Why Recruitment Brand?

Photo of my mug standing proudly next to some well-crafted recruitment logos I've done this year.

A brand is what a customer should get before, during, and after a transaction, but yet rarely does.

The brand behind a person or an agency is an emotional takeaway that leads to one of the most important aspects of connecting and maintaining a community. That goes for most companies, not just recruitment agencies.

Here we will focus on why recruitment brand. But, as I have already said, it goes for other industries too.

In the recruitment sector, there are lots of good recruiters we see, hear and speak. They are the ones building meaningful relationships. And then there are lots of recruitment businesses that claim to have a brand. Unfortunately good recruiters have to work in those places.

The reason why recruitment agencies lack brand is a) a lack of investment in building a community that shows how they work (the knowing "brand" has no direct income); and b) it's a risk to their business. Both these reasons are enough to get exposed as another transactional agency. That's a big issue for many recruiters working in those environments and the customer looking to work with the best recruitment agency.

Transactional agencies don't always stand out, nor are they all the agencies to turn to when looking for work or fill. And there is only so much a recruiter can do to 'delight' and 'empower' the customer (read client or candidate here), whilst getting a buy-in, onboarding, or taking someone through the agencies' process and its engagement. Many things can put people off, including how you present your business offering.

A brand is damaged when you don't look after your potential customers and the existing ones. That's why it pays to build trust by investing in the brand, leaving nothing to chance or putting the customer off. From an operations perspective to sales and marketing, right down to the smallest details when making a buying choice for anyone. And that could include everything to how you document forms, the PowerPoint template case study, employees living their company values and the logo that symbolises the strength in the brand.

Customers and employees see the cracks in brands when subjected to poorly written job descriptions using the same opening line, "We are proud to work for {insert company name}". That shouts nothing about who it's for but says as clear as mud, "we're cheap, give us your money".

That's the kind of detail that doesn't get your company noticed, cements customer distrust and filters out talent.

That's the kind of brand that makes those "bought for awards" look like a big pile of shit money can buy. I never understood why recruitment agencies prefer to pay for it?

No hiring company or candidate cares about rec-award or will it make a brand. Maybe an excuse to post on LinkedIn showing the CEO and chums having a good piss up and ... oh ... they picked up another award ... and oh, it's for the 3rd year running. Not fake news. But I'm sure it validates the cost for any trophy.

For that amount of dough, "invest" in ALL your employees, customers and the community they build for your business by simply defining your brand. That will provide a better perception of what your business is all about.

Starting with brand identity, a simple yet powerful identifier and communications tool will reflect your recruiter's work, your business outlay and your customer's view. It prepares recruiters to go to market with the tools and confidence to do their job knowing they are working for a company that gives a shit about how they want to get noticed. That's the kind of resources employees need to adopt into their buy-in and engagement processes. We call this design.

That piece of meaningful advice is worth at least three rec gongs. But I'll take £3k for the next recruitment brand identity design any day.

Designing a company brand is not just putting together colours, words, and a fancy logo.

That is like saying, "If you have a gob, anyone can be a recruiter".

And if you got a spare £3k sitting around, you could buy a rec award.

And many recruitment firms, sadly, do.

But No.

Key Differentiations

Key Differentiations are the foundational principles of defining a brand. Saying "we're different" doesn't make you a brand. Nor any different than the 1000's other recruitment firms shouting the same things.

Bringing out the best in people and building trust within its ecosystem and community is what makes a brand. Creating a brand identity that defines this is why you need a brand identity that works for you. NEVER the other way around.

"Oh, here you go, have a logo on the house. I think it fits your business ethos". That's like throwing any candidate at any role and hoping they stick to it.

The key differentiation that's felt in the eyes of the beholder means a brand is nothing more than a value perception. That is the same for how humans show love, emotion, trust, personal/business values and life.

Your brand is not yours. The difference felt in the eyes of the beholder. 

Also, translate as never assume you own or have complete control of a brand (personal or company).

Only narcissistic fools think that about themselves. It's like saying on your first ever date that you are a great lover.

It's why I never say "I build brands" because brands are simply impossible to build.

The way to define a brand is through a refined design process. I can't tell you enough how many times businesses have the "aha" moment once they see how design works.

For a starter at ten, the first step to defining your brand is to align your employees, company, and customers. I can't stress this first point enough.

Taking action as stated above, strengthens a business's content, marketing, advertising and operations strategy holistically. So if your brand assets are the tools for operating a brand, design is what we use to get you there.

I know some in recruitment and the marketing world may roll their eyes in hearing that. But please, hear me out.

A carefully considered design process never reveals a company brand as subjective marketing tac. That's the kind of disjointed perception that kills a brand by calling design subjectively. And it only takes two people (the boss and the creative) to damage a business's creative outlook. Not the misguided assumptions of what it should do for you.

The solution is don't hire a cheap designer or any creative for that matter. i.e. an order taker. Like the false perception about recruiters, there is also one for creatives. Every industry on the planet has some form of a cheaper version. It's called a competitive market for a reason, but remember, creativity and innovation do not compete in the same arena. That's not its goal. Transactional businesses do.

Companies who think they control a brand control much less. I see that same issue in recruitment it's always because of cost-saving. Competitive. Transactional. And of course, who then believes hearing those trusted words "Our people are our brand"?

No one wins in any poorly recruitment brand. But again, these are NOT the recruiter's, marketing, content, advertisement, or even designers fault. It's down to many things I have stated above.

Defining your brand and designing it can show clearer who it is for and can be the best investment your business ever makes - in your people, customers and business outlook.

Anyway, let me know what you think in the comments below. Does recruitment need a brand? Rec-awards is an overrated pile of {insert word?}. What do you think about design changing the perception of recruitment brands? And whilst we're at it, why is peanut butter called peanut butter if it has no butter?

Thanks, Matt

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Save your £3k+ from fake rec-awards and invest in a decent brand identity that gets your company and people noticed.

This year, I have successfully implemented over six recruitment brand identity designs from scratch, from defining a value position statement to refining a visual direction that fit each business differently. See the photo above of my mug standing proudly next to some well-crafted recruitment logos I've done this year. Super proud of each one of those brands.

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I stand by my work and the people I serve in recruitment.

If you fancy learning how to define your brand, give us a bell.

Let's talk and see what your investment can achieve.

That part won't cost you a penny.

That's my process in a shell and why I care about recruitment brands.

Thank you again,

Matheos

#recruitmentcreativity #brandidentity

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