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2 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
Your employer brand is part of your corporate brand. Therefore,
any activities affecting your corporate brand will trickle down
into your employer brand. Mergers, acquisitions, renaming, and
even implementing a logo redesign will inevitably affect candidates
and employees. While many companies create campaigns and
communications plans oriented toward customers and shareholders,
employee needs are sometimes overlooked, or included at the last
minute. In the worst cases, employees find out about major events
after the press, creating resentment and discontent that damages
the employer brand.
When they are not kept in the loop, employees end up voicing their
concerns and frustrations on platforms like Glassdoor. In addition,
if external communications are managed poorly, candidates receive
mixed messages as they research your company.
In this eBook, created as a joint effort from Glassdoor, VMware and
AIA Worldwide, we’ll share real-world insights to help you create
and execute an employer brand transition plan. Carefully considering
the needs and concerns of your employees and candidates will
prevent frustration and confusion, helping you retain and recruit
in the months and years after the transition.
Successfully managing your employer brand through a transition
helps employees integrate changes into their daily life, and gives
candidates and employees alike a consistent message that clearly
demonstrates what’s new while understanding what remains.
Before we show you how, let’s first look at just how important
your employer brand is.
INTRODUCTION
3 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
SECTION 1
Value of the Employer Brand
4 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
BETTER RECRUITING
Organisations that prioritise employer brand are 250% more likely to rate their
overall talent acquisition efforts as highly effective.1
A strong employee value proposition (EVP) can reduce the compensation premium
needed to hire by 50%, and increase new hire commitment by up to 29%.2
Candidates who saw a positive Glassdoor review formed a better opinion of the
company, were more eager to apply and to recommend it, and said they would ask
for smaller salary increases than participants who saw a negative or neutral review.3
A strong employer brand helps companies recruit
candidates, retain engaged employees, and drive
bottom-line business results. Companies with strong
brands collect positive reviews and receive high
satisfaction ratings on Glassdoor, setting an example
for businesses that seek to improve and communicate
their brand.
Sources: 1 Brandon Hall Group, Understanding the Impact of Employer Brand, Research Brief, November 2014; 2 CEB, Workforce Survey, 2016;3 Glassdoor Economic Research, Why Online Reviews Matter for Employer Brand, January 2017; 4 Glassdoor.com U.S. Site Survey, August 2016
SECTION 1: Value of the Employer Brand
of Glassdoor users are more likely to apply to a job if the employer actively manages its employer brand (e.g., responds to reviews, updates their profile, shares updates on the culture and work environment).4
74%
Strong Employer Brand =
5 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
A portfolio of Glassdoor Best Places to Work companies outperformed the S&P 500 by 2.8X
4
Sources: 1 Brandon Hall Group, Understanding the Impact of Employer Brand, Research Brief, November 2014; 2 CEB, Workforce Survey, 2016;3 Glassdoor Data Labs, December 2016; 4 Glassdoor Economic Research, Beating the Market Again, December 2015
HIGHER ENGAGEMENT
Organisations that prioritise employer
brand are 130% more likely to see increases
in employee engagement.1
A strong EVP can decrease annual turnover
by 11% and improve employee commitment
by up to 37%.2
MORE REFERRALS
BETTER COMPANY PERFORMANCE
Strong Employer Brand =
of employees at companies on the Glassdoor Best Places to Work 2017 UK list would recommend the company to a friend, versus 49% of total Glassdoor users.378%
SECTION 1: Value of the Employer Brand
6 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
BUILT BUSINESS CASE BASED ON:
28% cost savings relating to recruitment
20% cost savings relating to improved retention
17% business improvement
As these stats demonstrate, the majority of companies have determined that employer branding
is critical for engagement and recruiting, but fewer have tied it to overall corporate reputation
and business success in a measurable way. Keeping a close eye on business performance in
unpredictable times of transition will help you identify problem spots that might stem from
how employees react.
of companies describe their employer brand project as a key element
of their HR strategy. The leading edge 30% of companies see it as critical
to business delivery.1
say that they have developed an
informal business case based around
general aspirations to improve their
reputation as an employer and their
ability to attract the right talent.1
60%
66% }
Sources: 1 CRF Institute and People in Business (a wholly-owned subsidiary of AIA Worldwide), Employer Brand Benchmark Survey, 2013
SECTION 1: Value of the Employer Brand
Competitive Advantage of Employer Branding“Although there is ample data to support the benefits of
a strong employer brand, few companies have been able
to build a business case for investing in employer branding.
Companies that tie their employer brand to business
improvement, recruitment and retention will have
a competitive advantage over those that don’t.
7 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
SECTION 2
The Employer Brand in Transition
8 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
The impact of a change and uncertainty in the workplace can result in the following:
Impact on EmployeesThe impact assessments done before mergers,
acquisitions, or rebranding focus on maximising
shareholder value, and usually include a deep
evaluation of a company’s product lines and assets,
as well as employee headcount and skillsets.
They may also include an assessment of impact
to customer perceptions, but less often include
impact to employees.
Fear of one’s own job loss
Fear and resentment about colleagues’ job loss
Decreased engagement and/or performance due to fear and
disagreement with company actions
Dissatisfaction with leadership, blaming them for bad/selfish decisions
Divisiveness among employees who favor the transition and those who don’t
Exodus of vested employees receiving large payouts
Management attrition due to redundancy or conflicts with new team
Increased negative reviews on Glassdoor, resulting in lower overall
satisfaction ratings and leadership ratings
SECTION 2: The Employer Brand in Transition
9 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
Candidate concerns may include:
Impact on HiringIn addition to the impact on current employees,
mergers, acquisitions or rebrands can affect the
perceptions of potential candidates, impacting
the new company’s ability to hire.
Because a transition can have such far-reaching
impacts to employees and recruiting, it’s important
to engage leadership in setting the tone for your
company’s transition, as well as keeping an eye
on metrics to spot key issues as they arise.
Confusion about the name and/or visual identity of the company
Loss or deterioration of previous employer brand equity
Uncertainty about which company information is current enough to
be trusted, including benefit/salary information.
Confusion about the culture of the new company versus the old
Recruiters and/or hiring managers not equipped to clearly define new
roles and combined culture to candidates
Decreased interest in applying upon viewing a string of negative
reviews on Glassdoor when looking at reviews by date.
SECTION 2: The Employer Brand in Transition
10 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
Sources: 1 Glassdoor, What Makes a Great CEO, August 2016
Leadership EngagementDuring a company transition, leadership is in the spotlight.
Employees look to leaders and managers for inspiration,
motivation and guidance on how to cope with the transition.
When leaders exhibit a combination of enthusiasm,
practicality and honesty about the difficult parts of change,
employees will feel supported. The positive attitudes of
the CEO, top executives as well as middle managers will
help employees stay engaged, reducing the fallout that
can end up on Glassdoor.
SECTION 2: The Employer Brand in Transition
The four factors most strongly correlated to CEO approval on Glassdoor are:1
Employee Satisfaction
Satisfaction with Senior Leadership
Satisfaction with Career Opportunities
Satisfaction with Compensation and Benefits
1
2
3
4
11 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
Quantifiable elements of the impact of a merger, acquisition or rebrand on the employer brand include:
Employee turnover
Hiring costs
Engagement survey results
Satisfaction ratings on Glassdoor
Traffic to careers site
Traffic to Glassdoor page
Share key employer brand metrics with company leaders throughout
a transition to celebrate wins and identify opportunities.ACTION TIP
Quantifying the Impact of a Brand in TransitionCompanies that manage a transition well monitor employer brand metrics
to assess the impact of the change and troubleshoot as issues as they are identified.
When you prepare for a company transition by considering its impact to employees and
candidates, getting leaders engaged, and putting metrics in place, you’ll be able to get
started with the communications and engagement plan shared in the next section.
SECTION 2: The Employer Brand in Transition
12 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
SECTION 3
New Rules for Employer Brand
13 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
Years of steady brand equity can be destroyed by a few company missteps — whether it’s
consumer brand, employer brand or a company’s overall reputation. To evolve and strengthen
your organisation’s employer brand during a merger, acquisition or rebrand, consider the
impact of the change long before it’s announced.
Follow these guidelines and learn from VMware examples on how to make the most out of
a major company transition.
If you’ve done the homework of defining an EVP and engaging employees around it, the task
of managing the employer brand through a transition will be much easier. Employees who are
secure in what the company stands for will be much more receptive to the changes and
willing to adapt.
If your employer brand is somewhat undefined, a transition provides the opportunity to look
back at what was working for your employees (brand strengths) and identify how it needs to
evolve given the changes. By observing the positive aspects of how employees adapt, you’ll be
able to uncover key values, and develop an EVP that sets your company up for the future.
SECTION 3: New Rules for Employer Brand Transition
1. Define the Story You Want to Tell
14 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
Questions to Ask as You Consider an Upcoming Transition:
What will remain the same for employees? What can we celebrate about our culture and brand even as it changes?
What’s going to be different? This could include practical aspects relating to
processes or work environment, as well as softer aspects relating to a merged culture.
What will it take for us to get there? What mindset shifts do we need to make? What practical steps need to be taken (e.g., new systems training, etc.)?
What can we do to make employees feel supported?
What will employees say? Anticipate their questions and concerns.
What will candidates think? How can we keep our recruiting messaging attractive relative to our competitors?
Do you have a strong content strategy? A partner like AIA Worldwide can
develop, deploy and manage your internal and external content marketing efforts.
Monitoring FeedbackRemember, change is an evolutionary process. By staying tuned into
employee sentiment through feedback mechanisms such as pulse
surveys, employee forums, town hall discussions, candidate surveys,
and/or Glassdoor reviews, employers will be able to evolve their
messaging and communications strategies as issues arise.
SECTION 3: New Rules for Employer Brand Transition
15 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
The VMware Story
After ranking #65 on Fortune’s “Best Companies to Work For” list in Spring 2015, VMware began formally
defining their EVP which was heavily rooted in its employee-defined values, called EPIC2. VMware did this
in conjunction with AIA Worldwide, the company that conducted the global employer brand research,
developed the Employee Value Proposition and created the new talent engagement creative campaign called
“DARE VMware.” However, shortly before the scheduled campaign launch in October 2015, it was announced
that VMware’s parent company EMC would be acquired by Dell Technologies, Inc.
Over a period of three months, VMware’s stock dropped significantly due to the uncertainty of the merger.
Two key executives departed, and the company announced its largest workforce reduction in history.
How could it maintain employee engagement through this turbulent time?
VMware was well-equipped to lead its
employees through this period of uncertainty
because it had already done the upfront
work with its employer branding. Thanks to this
work, VMware could specifically distinguish
its culture, but still align to the values of
Dell Technologies.
To manage the transition, VMware leadership
focused on frequent, transparent communications
and continued reinforcing the importance of its
shared EPIC2 values.
SECTION 3: New Rules for Employer Brand Transition
16 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
SECTION 3: New Rules for Employer Brand Transition
2. Plan Your CommunicationOnce you’ve defined the story, it’s time to plan communications: How will employees and
candidates find out about these changes? How will we reinforce our employer brand strengths during
this transition? An adaptable, yet structured plan is always better than a haphazard, reactive set
of communications that send inconsistent messages.
PHASE YOUR APPROACH Because a transition puts your company into unknown territory, having a defined
strategic direction will allow you to choose the appropriate channels at the appropriate
time. Previously scheduled events and communications plans may need to be canceled,
adjusted or postponed. Remember not to overlook or preemptively shut down
channels where candidates are already going, such as your Glassdoor page.
START WITH INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
Communicate news about merger, acquisition or rebrand to
employees at the same time or before announcing it to the
press. If you’ve done the homework of anticipating employee
concerns beforehand, executives and HR will be able answer
questions and allay fears.
As you roll out external communications, stay true to your
strategic message and pay attention to feedback.
Internal events
(such as company meetings,
functional all hands, town halls,
interactive chat sessions)
Signage
Email/newsletters
Intranet
Executive communications
Social media channels
Glassdoor page
Use these channels to communicate your strategic message:
17 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
GLASSDOOR REBRANDING EXAMPLE
For companies that change their names or merge with another company, the example below shows how an
employer can leverage the previous company’s brand equity and redirect traffic to the new company’s Glassdoor
page. ExactTarget was acquired by Salesforce in 2013 and eventually became part of Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
Phase 1: Manage (0 - 6 months)
• Transitional branding introduces job seekers to new brand
• No new reviews from current employees to old profile
• “Jobs” reflect new company branding
Phase 2: Transition (6 months - 3 years)
• Page views continue to decline as job seekers begin to
actively search for new brand
• Presentation
Phase 3: Complete
• Glassdoor can delete old page once page views drop
below 1,000 per month
• Existing reviews tagged as previous brand and moved
under new company
Rebranding on GlassdoorYour pre-existing Glassdoor page provides an opportunity to reach
candidates and collect feedback through a transition process.
Rebranding tools on Glassdoor
allow employers to:
Educate candidates by showcasing the updated
brand on the old page in the cover photo,
social media links, Why Work For Us sections
Direct candidates to a new page
Display available jobs from the new company
Redirect employee and interview reviews
SECTION 3: New Rules for Employer Brand Transition
18 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
VMware Employer Branding
With the strong partnership with AIA Worldwide, VMware weathered the turbulent time by continually
investing in employee and candidate engagement activities and events. All employees were issued new employee
badge cards that reflected the EVP and EPIC2 values, reinforcing brand ambassadorship and pride at VMware.
In March 2016, VMware was ranked #40 on the ‘Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For’ list. This was
an extremely proud and pivotal moment for the company which culminated with the launch of a new, highly
dynamic and mobile-enabled VMware Careers site powered by AIA Worldwide’s TalentBrew career site platform,
Fortune advertorial, and “Dare VMware” campus shuttle and commuter van wraps. Traffic to the new Careers site
skyrocketed from 20,000 visits per month to over 1,500,000 sessions in the first year since it was launched,
with 528,000 clicks to apply for jobs and over 4,000,000 page views.
As the company doubled-down on hiring efforts, recruiters were given an
interactive brand playbook with FAQs and other useful information to ensure
candidates received a consistent message and understood VMware’s unique
culture and employer value proposition.
SECTION 3: New Rules for Employer Brand Transition
19 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
EMBRACE MANAGEMENT TRANSPARENCY
When company executives and managers are transparent about the difficulties and unknowns even as they
lead employees in the new direction, employees develop trust and tap into leaders’ enthusiasm. Transition is
a shared journey that can bring everyone together.
LISTEN TO EMPLOYEES
Provide internal opportunities for employees to share feedback and ask questions. For instance, after a layoff
is announced by an executive in a company-wide meeting, have smaller team meetings where employees
can pose questions to a manager about how it might affect their own team, or share concerns about what it
might mean for the future of the company. Companies may also choose to let employees write in questions to
management and display responses in an internal forum such as a newsletter or intranet.
Also monitor reviews on Glassdoor, and respond to reviews while highlighting new positioning.
For more on responding to reviews, read Glassdoor’s eBook Responding to Glassdoor Reviews.
CELEBRATE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
In order to prevent the transition from being a distraction from getting the work done of shipping products
and serving customers, regularly celebrate employee accomplishments. Engage employees through
storytelling about individual and group wins, large and small. Create channels to share individual stories
|such as customer service triumphs or group stories such as team product launches.
These stories will foster a shared sense of purpose, focusing attention on the company’s mission and keeping
productivity high. And don’t forget to celebrate the transition team’s accomplishments after the dust has
settled from the merger, acquisition or rebrand.
SECTION 3: New Rules for Employer Brand Transition
3. Engage EmployeesFostering employee engagement is crucial to managing a successful transition. The influence
of positively engaged employees is exponential as they share their experiences with outside
friends, on social media, and make referrals.
Keys to engaging employees through transition:
20 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
VMware Engagement StrategiesVMware’s robust engagement programs focused on uncovering and promoting
real employee stories that reinforced its core brand values. Two examples include:
The EPIC2 Achievement Awards celebrate exceptional
employee achievement aligned to VMware’s shared values.
In 2016, the company utilised AIA Worldwide and its
creative teams to develop and deploy a storytelling campaign
featuring each of the seven winners from around the world.
To support its VMinclusion diversity and inclusion initiative,
the company ran a “Dare to be Yourself” campaign to
encourage leaders and employees to share their authentic
selves through video interviews and quote walls.
The content from these employee engagement initiatives
was then externalised via the VMware Careers site,
Career Hub talent community, blog posts, and social media
to showcase life at VMware to prospective candidates.
VMWARE RESULTS
In September 2016, VMware became part of the Dell Technologies family, the largest technology
acquisition in history. VMware continues to partner with AIA Worldwide to maintain its focus on
its people, its unique “culture of possibility” and a heightened emphasis on its core values and driving
social impact initiatives that support innovation, inclusion, philanthropy, and sustainability. The results
speak for themselves — the stock price has rebounded, the company reached 20,000 employees and
$6.5B in revenues, and its Glassdoor ratings have returned to their original high.
1
2
SECTION 3: New Rules for Employer Brand Transition
21 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
Companies take on major change efforts
to improve business results. To ensure
a merger, acquisition, or rebrand moves
in the direction of growth for both your
company and its employees, carefully
consider and manage for its impact
to your employer brand. By defining a
story that reinforces values, planning
communications with employee needs
in mind, and engaging your employees to
celebrate accomplishments, VMware’s
example proves you’ll be able to come
out of a major change with brand that’s
stronger than ever.
CONCLUSION
22 | How to Manage Your Employer Brand Through a Corporate Transition
Copyright © 2008–2017, Glassdoor, Inc. “Glassdoor” and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.; © AIA Worldwide, 2017; © VMware, 2017
About Glassdoor
With millions of company reviews, salary reports, interview reviews and benefits
reviews on more than 700,0001 companies worldwide, Glassdoor is a trusted and
transparent place for today’s candidates to search for jobs and research companies.
Glassdoor helps employers across all industries and sizes advertise their jobs and
promote their employer brands to a well-researched, highly selective candidate
pool. By advertising jobs via mobile devices, email alerts and throughout Glassdoor,
employers influence candidates at the moment they’re searching jobs and making
decisions. This results in more-informed candidates that require 50% fewer CVs to
find a quality hire at a fraction of the cost of traditional job boards.2
About AIA Worldwide
AIA Worldwide is a global leader in talent acquisition technologies, committed
to finding new ways to leverage software, strategy and creative to build talent
and enhance our clients’ employer brands — across every connection point.
From healthcare to government to retail to technology and everything in
between — we’ve revolutionised the way companies and candidates connect.
About VMWare
VMware, a global leader in cloud infrastructure and business mobility, helps
customers accelerate their digital transformation. VMware enables enterprises to
master a software-defined approach to business and IT with VMware Cross-Cloud
Architecture™ and solutions for the data center, mobility, and security.
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To get involved in the conversation on Glassdoor and start managing and promoting your employer brand,
email [email protected], call +44 (0808) 134 9950 or visit www.glassdoor.co.uk/employers.
For the latest in recruitment marketing tips, best practices and case studies, follow us on Twitter: @GDforEmployers.
To learn more about AIA Worldwide, please call +44 (0)20 7993 1300, email [email protected] or visit www.aia.co.uk.
To learn more about our TalentBrew career site platform, please visit www.talentbrew.co.uk.
For thought leadership and strategies in employer branding, attraction & engagement,
and trends, follow us on Twitter: @aiaworldwide
Sources: 1Glassdoor Internal Data, March 2017; 2As measured by application-to-hire ratio compared to other job sites based on a study of 2015 hiring data for 30 million applications