UK leads the world in appreciating the value of having a company brand strategy

The UK tops a world list for companies that have developed and implemented an employer brand strategy.

An international workplace survey conducted by financial recruitment firm Robert Half  found that nearly half (44%) of UK firms recognise the importance of having such a strategy, against two-thirds of companies worldwide that do not have one.

Two in 10 companies aim to implement brand strategies in the next two years, but 35% said they have no plans to do so.

Questioning 5,000 human resources and finance managers in 17 countries, the survey found that seven in 10 UK companies with more than 200 employees have a branding strategy compared to a quarter of companies with less than 50 employees.

A quarter of UK respondents said adoption of an employer brand strategy led to  a high retention of existing employees, while 18% claimed it attracted new staff.

On a global scale,  a quarter of respondents said the responsibility for developing an employer brand strategy lies with the HR department, while 29% stated  that the chief executive of chief financial officer must buy into the employer brand.

David Jones, UK managing director of Robert Half International, said: “In today’s marketplace where skilled candidates are such a precious commodity, employers need to look carefully at the image of their organisation and what they would like to represent both internally to existing members of staff and externally to potential new employees.”