The 2020 Employer Branding Strategies study, by online job site indeed and People Matters revealed that almost 70% of participants across Southeast Asia (SEA) believe that a “great working environment and compensation” are key attributes to attract top talent to an employer brand.
The report highlights that an organizations’ work values play a vital role in a candidate’s job search, and a high salary/benefits and learning opportunities still remain top items in attracting candidates.
At a time when top talent is highly mobile, with skilled workers now having a greater choice of where they want to build their careers, the competition for attracting skilled talent is set to intensify for companies, among an increasingly candidate-driven market.
“With SEA growth projected to gather momentum in 2020, the region offers significant growth opportunities. It is also a complex sector due to the differences in workplace culture, and the expectations of a young working population. As the war for talent heats up, creating a workplace culture that attracts the right talent is essential,” said Adam Lamprey, director APAC, Talent Attraction, indeed.
Key findings of the report:
- The importance of employer branding across companies in SEA has increased 67%, as recruiters understand they must differentiate themselves in the talent market, as an organizations’ work values play a vital role in a candidate's job search process.
- Over 78% of respondents identified defining their Employee Value Proposition (EVP) as a crucial step in the roadmap to creating an employer brand.
- Beyond compensation and benefits, employees and job seekers in the region are looking for interesting work-life balance (30%) initiatives and career progression (46%) opportunities in an ideal employer.
- Digital tools were reported as highly effective in transforming and
influencing individual perceptions about their brands. The technology
experience is often one of the first touch points for candidates experiencing
the brand. However;
- 81% of respondents said that they do not have adequate investment in employer branding strategies and there was a need to increase investments in technology tools in the next 6-12 months
- Over 68% of respondents reported that their current employer branding budget remains less than 10% of the overall branding budget.
- With a rising young population across SEA employers are finding better
and more dynamic ways of connecting with candidates. The survey found that;
- 51% of respondents preferred using storytelling principles to deliver an impactful message through online channels and offline events to enhance the employer brand,
- An additional 35% said creating candidate personas and targeting them improved the effectiveness of their strategies.
- A multiple channel strategy is needed to engage both current employees as well as prospective candidates, with professional networking sites and career websites ranking high (68%) as the preferred channels for driving employer branding.
“In light of the changing attitude of job seekers towards employers, talent management has moved from being reactive to proactive. In 2020, this will be seen as one of the most critical aspects of a tactical recruitment strategy. HR leaders have an enormous opportunity to transform their company as an employer of choice and must take the lead in the adoption of new tools and digital channels available, to remain relevant in attracting, engaging and retaining top talent,” concluded Lamprey.
