connecting purpose-driven messaging to your employer brand

HR’s ad agency.

Connecting Purpose-Driven Messaging to Your

Employer Brand

A Workforce Communications Practice Webinar │October 25, 2016

HR’s ad agency.

Today’s Agenda

1) Why It’s Powerful

2) The Talent and Business Cases

3) Connecting Purpose to Employer Branding (with a Quick Look at EY’s Purpose Transformation)

N. Robert Johnson

Practice Leader, Workforce Communications Practice

2

HR’s ad agency.

HR’s ad agency.

Our clients apply advertising and marketing practices to

attract and retain talent in competitive talent markets.

The focus of The David Group’s Workforce

Communications Practice is to strengthen employer

brands, engage people and cut the cost of talent.

3

HR’s ad agency. 4Part One Why It’s Powerful

HR’s ad agency.

“High-performing employees

want to work for a company that

has an identity of sound values,

a well-articulated brand, and a

reputation for making a

difference in customers’ lives.”

5

83% of workers

say that it is “very

important” for

them to believe

their life and work

is meaningful and

has a purpose.

Gallup

Gallup

HR’s ad agency.

1) All generations of the workforce are

looking to connect in a deeper and more

meaningful way

2) This trend is growing

3) People will connect when there is

alignment between values

4) This puts pressure on us to define and

articulate our culture, mission and values

6

75% of workers

believe that work

should have a

deeper meaning

than just bringing

home the bacon.

Monster, 2016

HR’s ad agency. 7

iCIMS, 2016

Part Two The Talent and Business Cases

“In business, as in life,

all that matters is that

you do something

positive.“

Sir Richard Branson

HR’s ad agency.

The Talent Case• Purpose-driven employees have a stronger

sense of belonging

• They score higher than non purpose-driven

employees on every measure studied

• They are likely to:

• Be in leadership positions, denoting leadership traits

(50%)

• Be advocates for the company (47%)

• Stay longer (39%)

• Be more satisfied with their jobs (73%)

8

Workforce Purpose Index, 2015

40% of U.S.

workforce was

identified as

purpose-driven or

seeking.

Workforce Purpose

Index, 2015

HR’s ad agency.

22% of all

employees would

consider leaving

their employers

because they no

longer believe in the

company’s mission

and values.

9

iCIMS, 2016

In addition to being highly

productive, purpose-driven

employees serve as internal and

external change-makers that

enhance workplace culture and

customer perceptions.

HR’s ad agency.

The Business Case

A company filled with purpose-driven

employees will experience less turnover.

• Reduced recruitment costs

• Reduced recruiting pressure and stress

• Greater ability to invest in other HR

strategies and programs

10

Workforce Purpose

Index, 2015

The average cost

of turnover is 90 to

200% of the exiting

employee’s base

salary and

represents 12% of

an average

company’s

operating budget.

PwC/Saratoga Institute

HR’s ad agency.

85% of purpose-led

companies showed

positive growth

while 42% of non

purpose-led

companies showed

a drop in revenue.

11

Ernst & Young Bacon

Institute and Harvard

University

The Business Case

A company filled with purpose-driven

employees will experience greater

employee engagement and

connection.

• Increased employee referrals

• Increased employee engagement

• Increased productivity and stronger

profit performance

HR’s ad agency. 12Part Three Connecting Purpose to Employer Brand

HR’s ad agency. 13

Use Validated Messaging When Building Your

Purpose-Driven Employer Brand

• Factual findings from engagement surveys, focus

groups, stay and exit interviews, etc.

• Data from external branding/marketing initiatives

(new product launches, new ad campaigns, etc.)

• Data gathered from achievement awards as well as

community involvement

Create a framework to outline and document the elements of purpose that

need to be communicated1


Think like a brand manager2

Communicate Values and Mission Through All

Employment Touchpoints

Apply purpose-driven messages to not only

recruitment, but to all communications, including:

• On-boarding communications

• Retention/engagement programs

• Mentoring and team-building programs

• Leadership communications

• Learning and development activities


Become storytellers3

Hone Your Purpose-Driven Communication Style

• Become an active-listener and be open for “all-way”

communication

• Use the emotional appeals of “employees for life”

attributes found in your employer brand promise and

attributes

• Be open for new and different storytelling platforms,

media and channels (a “day in the life” profiles, new

work adventures, etc.)


Create a purpose-driven work environment4

Emulate Cultures Found in The Best Companies to

Work For®

• Trust and empower employees to do their jobs

• Make your workplace a community

• Foster a workplace that focuses on talent well-

being

• Recognize employee contributions


EY’s Building a better working world Quick

Look

Multi-Year Business and Brand Transformation

• Developed purpose, strategy, ambition, positioning and

values

• Created new name, logo, tag line and ways in which to

talk about the firm

• Sprang from EY’s response to financial crisis and

perceived “new normal” in global business

Disclaimer EY is not a client of The David Group


EY’s Building a better working world Disclaimer EY is not a client of The David Group

Our purposeBuilding a better working world

Our strategy• Relentless focus on winning the market

• Create the highest-performing teams

• Strengthen global, empower local

Our ambitionBy 2020, we will be a US$50 billion distinctive

professional services organization.

Our positioning Point of competitive differentiation: highest-

performing teams delivering exceptional client

service, worldwide.

Source: EY Building a better working world

Quick

Look



Our quality and values

Running through everything are our

shared values, which inspire our

people worldwide and guide them to

do the right thing, and our

commitment to quality, which is

embedded in who we are and in

everything we do.

Quick

LookSource: EY Building a better working world



Source: betterworkingworld.ey.com

Quick

Look




Quick

Look



Source: Google search

EY’s Brand Standards http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/Building

_a_better_working_world/$FILE/EY-Building-a-

better-working-world.pdf

Quick

Look

http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/Building_a_better_working_world/$FILE/EY-Building-a-better-working-world.pdf


Next WebinarAll Together: The David Group’s All-Way Branding ApproachTuesday, December 6

2:00 to 2:30 ET

Registrationhttps://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5630111240893449473

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5630111240893449473


N. Robert Johnson

Practice Leader, Workforce Communications

216.685.4486 │[email protected]

davidgroup.com

The David Group Inc. All rights reserved.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.davidgroup.com/