PR can help build your image but to become a preferred employer, compensation package is a vital factor
Devavrath Nambiar

Most people see the role of recruiting as a relatively isolated one. Managers and recruiters are intimately involved in recruiting, but other HR functions (like training and compensation) play only a shadow role. This is a major error, because the training and compensation functions need to accept that they also have a key responsibility in helping build an organisation's external and brand as a great place to work.

When you survey applicants, and ask them what they expect in a job, learning and growth in training and compensation are consistently lis-ted in the top five reasons for accepting or remaining in a job. Unfortunately, outside applicants generally have no chance to find out about a company's compensation practices because HR departments fail to take an active role in outside PR, marketing and brand-building.

Unfortunately, most HR functions seem to expect PR and marketing to do all the image building. Most compensation and training departments do a poor job of building their internal image within the firm. This hurts recruiting, because if your current employees fail to see the excellence of your compensation and training, they are unlikely to sell it to other professionals they meet outside the firm. This can have a negative impact on the number and the quality of employee referrals.

When it comes to external marketing, both functions are complete non-players. Some of the steps that compensation and training can take to help build a company's internal and external brand and to excite potential applicants about the company's training, learning and compensation opportunities include:

• Speaking at local service clubs, events, career events, job fairs and conferences
• Getting quoted in industry publications as well as getting your firm ranked in best places to work lists
• Writing articles for industry journals
• Building a corporate web page that lists the available courses and opportunities
• Giving managers and recruiters comparison lists showing how your compensation practices are superior to that of your competitors'
• Having excellent rapport with executive search firms as well as educational institutions

Building the brand and making outsiders and employees aware of the quality your HR programmes is the job of everyone. It is essential that HR staff functions like compensation, benefits, and training are both measured and rewarded for excellence in building your company's image. Making insiders aware of your excellent programmes also aids in retaining key employees.

Recruiting and PR can help build your image, but if you expect to become a preferred employer, other functions such as compensation must also take an active role.