2015 s FORTUNE 500 TOP 100 EMPLOYMENT BRANDS

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2 1 EMPLOYMENT BRANDING REPORT 2015 s Top 100 Fortune 500 Brands There are many ways to measure a company s worth: market capitalization, revenue, profit and so on. But how do you measure a company s employment brand the image it projects to attract and hire the talent it needs to drive growth and stimulate innovation? That s one of the most critical questions that companies face today, and the one we ll answer in this year s employment branding report. As experts in employment branding, WilsonHCG knows what it takes to attract and hire the most promising candidates and the high costs associated with inadvertently deterring them. Employment trends are now in candidates favor: There are more open positions than there are people to fill them, and employment challenges will increase as baby boomers continue to exit the workforce. Candidates are more discerning about which companies they want to work for, and they have more ways than ever to research a potential employer. In this environment, only the companies with the most engaging employment brands will survive. In this report, we take a scientific approach to measuring employment brands. We have reviewed all Fortune 500 companies, focusing on career pages, job boards, candidate experience, accolades, recruitment marketing and corporate social responsibility. Which companies came out on top? The rankings have changed since last year. In many cases, company size doesn t correlate to a strong employment brand: Of the top 10 companies in the Fortune 500, only three ranked highly enough to be featured in this report. FORTUNE is a registered trademark of Time Inc. WilsonHCG makes no claim to this mark. FORTUNE and Time Inc. are not affiliated with, and did not endorse this report or any of its contents. Data used in this report was collected from June 2015 through August Smart companies have already discovered that their employment brand is one of their most valuable assets. The companies that invest in and cultivate their brands will have a strategic advantage, both today and in the future.

3 current state of employment branding industry insights top ranking companies employment branding top 100 list employment branding scoring breakdown report findings 2014 vs table of CONTENTS 40 Please see the following page for an overview of the scorecard benchmarks and their corresponding pages. employment branding takeaways These materials have been prepared solely for informational purposes and all information cited in the report is publically available via the World Wide Web, from sources believed to be reliable. As such, the information is presented AS-IS without warranty of any kind. For a full listing of all sources used please visit All trademarks, logos, service marks and trade names (collectively the Trademarks ) not owned by WilsonHCG that appear in this report are the property of their respective owners. Nothing contained in this document should be construed as granting, by implication, estoppel, or otherwise, any license or right to use any Trademark displayed in this document without written permission of the respective owner. Your misuse of the Trademarks displayed in this document is strictly prohibited.

4 4 5 current state of EMPLOYMENT BRANDING Employment branding is no longer an option. It s a necessary tool to attract and engage quality candidates. Just as your company must market its products and services to prospective customers, it must also differentiate itself and promote its benefits to prospective candidates. branding to common talent acquisition metrics, such as the time it takes to fill roles and the cost to hire new employees. At the same time, there s an increasing focus on the candidate experience. It s not enough to simply process prospective candidates through search and screening activities. we will investigate in this report. We will also look at career pages, job boards, company accolades, recruitment marketing and corporate social responsibility. All of these elements go into creating a successful employment brand. For each category, we have developed a points-based scorecard that measures the maturity of a company s The importance of employment branding has grown incredibly important in a relatively short amount of time. We hope that by reading this report, you ll gain an understanding of how critical employment branding is, and what goes into developing a strong brand that will help your company compete for top talent. Recruiters must work as marketers, employment brand. Think of your employment brand as your personality. A well-executed highlighting the EVP while understanding employment brand highlights your values, mission and culture. the candidate s unique needs and wants. It shows prospective candidates what it s like to work for your The candidate experience is critical because company. As a result, candidates become fans of your company, people talk: A positive experience lifts the and existing employees can serve as brand ambassadors. employer brand, and a negative experience lowers it. People who feel mistreated have Employment branding goes beyond attractive marketing materials many avenues, including social media and and a presence on social media. Your organization must have a story to tell, and use all of the tools at its disposal to share that narrative. This story is your employee value proposition (EVP). The EVP should be apparent in all aspects of the recruiting process, from the first search on a careers page through to onboarding. Employment branding continues to evolve. Companies are looking for a measurable return on investment from employment branding review sites, to share their disappointment. One dissatisfied candidate can influence friends, family, peers, coworkers and even strangers on your company. Truly unhappy candidates might even stop using your products and services, and encourage others to do the same. 75% of recruiters say that the employer brand has a significant impact on hiring success LinkedIn Global Trends Report activities, and accordingly there s a greater push to quantify The candidate experience is just one performance. As a result, organizations are linking employment dimension of employment branding that WilsonHCG owns all rights, tile and interest in and to this report, including the layout, look and feel, visuals and illustrations. Any commercial or promotional distribution, publishing or exploitation of this report, or any content, data or materials herein, is strictly prohibited unless you have received the express prior written permission from our authorized personnel or the otherwise applicable rights holder. Aside from personal use and other than as expressly allowed herein, you may not download, post, display, publish, copy, reproduce, distribute, transmit, modify, perform, broadcast, transfer, create derivative works from, sell or otherwise exploit this report or any content herein.

5 6 7 HEALTHCARE: BANKING & FINANCE: RETAIL: MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT: TRANSPORTATION: TECHNOLOGY: Pharmaceutical companies were Banking and finance companies Retailers generally made good use You d expect media companies to Transportation companies were Technology companies generally did some of the highest performers on generally did well with job boards, of job boards and career pages, with perform well on our rankings, however, some of the strongest performers well with career sites, job postings our list, with very impressive candidate but fell behind in other categories, many showing multimedia content. while these companies did a good this year. Airlines were more likely and candidate experience. However, experience and corporate responsibility like candidate experience and However, scores for candidate job with recruitment marketing, than railroads to tout their accolades, it was a surprise to see some scores. They also made effective corporate responsibility. These experience didn t impress. And they provided a lower-than-average but railroads generally did a better companies falling behind by failing use of career pages and job boards. companies should consider extending specialty retailers particularly candidate experience and failed job with recruitment marketing. All to have or promote a strong Other companies in the healthcare their general marketing brand to specialty apparel retailers lagged to promote their corporate social companies have room for improvement list of accolades and an attractive industry were also strong performers. their employment brand. behind the average for recruitment responsibility initiatives. in corporate social responsibility. corporate social responsibility marketing and accolades. program. industry INSIGHTS While every company is different, it s easy to see trends emerge when we look at industries as a whole. Just as some industries require a stronger consumer brand than others, some industries demonstrate greater maturity in employment branding than others. In this section, we highlight some major industries and assess their performance. You will find some surprises. Some industries known for their strong consumer brands did not fare well on our listings, especially in the entertainment and media sector. It s most useful to look at these trends as guidelines, not absolutes. In every industry, there are leaders in employment branding, while other companies sometimes giants with much prestige fall behind. We re not too surprised to learn that some companies are succeeding without strong employment branding, but we believe these organizations will find it increasingly difficult to compete for talent. As candidates become more savvy, they will naturally gravitate to employers with the strongest brands. Companies in all industries should consider all of the dimensions and benefits of strong employment branding. Later in this report, we will discuss which industries performed best for each of our scoring criteria.

6 8 9 employment branding: TOP RANKING COMPANIES Johnson & Johnson General Mills Intel Google P&G Nordstrom 79 total points 71 total points 67 total points 65 total points 64 total points 64 total points AT&T Coca-Cola Southwest Airlines Salesforce.com Goldman Sachs Coca-Cola Enterprises 72 total points 68 total points 66 total points 65 total points 64 total points 64 total points

7 10 11 TOP 100 LIST OF EMPLOYMENT BRANDS ranking brand industry total points 1 Pharmaceuticals 79 2 Telecommunications 72 3 Food Consumer Products 71 4 Beverages 68 5 Semiconductors and Other Electronic Components 67 6 Airlines 66 7 Internet Services and Retailing 65 Computer Software 65 9 Household and Personal Products 64 Commercial Banks 64 General Merchandisers 64 Beverages Entertainment 63 Network and Other Communications Equipment 63 Commercial Banks 63 Information Technology Services Diversified Financials 62 Information Technology Services 62 Insurance: Property and Casualty (Stock) 62 Hotels, Casinos, Resorts 62 Pharmaceuticals Commercial Banks 61 Computer Software 61 Aerospace and Defense 61 Chemicals 61 ranking brand industry total points Hotels, Casinos, Resorts 61 Financial Data Services 61 Scientific, Photographic and Control Equipment General Merchandisers 60 Mail, Package, and Freight Delivery 60 Insurance: Property and Casualty (Stock) 60 Household and Personal Products 60 Food Consumer Products Food and Drug Stores 59 Telecommunications 59 Real Estate 59 Health Care: Insurance and Managed Care 59 Chemicals 59 Miscellaneous 59 Food and Drug Stores 59 Construction and Farm Machinery 59 Mining, Crude-Oil Production 59 Motor Vehicles and Parts 59 Insurance: Life, Health (Stock) 59 Insurance: Life, Health (Mutual) 59 Telecommunications Airlines 58 Insurance: Life, Health (Mutual) 58 Network and Other Communications Equipment 58 Aerospace and Defense 58 Chemicals 58 Chemicals Commercial Banks 57 Aerospace and Defense 57

8 12 13 ranking brand industry total points Airlines 57 Oil and Gas Equipment, Services 57 Utilities: Gas and Electric 57 Pharmaceuticals 57 Internet Services and Retailing 57 Food Services 57 Commercial Banks 57 Computer Software 57 Hotels, Casinos, Resorts Chemicals 56 Insurance: Life, Health (Stock) 56 Motor Vehicles and Parts 56 Health Care: Insurance and Managed Care 56 Apparel 56 Railroads 56 Insurance: Property and Casualty (Stock) 56 Diversified Outsourcing Services 56 Commercial Banks 56 Energy 56 Entertainment 56 Real Estate Petroleum Refining 55 Petroleum Refining 55 Specialty Retailers: Other 55 Computer Software 55 Chemicals 55 Insurance: Property and Casualty (Stock) 55 Oil and Gas Equipment, Services 55 Computer Peripherals 55 ranking brand industry total points Commercial Banks 55 Mining, Crude-Oil Production 55 Food Consumer Products 55 Specialty Retailers: Apparel 55 Pharmaceuticals 55 Utilities: Gas and Electric 55 Insurance: Property and Casualty (Stock) 55 Securities 55 Engineering, Construction Internet Services and Retailing 54 Internet Services and Retailing 54 Specialty Retailers: Other 54 Pharmaceuticals 54 Insurance: Property and Casualty (Mutual) 54 Telecommunications 54 Telecommunications 54 Household and Personal Products 54 Utilities: Gas and Electric 54 Insurance: Property and Casualty (Stock) 54 Utilities: Gas and Electric 54 Health Care: Medical Facilities 54 Semiconductors and Other Electronic Components 54 Wholesalers: Health Care 54 Securities 54 Utilities: Gas and Electric 54 Wholesalers: Health Care 54 Insurance: Life, Health (Mutual) 54 Semiconductors and Other Electronic Components 54 Electronics, Electrical Equip. 54 Internet Services and Retailing 54

9 14 CAREER PAGE (2 POINTS) 0 No career site 1 Has site, easily accessible from main website Has site, easily accessible from main website 2 and easily searchable ENGAGING JOB DESCRIPTIONS (5 POINTS) Company does not have job postings or they do not include any of the 5 engaging elements: overview of 0 the company, list of responsibilities, list of qualifications, compensation details, link to additional information/ why to work here 1 Job descriptions have 1 out of 5 parts 2 Job descriptions have 2 out of 5 parts MOBILE-ENABLED CAREER WEBSITE (1 POINT) 3 Job descriptions have 3 out of 5 parts 0 Not able to apply to job via mobile device 4 Job descriptions have 4 out of 5 parts 1 Ability to get to careers website and apply via mobile device 5 Job descriptions have 5 out of 5 parts CAREER PAGES LINKS/INFORMATION ON BENEFITS, COMPANY PERKS, CULTURE/DNA (3 POINTS) 0 No info on benefits, company perks, culture/dna 1 Has 1 of 3 pieces When jobseekers come to you, they come to your career pages. That s why career pages are such an important element of your employment brand: They are often the first place where prospective candidates interact with you and see your personality on display. If your career pages are confusing, outdated or limited, prospective candidates might simply look elsewhere for their new job. Companies must make it easy to find positions through convenient search features and clear job descriptions. Leading companies use the career pages to convey their employee value proposition with multimedia content, differentiated microsites and testimonials. In this section, we considered how frequently jobs were updated. We looked for corporate culture information, videos and pictures and recommendations from current employees. Many of the companies with all of these elements did well in the overall employment brand rankings. 2 Has 2 of 3 pieces 3 Has 3 of 3 pieces PICTURES OR CORPORATE VIDEOS ON CAREER PAGE DEMONSTRATING DIVERSITY (4 POINTS) 0 No multimedia content demonstrating diversity 1 1 photo or video demonstrating diversity 2 2 photos or videos demonstrating diversity 3 3 photos or videos demonstrating diversity 15 points total 4 4+ photos or videos demonstrating diversity

10 16 17 career pages: TOP RANKING INDUSTRIES leading companies 14 OUT OF 15 POINTS Google Nordstrom CVS Health AT&T Microsoft Freddie Mac Goldman Sachs DirecTV Publix Super Markets USAA Union Pacific Anadarko Petroleum Goodyear Tire & Rubber Dr. Pepper Snapple Group When we look at leading career pages, we find responsive websites with a lot of information at the prospective candidate s fingertips. The text is conversational and inviting. Multimedia content, such as videos and photographs, give people a good idea of what it s like to work for a company. The most useful organization of information is divided into microsites, tailoring information by role for different types of prospective candidates. Many career pages provided links to the company s career-focused social media accounts, or featured aggregated postings through a service like Tagboard. This social media interaction allows prospective candidates to connect with, and feel connected to, the company. Robust career pages allow current employees to have a voice. The highest ranking career pages feature employee testimonials, incorporating both video and written statements from various employees. Ideally, the testimonials are broken down by division, location or job function. Technology companies, as you d imagine, have some of the best career pages. However, many other industries are represented on our list, including soft drink companies, airlines and railroads. Companies with good career pages generally scored well on the overall rankings.

11 18 JOB BOARDS ON NICHE/INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC JOB BOARDS (3 POINTS) These days, prospective candidates are likely to begin their career search on a job board. Mainstream job boards and smaller, industry-focused sites present an ideal opportunity for your company to showcase its employment brand and employee value proposition. Leading companies took care to craft compelling job descriptions and post them in the right locations. They also incorporated some of their visual identity logos and color schemes in the postings, and featured links to career pages, multimedia content, social media accounts and other information of interest to prospective candidates. For this category, we looked at how often companies posted jobs on both mainstream and niche job boards. The more boards, the higher the ranking. 0 No job postings on niche boards 1 Job postings on 1 niche board 2 Job postings on 2 niche boards 3 Job postings on 3+ niche boards ON MAINSTREAM DESIGNATED JOB BOARDS (4 POINTS) 0 No job postings on designated mainstream boards 1 Job postings on 1 designated mainstream board 2 Job postings on 2 designated mainstream boards 3 Job postings on 3 designated mainstream boards 7 points total 4 Job postings on 4+ designated mainstream boards

12 20 21 job boards: TOP RANKING INDUSTRIES leading companies 7 OUT OF 7 POINTS General Motors MetLife UPS Humana Best Buy Safeway Cigna Sears Holdings Qualcomm Cummins Marriott CDW PPL Bed Bath & Beyond First Data Sherwin-Williams Estee Lauder Principal Financial Henry Schein BB&T Corp. Molina Healthcare Dean Foods AutoZone Republic Services Masco Mohawk Industries Celgene Ralph Lauren Boston Scientific Omnicare Jones Financial Charles Schwab Gannett Con-way United Rentals Kelly Services Regions Financial New York Life There s no doubt that job boards revolutionized recruiting but that was more than 20 years ago. Long gone are the days of running ads in newspapers or relying on walk-in applications; companies now post requisitions in real time as positions open. Because every company is using them, that makes it difficult for your job postings to stand out from the crowd. Leading companies in this category relied on a variety of job boards, including big established players like CareerBuilder and Monster, as well as smaller, niche boards. They also took advantage of career-focused websites that aren t traditional job boards, such as LinkedIn and Glassdoor. They make job postings stand out with engaging titles and descriptions, and branded layouts and logos. Our grading criteria for this category was quite simple. Companies received points based on the number of mainstream and niche job boards they posted to. The final results make up 7 percent of each company s score. Job boards aren t new or novel, but they re a requirement in today s competitive hiring environment, and an important element of any employment branding effort.

13 EMPLOYEE REVIEWS & CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE 22 % OF REVIEWERS WHO RECOMMEND THE COMPANY TO A FRIEND (10 POINTS) 0 0% 1 1% 10% 2 11% 20% 3 21% 30% 4 31% 40% 5 41% 50% 6 51% 60% 7 61% 70% 8 71% 80% 9 81% 90% 10 91% 100% GLASSDOOR CULTURE & VALUES RATING (5 POINTS) 0 Rating of 0.4 or less rating rating rating rating rating GLASSDOOR CAREER OPPORTUNITIES (5 POINTS) 0 Rating of 0.4 or less rating rating rating rating rating REVIEWS & RATINGS ON INDEED (5 POINTS) 0 0 stars 1 1 star 2 2 stars 3 3 stars 4 4 stars 5 5 stars Candidate experience is emerging as one of the most important components in an employment brand. Accordingly, we ve given this category more weight than we did in our inaugural employment brands report. Candidate experience describes how you interact with the candidate at every step in the talent acquisition process, from the first encounter through to onboarding. The candidate experience is intertwined with the employment brand. Candidates form an impression about your company based on how you treat them. This sets the stage for either a positive or negative experience. Technology has made the candidate experience even more critical, as candidates have many avenues to express their disappointment. Just as a few bad reviews on Yelp can sink a restaurant s reputation, so too can a few bad reviews about a company s work environment or hiring process on a career-focused review site like Glassdoor. GLASSDOOR WORK-LIFE BALANCE RATING (5 POINTS) 0 Rating of 0.4 or less rating rating rating rating rating GLASSDOOR COMPENSATION & BENEFITS RATING (5 POINTS) 0 Rating of 0.4 or less rating rating rating rating rating 35 points total

14 24 25 employee reviews & candidate experience: TOP RANKING INDUSTRIES leading companies 31 OUT OF 35 POINTS It s easier than ever before for workers and candidates to leave candid feedback about what it s like to work for your company, or to interview for a job there. Glassdoor has 8 million company reviews, CEO ratings and salary reports. Indeed attracts more than 180 million viewers each month. Clearly, people are talking about your company. And more than ever, employee reviews and candidate experience make a difference. Without positive reviews, candidates might not even want to look at opportunities within your organization. If candidates don t feel engaged during the hiring process, they will look for work elsewhere. To measure this category, we looked at ratings on Glassdoor and Indeed, paying close attention to ratings for culture and values, work-life balance, compensation and benefits, career opportunities and employee recommendations. Leading companies are taking full advantage of Glassdoor and Indeed, encouraging current employees to write honest reviews for the sake of feedback and improvement, and customizing pages with company logos and multimedia content.

15 26 MOST ADMIRED LIST (5 POINTS) 0 Not on list 1 Ranked #41 #50 2 Ranked #31 #40 3 Ranked #21 #30 4 Ranked #11 #20 5 Ranked #1 #10 ACCOLADES MISCELLANEOUS ACCOLADES ON COMPANY WEBSITE (5 POINTS) Talking about your company only goes so far. Being recognized by a third party for your accomplishments gives you credibility. That s why awards are important: They validate the efforts you ve made and prove to prospective candidates that you truly are an ideal place to work. You should always be proud of your awards. Be sure to include them on your website, and especially on your careers pages. initiatives that candidates care about, making you more attractive as an employer and improving your employee value proposition. Consider awards to be a strong component of your employment brand. For this category, we look at company awards from a variety of angles. 0 No accolades mentioned on website 1 1 accolade on website 2 2 accolades on website 3 3 accolades on website 4 4 accolades on website 10 points total These awards demonstrate your commitment to causes and 5 5+ accolades on website

16 28 29 accolades: TOP RANKING INDUSTRIES Companies should be proud of the recognitions they ve received for their hard work to become an employer of choice. Accordingly, they should be eager to share their accolades with the world. There are many awards that your company can seek out, reflecting your achievements. For this category, we looked at how companies ranked on this year s Fortune s World s Most Admired Companies list, a reliable source for ranking corporate reputations. We also considered how well companies shared their accolades on their websites: The more awards cited, the higher the score for this category. It s one thing for a candidate to hear from you or your employees that you have a great place to work. It s another for that leading company 7 OUT OF 10 POINTS candidate to see that a third party is validating that narrative. The accolades category makes up 10 percent of each company s final score in this year s employment brands report. We believe accolades are an important component of any company s employment brand. Awards can help you demonstrate to candidates that your culture aligns with their values. Awards can also help you reach new candidates that may have overlooked your company otherwise; many candidates look at awards particularly best places to work when they decide where to apply for jobs.

17 30 COMPANY BLOG ON WEBSITE (2 POINTS) 0 No blog MARKETED IMAGES AND VIDEOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA (5 POINTS) 1 Has an active blog on website 0 no videos or pictures Has an active blog on website with posts relevant 2 to working for the organization, the candidate experience, why to work there, etc. CAREER-SPECIFIC SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS (2 POINTS) 0 No career-specific social media accounts 1 At least 1 career-specific social media account 2 2+ career-specific social media accounts video or picture posted on a social media feed in previous quarter 2 videos or pictures posted on a social media feed in previous quarter 3 videos or pictures posted on social media feed in previous quarter 4 videos or pictures posted on social media feed in previous quarter 5+ videos or pictures posted on social media feed in previous quarter RECRUITMENT MARKETING When most people think of employment branding, they think of recruitment marketing. This category encompasses all of the branding and promotion efforts your company makes to recruit prospective candidates, requiring input and cooperation from the talent acquisition, human resources and marketing functions. Strong recruitment marketing conveys a consistent message across a variety of platforms. In a sense, it gives your company a voice and a personality. Recruitment marketing touches nearly every bit of information you share with prospective candidates. Leaders in this category demonstrated their commitment to recruitment marketing through engaging job descriptions, company culture blogs, multimedia content on social media and career-specific social media accounts. They were also ranked by how many social media accounts they linked to on their website and in their communications. ACTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES (ON COMPANY WEBSITE) (7 POINTS) 0 No social media sites listed on website 1 Company is engaged on 1 site 2 Company is engaged on 2 sites 3 Company is engaged on 3 sites 4 Company is engaged on 4 sites 5 Company is engaged on 5 sites 6 Company is engaged on 6 sites 7 Company is engaged on 7+ sites TALENT COMMUNITY (1 POINT) 0 Company does not have a talent community 1 Company has a talent community 17 points total

18 32 33 recruitment marketing: TOP RANKING INDUSTRIES leading companies 16 OUT OF 17 POINTS Recruitment marketing is a way for companies to express themselves creatively as they reach out to prospective candidates. By using a variety of platforms, it s often the most visible and identifiable element of the employment brand. A successful recruitment marketing campaign takes several stakeholders coming together to develop messaging that will appeal to jobseekers. and visual identity. These companies know that the way they sell products and services is closely related to the way they market their company to prospective candidates. A technology company known for innovation, for example, may market itself as an innovative workplace. Similarly, a retailer known for fun fashions might sell itself as a fun place to work. Leaders in this category demonstrated, instead of described, their employee value company. They provided insider perspective into different roles, departments and highlighted company events. We believe prospective candidates crave and relish this insider perspective as they choose where they want to work. The best recruitment marketing works proposition. They included videos, pictures as an extension of the company s overall and testimonials designed to show prospective marketing efforts, using the same messages candidates what it s like to work at the

19 34 BEST PLACES TO WORK FOR LGBT EQUALITY (1 POINT) DIVERSITY INC S TOP 50 COMPANIES FOR DIVERSITY (5 POINTS) 0 Not on list 0 Not on list 1 On list 1 Ranked #41 #50 2 Ranked #31 #40 3 Ranked #21 #30 4 Ranked #11 #20 GLOBAL 100 MOST SUSTAINABLE CORPORATIONS IN THE WORLD (10 POINTS) 5 Ranked #1 #10 0 Not on list 1 Ranked #91 #100 SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Conventional wisdom was that companies had one function: to maximize shareholder profit. Today, enlightened companies have found that addressing all stakeholders including employees and the community not only makes more sense, but has a profound positive impact on the bottom line. As a result, companies are paying more attention to social and environmental issues. Your company s approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR) has a strong influence on your employment brand. Prospective candidates are seeking companies whose social commitments reflect their own beliefs. This means initiatives like diversity employee resource groups or sustainability programs can attract talent with the skills you need to thrive today and in the future. For this category, we looked at companies rankings on Diversity Inc s Top 50 Companies for Diversity, the Human Rights Campaign s Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality and the Global 100 Most Sustainable Companies in the World. 2 Ranked #81 #90 3 Ranked #71 #80 4 Ranked #61 #70 5 Ranked #51 #60 6 Ranked #41 #50 7 Ranked #31 #40 8 Ranked #21 #30 9 Ranked #11 #20 16 points total 10 Ranked #1 #10

20 36 37 corporate social responsibility: TOP RANKING INDUSTRIES There s little doubt that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is having a large impact on employment branding. Websites and social media have made it easier for prospective candidates to see what causes companies support. employees to get involved as well. As a result, companies are showcasing their commitment to diversity and inclusion, veteran recruiting and environmental initiatives, for example. To make CSR part of your employment brand, you need to describe your CSR mission on your company website. Microsites with We encourage companies to promote their CSR activities with pride. Candidates are looking for employers that match the same values they have and allow them to be open and authentic at work. In a tight labor market, you don t want to lose talented workers to competitors that offer a more welcoming environment. Leading companies contribute time and money descriptions, blogs, news, photos and videos to specific social issues, and encourage are particularly effective. So is social media, leading company 15 OUT OF 16 POINTS particularly social media driven by employees.

21 38 39 report findings 2014 VS CONSISTENT LEADERS BIGGEST LEAPERS You spoke. We listened. Last year was our first-ever employment branding report, and we welcomed your feedback. Based on what you told us and our research team s commitment to evolve with employment branding strategy and best practices, we made the following changes to this year s report: For corporate social responsibility, we looked at three components: diversity, sustainability and LGBT equality. We felt that last year s components were too limiting for our purposes. We made the grading scales more consistent from category to category. We consolidated some of the benchmarks, removing duplication that occurred last year. Named to the top 10 list two years in a row Google 2014: 69 pts; 2015: 65 pts Goldman Sachs 2014: 59 pts; 2015: 64 pts General Mills 2014: 59 pts; 2015: 71 pts Johnson & Johnson 2014: 57 pts; 2015: 79 pts Largest point jump United Continental Holdings Jumped 40 points from : 18 pts; 2015: 58 pts We placed greater emphasis on employee reviews and candidate experience, as this component is playing an increasingly important role in employment branding. We feel this change gives greater weight to the employee voice. We reduced the number of points awarded for accolades. We also used fewer lists for this category, narrowing our focus to Fortune s Top 50 Most Admired Companies and using a new benchmark called miscellaneous accolades to include awards that may not have been otherwise accounted for. We adjusted some of our scoring criteria to provide a level playing field for companies headquartered outside the US in preparation for our global report. We saw a fair amount of movement in this year s employment branding report. Some of the change is due to the way we calculated this year s rankings. But, we believe, the biggest reason for the changes is that more companies are becoming wise to the need for creating and cultivating a strong employment brand. Overall, we feel that this year s scores showcase the evolution of the employment branding movement. INDUSTRY LEADERS Ranked No. 1 in their respective industry Southwest Airlines Airlines: 66 points Goldman Sachs Group Commercial banks: 64 points Salesforce.com Computer software: 65 points Disney Entertainment: 63 points PARTY CRASHERS Companies new to the rankings with scores over 50 Salesforce.com 65 points Voya Financial 59 points Jones Lang LaSalle 56 points Expedia 54 points

22 40 41 employment branding TAKEAWAYS YOU MUST UNDERSTAND YOUR EMPLOYEES FIRST Any good employment brand starts with listening to your current employees. What are they saying about your organization? The best crafted employment brand won t go far if employees are dissatisfied. Remember, your employment brand tells a story. employee value proposition. All of the dimensions of your employment brand should come from a place of truth. LET YOUR EMPLOYEES TELL THE STORY START SMALL If you re just developing your employment brand, don t try to do everything at once. Start by taking a more active approach to social media, improving job board descriptions is one of your most valuable assets invest in it, and it will help your company grow. Make sure you have a genuinely good story to tell! You shouldn t be doing all the talking. Let and titles or reviewing your corporate social These are defining moments for talent acquisition. Unemployment numbers have been declining. Candidates can be selective. And the workforce is changing dramatically, as baby boomers retire, generation X moves higher in their organizations and generation Y enters the workforce. YOU DON T HAVE TO BE A CORPORATE GIANT Organizations of any size can take advantage of the strategies outlined in this report. Employment branding doesn t have to be expensive in fact, many of the elements, such as social media platforms, are free to use. Other components, like multimedia content, can be produced with a smartphone. your employees tell others what it s like to work for your company through social media. Encourage them to be candid and open. This authentic employee voice will resonate deeply with candidates. responsibility initiatives. One step at a time. Starting, maintaining and refining your employment brand isn t easy, but it s well worth the work. Give your brand the time, effort, creativity and coordination it needs to thrive. After all, your employment brand Because of these trends, a strong, engaging employment brand is no longer a luxury. It s a strategic advantage: a true differentiator that encourages the most talented and promising workers to choose your company over your competitors. As employment branding matures, so too do the ways to measure it. Companies with healthy employment brands should experience real, tangible gains in talent acquisition. This will help build a compelling case for company leaders to support and cultivate these efforts. Here are some of the things we, at WilsonHCG, have learned by helping many companies design and refine their employment brands: YOU DON T HAVE TO BE A FOR-PROFIT COMPANY Virtually all of the employment brand strategies detailed in this report will benefit nonprofits too. FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER Prospective candidates have many avenues for starting their job search. They might encounter your company on social media, in a magazine ranking best places to work, on a job board or through your website. It s important to share your employment brand on all of these platforms. BE HONEST A good employment brand is one that reflects your company s true identity. Define your existing brand and create a compelling To contact WilsonHCG for more information about employment branding services or the 2015 s Fortune 500 Top 100 Employment Brands Report, please Info@WilsonHCG.com or visit. Join the conversation online by using and following #EBreport15. We d love to hear from you!

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