share options.
Standing Out: How do you ensure that
your employer brand stands out in a Standing Out: How do you retain key
highly competitive technology talent talent in an industry that is known for its
market? high staff turnover?
Harry Bai: Huawei is a company that Harry Bai: Aspiring talent will always want
offers aspiring talent the best opportu- fresh challenges and will look elsewhere
nities to realize their goals. A key part of if their company isn’t offering them.
this is fast-track promotion. People often By operating across so many different
think that it would take at least 20 years sectors and countries, we are able to
to reach the top of a large company like offer our people a wide range of different
ours. Yet employees with potential are opportunities throughout their careers,
identified and considered for promotion without having to switch companies.
from the day they join us and can reach
senior positions in a couple of years.
standing out 2018 | 37content
We provide apps, online We provide apps, online and classroom
training that can help people adapt to
and classroom training developments in technology and can be
that can help people directly applied within their daily work.
adapt to developments This is very much a hands-on approach,
with all the tutors and trainers being
in technology. managers and experts from business
departments.
We also want to create an environment
Outstanding individuals can freely transfer that encourages innovation and employee
to the positions they like and find the growth. Examples include the innovation
career paths that suit them best. Our contest we run in our Wireless Network
integrated HR policies and platforms are Product Line, which receives more than
geared toward making these transfers as 4,000 entries every year. If the idea
easy as possible. is innovative and is commercially and
technologically viable, we’ll provide the
Standing Out: How do you help your investment for it to be incubated and
people to realize their potential? implemented through a project team.
More than a thousand ideas from the
Harry Bai: We encourage employees to contest have been implemented, creating
take responsibility for their own growth multiple technological breakthroughs
and development, while providing for Huawei.
platforms to support them.
Our most important platform for this is
Huawei University, which offers 25,000
courses. It’s not just recruits, and people
earmarked for leadership who benefit. The
University is geared to providing practical
support throughout people’s careers –
40,000 people received training in 2017.
standing out 2018 | 38content
At Huawei, we
say our business
is transforming
from “a big tree to
knowledge base an entire forest”.
what we can learn from huawei
• get the basics right. While many firms
are offering increasingly unusual
benefits to attract prized technology
specialists, you can compete for talent
successfully with the fundamentals of
great rewards, great opportunities and
a shared sense of mission
• some tech firms don’t believe it’s Standing Out: How does your company
possible to retain talent throughout sustain its spirit of dedication when you
their careers. However, by offering are growing so quickly and across so
many different opportunities and many different countries?
making transfer easy, you can
encourage talent to want to stay Harry Bai: At Huawei, we say our business
• the resources and reach of large is transforming from “a big tree to an
businesses can be very attractive entire forest”. Despite the huge and
to tech talent that's keen to drive complex changes, we still believe that it
innovation is necessary for all employees to identify
with our core values. Our shared values
make us what we are, and are the corner-
stone for development.
standing out 2018 | 39content
harry bai
global vice
president of HR
huawei
Harry Bai is a senior execu
tive with over 20 years of
experience at Huawei. As
the Global VP of HR, Harry
has extensive expertise
in a variety of HR areas
including recruitment
and allocation, employee
relationship management,
latest employer brand management leadership management,
techniques. People in different regions etc.
and divisions collaborate virtually to
ensure we are developing a clear and Prior to his HR leadership
consistent strategy. While we still have role, Harry was a seasoned
However, we recognize that we need to some way to go, we’re gradually winning business leader with rich
do more to communicate these values recognition from employer brand assess- experience in ICT techno
and why this is such a great company to ment agencies. logy. This includes VP for
work for, as our employer brand is not as the China and then North
strong in North America and Europe as Africa region.
it is in Asia and Africa. We’re investing a
lot of effort in developing our employer
brand and employee value proposition
(EVP), building on our strengthening
commercial brand and applying the
standing out 2018 | 40content
our people
are our
employer brand.
standing out 2018 | 41content
the passion that
enables changi airport
to shine.
In 2018, Singapore’s Changi Airport was So how does Changi create and sustain
voted Skytrax World’s Best Airport for the the personal touch in an airport that’s
sixth consecutive year. Changi Airport Group already one of the busiest in the world,
(CAG), which oversees the operations and and continues to expand at a rapid pace
development of the airport, as well as (the new Terminal 4 opened in 2017 and
providing emergency services, is also the a new Terminal 5 is to be developed and
organization that people in Singapore most completed by around 2030)? How does
want to work for (Randstad Employer Brand CAG ensure their talent acquisition is spot
Research Winner 2017). on in one of the world’s tightest and most
competitive labor markets? How is the
Justina Tan, CAG’s Managing Director, airport harnessing innovation to make the
People, sees Changi’s ability to delight most of its people? How does the airport
travelers and attract talent as two sides of maintain such strong cohesion and
the same coin. “Exceptional people create community spirit when there are more
an exceptional experience. In turn, potential than 200 companies operating within it?
recruits see the passion we bring to our
work, the wonderful sense of community
within the airport, and they want to be part
of that,” she says.
standing out 2018 | 42content
Standing Out: What are the exceptional The whole airport
qualities that make Changi the world’s
favorite airport? community works in
unison to ensure that a
Justina Tan: People are at the heart of passenger’s journey is
everything we do. We connect people, a common goal to create a great ‘One
we touch their lives. On average 170,000 Changi’ experience for our passengers. smooth and stress-free.
passengers pass through our terminals This means that if someone sees some
each day, but we don’t see these travelers litter on the floor, for example, they Su Guojie, manager, arrival experience,
as simply statistics, but as unique indi- pick it up rather than think that it is a Changi Airport Group.
viduals with personal stories – people on cleaner’s job.
their way to a family reunion, for example.
In the same way, we don’t see cargo as Together with our partners, we’ve
just a box or a barcode, but something developed common goals and key
that’s special, like a birthday gift or vital performance indicators. We also have a
medical supplies. It’s this very personal ‘community’ app and a One Changi TV
‘passion for service’ that air travelers network for the entire airport workforce
cherish. However fast we expand, this to stay connected. But what really
focus on each customer’s individual drives the One Changi spirit are informal
‘story’ keeps us true to our core values. dialogue and interactions. People swap
information and ideas, and if they need
Standing Out: There are around 200 to sort out any issues, they can sit down
companies operating within the airport. together to work out a solution.
How do you create a strong sense of
community within such a large network? Another important aspect of our ‘One
Changi’ modus operandi is the sharing
Justina Tan: CAG has just 1,800 of each other’s success. Highlights
employees. Changi Airport’s total work- include our Annual Airport Celebra-
force is around 50,000, encompassing tion, now in its silver jubilee year. This
a huge array of different roles, types of year’s ‘Service Personality of the Year’
people and perspectives. But we have award-winner is 26-year-old Nguyen Thi
Tuyet Trang from Certis CISCO Aviation
Security. In the short period of about six
months, she saved two lives. Nothing
speaks more about the dedication of our
people than this!
standing out 2018 | 43content
Standing Out: People are Changi Airport has a
a very scarce resource in strong international brand
Singapore. How do you presence, and its success
seek to appeal to talent? on the world stage is a
great source of pride for
Justina Tan: Our people Singapore. CAG is also a
best represent us as an relatively young company
organization. So what – incorporated nine years
better way to project our ago in 2009 – which has
brand as an employer undergone an exciting
than through our people? journey of expansion and
Within the organization, transformation over the
we have recruited 100 years. Both these factors
ambassadors, who are all are a strong source of
enthusiastic volunteers. attraction for local talent
They participate in career within the country.
talks, fairs and road
shows to communicate We also believe that
the passion that is at the the value of workplace
heart of our organization. diversity in broadening
Potential recruits value our talent pool and
authenticity, so this is bringing in fresh ideas
a great opportunity for can’t be overstated. We
them to speak to our reach out to a wide range
people about what it’s of educational institutions
really like to work for CAG. and participate in various
This hugely benefits our career fairs to interact and
talent acquisition strategy. attract candidates with dif-
ferent interests, specializa-
tions or experiences. They
could be scholars, new
graduates, or experienced
personnel – we look out
for people who share our
passion and values.
standing out 2018 | 44content
Standing Out: How are you looking to Changi airport group
strengthen your talent appeal? places great emphasis on
Justina Tan: We’re always looking for hiring people who share
fresh ways to make new connections. A the same values and are a
key priority is reaching out to millennials Standing Out: How do you deploy tech- good fit for the role.
through the development of digital plat- nology to make the most of your people?
forms. For instance, we’ve been steadily Darren Wong, manager, departure
building up our LinkedIn presence – we Justina Tan: We operate against a back- experience, Changi Airport Group
don’t just use it to raise awareness of drop of constant cost and manpower
job opportunities, but also to tell our constraints. Therefore, we constantly
stories. Recently, we hosted some of our need to innovate to enhance work
LinkedIn ‘followers’ – people interested productivity, while keeping the personal
in our work, but not necessarily looking touch that makes the airport special.
for a job – on an office tour. Through the
session, they got to know more about our Technological innovation is an essen-
business and also had the chance to hear tial part of this. For example, our new
from our colleagues working in various Terminal 4 is the first terminal at Changi
divisions, who shared stories about their Airport to use Fast and Seamless Travel
work-life and experiences at CAG. This is a (FAST) for departing passengers. The
great way to strengthen our professional automation of check-in and use of bio-
networks, encourage followers to explore metric security screening mean shorter
opportunities within CAG, and have them queues and greater convenience for pas-
share positively about us to their friends. sengers. Crucially, these developments
also free up check-in agents to spend
more quality time with passengers,
dealing with their queries and enhancing
the experience.
standing out 2018 | 45You can also read
