So your company ranked among the 2010 IDEAL Employers, now what? It’s time to use feedback from your target audience to improve communication and understand your position in the market.

Join us this Thursday, July 22nd at 2pm to learn more! Joel Quast, Senior Consultant at Universum, will share valuable information in this webinar.

Register now at: https://universumusa.ilinc.com/register/bxcrmfk

International companies are increasingly focusing on emerging markets for the growth of their business, given the pace of the economic development, size of the prospective markets and the cost advantage in many areas. This growth is fully dependent on the success of attracting and retaining the right talent to run and develop the operations. Yet finding the right people has been difficult. Similarly, in the developed nations, companies are faced with the challenges of an ageing population and a shortage of skilled workers – this has lead to the so-called War for Talent.

Universum, the global leader in Employer Branding, presents key arguments of why employer branding should be a core component of your organization’s strategy.  We explore the career and employer preferences of today’s students – or tomorrow your employees. We will discuss how to measure your activities, to ensure that you are implementing the right activities, and how to communicate to talent to fulfill your recruitment needs. Employer branding will help you be more successful in the recruitment and retention of top talent.

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To register for this complimentary webinar, please follow this link: http://www.ere.net/webinars/global-trends-in-employer-branding-and.asp

Communicating to the current generation does create its own challenges. Advertisements surround them every day…everywhere.  After creating the perfect Employer Branding Communication Plan, you have to get your message in front of your target audience. How do you ensure your message reaches your target audience?

Join us for a complimentary webinar on Tuesday, June 29th at 2:00pm EST to learn about our student publication, Jungle Campus, and how this media outlet can help you get the right message in front of the right audience. Jungle Campus accomplishes this by combining print distribution at 50 top undergraduate campuses with online distribution via the Jungle Campus e-zine.

Click here to view the most recent Jungle Campus e-zine: www.JungleCampus.com

The Jungle Campus editors work together with you to create the perfect message.  How? – By asking the right questions. With the unique profile feature in Jungle Campus, instead of you telling the students why they should work for you, a young professional within your organization gets an opportunity to let the students know why they do work for you. Students appreciate the insider information that they receive in Jungle Campus.

Check out what students are saying about Jungle Campus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNFXCcv51cc

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To learn more, register for our complimentary “Reaching your Target Audience” webinar today!

When: Tuesday, June 29th, 2010 from 2:00pm EST – 3:00pm EST

Click here to register: https://universumusa.ilinc.com/register/rxyvfct

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Based on more than 22,859 employer evaluations, reflecting the opinions of approximately 9,956 undergraduate students, Universum – Americas presents the 2010 Canada Top IDEAL^TM Employers

With the Government/public service industry showing up in the top three preferred industries among all fields of study (Business/Communication/Law, Engineering/IT/Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts/Fine Arts/Education/Social Sciences and Health/Medicine), it is only appropriate that the top ranked companies follow suit.

Based on the frequency of being selected as an IDEAL^TM employer, Universum produces an IDEAL^TM employer ranking, dubbed the Universum Top 100. The rankings reflect the level of employer attractiveness that companies or organizations have on the recruitment market, and consequently the strength of their employer brands.

“Since Canadian student career goals of job stability and serving society’s greater good were of high importance this year, it’s no surprise that they are choosing the Government of Canada as a top employer,” said Tracy Lynn Drye, Senior Vice President of Employer Branding at Universum, “We have actually seen this as a global trend. Undergraduate students around the world have expressed interest in beginning their career with the government, starting even prior to the economic challenges facing many markets.”

The first 10 IDEAL^TM Employers, segmented by their main field of study are:

Business/Communication/Law: 1. Government of Canada, 2. Apple, 3. Google, 4. Bank of Canada, 5. Provincial Government, 6. Deloitte, 7. L’Oréal, 8. Air Canada,9. Canada Revenue Agency, 10. KPMG

Liberal Arts/Fine Arts/Education/Social Science: 1. Government of Canada, 2. Provincial Government, 3. Health Canada, 4. Google, 5.Apple, 6. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 7. Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), 8. Air Canada,9. Public Service Commission, 10. L’Oréal

Engineering/IT/Natural Sciences:  1.Governement of Canada, 2. Health Canada, 3. Google, 4. Provincial Government, 5.Apple, 6. Microsoft, 7. Canadian Natural Resources Limited, 8. Research In Motion (RIM),9. Bombardier, 10. IBM

Health/Medicine: 1. Health Canada, 2. Government of Canada, 3. Provincial Government, 4. Google, Johnson & Johnson, 6. GlaxoSmithKline, 7. Pfizer, 8. Apple,9. Air Canada, 10. L’Oréal

To view the Universum Top 100 go to http://www.universumglobal.com/Canada-Undergraduate-Rankings

Employer Branding Videos:  Best Practices

Sean O’Grady, Media Manager – US Market

Do you currently have Employer Branding Videos or is your company thinking about producing an Employer Branding Video(s)?  This is the perfect webinar for you.  During this 60 minute webinar, Sean O’Grady will provide you with general trends and best practices when it comes to producing an EB Video.  How long should the video be?  What type of information should you include in the video?  Who should be in the video? And much more!

When:  Tuesday, February 23, 2010 @ 2PM EST (60 minutes)

Sign Up Today:  https://universumusa.ilinc.com/register/cpykzhm *

*We would also like this time to note that there will only be a call in number and no access to online audio.  This will ensure for optimal sound.
We hope to have you join us!

It’s hard to ignore corporate social responsibility, now that most students and professionals have embraced it as a necessary component of their organization’s brand. In addition to doing good for the environment, several studies show that employers with CSR initiatives do well financially—often better than employers that have paid little attention to their social and environmental responsibilities. A Goldman Sachs study showed that companies with strong environmental and social governance policies outperformed the stock market by 25 percent, and 72 percent of the companies on the list outperformed their industry peers.

In another recent study from IBM, two executives led a team that surveyed 250 global business leaders. They found 68 percent of the businesses they observed view CSR strategically, “as an opportunity and a platform for growth,” rather than as a bonus from the corporate philanthropy department. Fifty four  percent of the leaders surveyed feel CSR is giving them “a competitive advantage.” A surprising 49 percent of their companies have recently launched CSR activities focused on creating new revenue streams.
In this newsletter, we explore companies with social responsible initiatives to see just how they are interacting with students and current employees.

 - Salvatore Viola
Universum Marketing Director – US

Interview with…
Odesa Stapleton, Director of Talent Management, Verizon Communications

How do you define your employer brand in one or two words?

Some keywords that describe our brand: innovation, people-focused, tech-savvy, global, and dynamic

What differentiates you from your competitors?

The commitment to our employees passes on to customers, giving them a world class experience, both in the job market and in the consumer market. This is one of the reasons we find the number one people to work for Verizon. Potential employees feel if you get a job here, you are important to us and the growth and development of our business, which is in line with our desire to produce the best products.

What are you working on right now?

We are always working on attracting top college talent and developing our relationships in the colleges, with career placement offices and student bodies. We know the Verizon of the future depends on the future of today’s talent, and by working together with the enterprise to reach out to campus talent and manage our relationships on campus, we hope to capture that talent.

What new initiatives have you developed?

We try to address what we hear and what the students want. We are in the process of a making a Leadership Corner, which features our leaders that are most active in the company. The Leadership Corner gives more personal insight into who Verizon is, and is linked to our career site. We are creating an impression for students to feel that people at Verizon are innovative and engaging in unique opportunities.

We are also creating a full-scale social responsibility center where students can interact with company leaders, focusing on going green, helping the community, and helping kids become better educated.

How does the talent market perceive you as an employer?

 Research shows that the talent market evolves like we evolve as an organization. We have moved up in BusinessWeek’s “Best Places to Launch your Career” rankings and are top-ranked in Diversity Inc. for best diversity practices.

Interview with…
Shannon Schuyler, Corporate Responsibility, PricewaterhouseCoopers

How do you define your employer brand in one or two words?

Leadership. We strive to demonstrate our responsible leadership in the marketplace and convey a shared purpose to deliver lasting value to our clients, people, and community.

What differentiates you from your competitors?

Overall, it’s the experience that we are able to deliver to our clients and to our people. It is the level of expertise, quality of work, depth of relationships and the values and behaviors that guide our actions. 

What are you working on right now?

The Corporate Responsibility (CR) team is currently working with the Dean of Notre Dame to document some of the highlights and brand-defining aspects of being a signatory to the UN Global Compact.  We have also recently completed our first CR vendor survey, which was comprised of a series of questions to better understand the commitment and actions of our suppliers related to their social responsibility agendas.  As we review the data gathered, we will be reaching out to the vendors to share best practices, build meaningful partnerships through common goals, and offer our client service expertise to make recommendations on tracking results and enhancing processes, as appropriate.

What new initiatives have you developed?

A significant part of our CR strategy is to develop programs and initiatives that are sustainable and occur on an annual basis, so that we are enhancing efforts versus creating new ones.  However, this year, with our announcement around reducing are carbon footprint 20 percent by 2012, we have developed related programs to support that aggressive goal.  Most recently, we launched Green Week, which was a firm-wide initiative that included daily communications from our CEO outlining our commitment to better respect the environment. There was a different focus each day; for example, what individual actions our employees can tale, what an office can do as a team, how we can support our clients through sustainability service offering and how our efforts link to technology and cost management. Green Week culminated in local events where our employees used “human power generators” to see just how much energy is required to charge a cell phone and power a normal light bulb versus an incandescent bulb. 

How does the talent market perceive you as an employer?

We get very positive feedback from our current staff, students on campus, and potential experienced hires in the marketplace about our brand, reputation, and overall positive perception of our firm as a responsible leader.  Given the current economic conditions, having a reputation for doing the right thing and acting with integrity is critical to drive loyalty and pride in any organization. We believe that our actions at PwC are a critical aspect of fostering sustainable business in the marketplace and our commitment seems to be embraced and understood by the broad pool of talent in our communities.

Interview with…
Gwen Migita, Corporate Director of CSR, Harrah’s Entertainment

How do you define your employer brand in one or two words?

Code of Commitment. Harrah’s Code of Commitment sets the standards that govern our company’s relationships with our guests, employees, and local communities.   It encompasses our commitments with respect to responsible gaming, employee growth and development, volunteerism and philanthropy, diversity, and environmental sustainability. With respect to the environment, Harrah’s  has incorporated sustainability programs , aggregated under the internal brand CodeGreen,  into all of its properties and activities, making a fundamental commitment to the environment an integrated component of everyday business operations.  CodeGreen is a comprehensive best practices approach, engaging employees and partners in conservation and efficiency efforts as well as driving continuous improvement of facilities and processes to make them more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable. 

 What differentiates you from your competitors?

Scope and leadership.  We were the first casino company to articulate a set of CSR standards.  We are the only gaming entertainment company that is an EPA Climate Leader, the only gaming company to have been named to the Dow Jones Global Sustainability Index for six years, and the only gaming company to have received a regional Environmental Quality Award, the highest award given to the public from the EPA. Twenty years ago, we developed the first Responsible Gaming programs for the gaming industry, and were the first casino company recognized for leadership by the National Council on Problem Gambling. 

What are you working on right now?

Harrah’s is working on company-wide carbon emissions reduction goals, waste management through stricter procurement standards, innovative partnerships with global environmental NGOs, and improved tracking of employee volunteer HERO (Harrah’s Entertainment Reaching Out) programs to build on the 125,000 hours we contributed through company-sponsored activities in 2008. 

What new initiatives have you developed?

Harrah’s partnered with NativeEnergy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with our World Series of Poker’s main event and Ante up for Africa celebrity tournament.  In conjunction with Meals on Wheels of America, the Harrah’s Foundation funded the first comprehensive study and action plan on senior hunger in the United States.  And, our Caesars Atlantic City HERO team and the Harrah’s Foundation worked with Habit for Humanity to fund and build the first green Habitat home in the country.

How does the talent market perceive you as an employer?

Our reputation as an employer is excellent.  We have been named one of the top places to work for IT professionals by Computerworld Magazine for nearly a decade, received two perfect scores on the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign for LGBT employees, and received a Best Place to Work award as an employer from a number of jurisdictions in which we operate.

In 2008, BusinessWeek identified us as the “most generous company in America” based on a percent of our pre-tax profit.  We donate $1.5 million per week to charities across America. 

We feel that leadership and a strong record in corporate, social and environmental responsibility differentiates Harrah’s Entertainment from other employers.

Universum is holding 4 Employer Branding Forums across the United States. At the end of June, we are visting New York City, Washington D.C., Chicago,  Houston and holding events that will feature a Universum speaker, university and company speakers and a students panel for Q&A session. This will be a great enviroment for networking and knowledge sharing! Hope to see you there!

Please visit our employer branding store to view more details and purchase tickets:

http://www.employerbrandingstore.com/Browse/Tickets.aspx

For more information please contact Salvatore Viola –  sal.viola@universumusa.com