by Michal Kalinowski, CEO of Universum

In the last issue of Universum Quarterly, I wrote about how to adjust your external employer branding strategy during a recession. Note that I say adjust – not halt. Now, I want to discuss a second fundamental aspect of employer branding: internal branding. And just like external branding, internal communication of your employer brand should continue during a recession. It may look a little different, but it is very important to keep it going, for the following reasons: Read the rest of this entry »

In a recent study by McKinsey, companies that failed to act properly during the last two recessions lost market share and shareholder value. Companies that continued to hire or maintain their presence in the recruitment market emerged from the recession stronger, compared to those that were downsizing and couldn’t react quickly enough to a market recovery.

Experts say that attrition rates have been kept artificially low due to the recession, but that they will increase very quickly as companies start recruiting again. As the world economy recovers, natural growth will occur, and inevitably the need for talent will climb. Employers will then face a two-fold challenge: employees will be targeted by competitors and recruitment costs will increase. Read the rest of this entry »

by Michal Kalinowski, CEO Universum

We have all heard the ominous word: recession. The media paints doomsday scenarios like the IT crash of the 1990’s: soaring unemployment rates and scores of bankrupt companies. But, several organisations point out some
major differences between then and now. The OECD, for example, says that the coming recession will be more selective, affecting mostly the so-called ‘blue-collar’ industries. Meanwhile, the talent pool continues to shrink, and the retirement waves continue to increase.

Read the rest of this entry »