{"id":8287,"date":"2020-11-21T08:00:11","date_gmt":"2020-11-21T08:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sage-people-scraping-gb.local\/?p=1255"},"modified":"2026-01-29T10:01:56","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T10:01:56","slug":"people-marketing-explained-employer-branding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/people-marketing-explained-employer-branding\/","title":{"rendered":"What is People Marketing? Discover how talent acquisition has changed"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPeople & Leadership<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat is People Marketing? Discover how talent acquisition has changed\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\tJessica Leyshon<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Talent acquisition has changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, organisations can no longer just post available positions on a job board and wait for the applications to roll in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Low unemployment and a culture of mobility, particularly among millennials, have given people choice and it\u2019s harder than ever to attract top talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companies, as a result, are having to completely re-think the way they approach recruitment and talent acquisition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer? It lies in People Marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We talk about People Marketing as applying the principles of marketing to HR, so companies can know their people as well as they know their customers, marketing themselves effectively to potential and existing employees, enabling them to attract and keep the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what are these \u2018principles of marketing\u2019, and how do they translate into the HR discipline we call \u2018People\u2019?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing) defines marketing as: \u2018The management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Substitute \u2018employee\u2019 for \u2018customer\u2019 and we have a clear starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People Marketing means applying this approach to your workforce and how you engage them, creating great employee experiences for them, ultimately boosting company performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s about anticipating and satisfying employee requirements to attract and keep the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Request a free, live demo of Sage People and discover how it can help your organisation attract the best people, retain your key talent and increase productivity<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Why People Marketing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Building a business is hard when there\u2019s so much competition for great talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the ongoing skills crisis and war for talent, it\u2019s not easy to find good people when the supply is constrained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding and hiring top talent has become ever more competitive, as organisations struggle to attract people with the right skills and get them productive as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People Marketing means looking at the whole \u2018buyer journey\u2019 \u2013 the experience a candidate or employee has from beginning to end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means using a single customer relationship management (CRM) system to use data to properly know your employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companies that pull out all the stops to market themselves to potential and existing candidates in this way will stand out from the crowd, at a time when people care about organisations that value them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our research found that while 55% of senior executives think their company is people-oriented, only 29% of employees agree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why we call an organisation where people are the most valuable asset, and where company success is dependent on their workforce being successful, a People Company<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People Companies grow candidate relationships and deliver great experiences throughout the entire recruitment process. They go beyond free lunches, great workspaces and generous holiday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They know their people and what drives them \u2013 and they use this information to create an employee journey that constantly continues to energise their workforce and get the best from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People Marketing versus employer branding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

People Marketing is more rigorous and effective than employer branding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People Marketing goes further than traditional employer branding because it\u2019s about creating and sustaining great workforce experiences that keep employees engaged, through every aspect of their association with your company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CIM makes a useful observation: \u2018Sometimes people assume marketing is just about advertising or selling, but this is not the whole story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It is a key management discipline that ensures producers of goods and services can interpret consumer desires and match or exceed them.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a similar story for People Marketing versus employer branding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employer branding is to do with communicating and promoting a company\u2019s defined values, principles and ways of working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But pushing out these messages through recruitment ads, social media or web pages doesn\u2019t necessarily reflect the reality experienced by candidates and employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good brand and communications plan by itself is just talking a good talk. Employees and candidates can see through that and undermine a carefully curated reputation if their experiences don\u2019t match up to the company\u2019s stated intentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People Marketing is a critical part of the wider recruitment process; not just brand marketing to candidates, but personalising communication throughout the recruitment, selection and onboarding journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Download your free report, The changing face of HR, and discover why ‘HR’ is changing to ‘People’<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

People Marketing means knowing what your target candidates and employees need<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To attract and retain the people your business needs to succeed, you must not only meet and exceed their expectations at every step \u2013 but also exceed them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means designing every aspect of your recruitment, onboarding and the experience of working for your organisation to satisfy and delight employees and candidates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not enough to define values, culture, behaviours and benefits, document them and tell the world about them through communication campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You need to make sure they\u2019re relevant, appealing and thoroughly embedded in your people operations, so employees experience exactly what you claim to offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People Marketing is a responsive activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like properly executed customer marketing, it means making sure you understand, meet and exceed expectations continually and consistently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way that customer markets and preferences evolve, so do employee needs and perceptions. So, you need to listen and re-evaluate constantly to remain relevant and competitive to your current and future employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also means providing a seamless candidate and employee experience throughout the end-to-end employment journey: from someone contacted by a recruiter in the first instance, right through to their last days in their role should they leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People Marketing is crucial to support and sustain a flawless and consistent end-to-end experience for people, from the moment they start to even consider working for a company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People Marketing in action<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, maintaining corporate culture is an important part of the hiring plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zappos has two sets of interviews: the skills interview and the culture interview, and candidates must pass both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The culture interview is based on Zappos\u2019 10 core values. If an applicant doesn\u2019t pass it, they don\u2019t move forward in the process, regardless of how good a technical fit they may be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating an interview process that reviews more than just technical skills allows companies and candidates to develop a better understanding of each other\u2019s values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone that\u2019s hired at Zappos also goes through the same four-week training programme, part of which is taking calls from customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of that first week of training, they\u2019re offered $3,000 if they decide the job isn\u2019t for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Very few take it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cloud computing company Rackspace\u2019s orientation comprises a week of presentations, company information, games and activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sessions involve the founders, C-level execs, VPs and directors who share their experiences and explain why they love working there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Spredfast, a US social software platform, all new employees start on a Friday rather than Monday. The theory goes that most people are in a better mood on Fridays, which makes the onboarding process much smoother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Download your free report, The changing face of HR, and discover why ‘HR’ is changing to ‘People’<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

People Marketing is a strategic business activity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

People Marketing is a fundamental management process that will power your future business success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means looking strategically at your employee \u2018market\u2019 and finding ways to satisfy demand and outperform the competition to attract the people who will operate your business and drive its growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like customer marketing, People Marketing should directly support your business strategy and goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who are the people you need to create and deliver your products and services to meet commercial objectives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you need from them in terms of skills, attitude and commitment?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get those people on board and retain them as loyal employees and ambassadors for future employees, you need to know what they want from you in terms of culture, work-style, facilities, development, remuneration and benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll need to use data and analysis rigorously to understand your current and future workforce and develop a strategy for engaging people, supported by processes and initiatives that deliver the experience your people need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It will include continuous review and improvement to make sure your employee proposition remains relevant and compelling to your current and future workforce and fit for purpose to deliver your business goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People Marketing will attract and keep the best people to power business growth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Communication and employer branding campaigns can raise awareness and generate interest in your firm as an employer. But you can\u2019t control what your people say and feel about their everyday experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If they don\u2019t match the public promises you make, formal and informal networks of employees will share those direct experiences, online and offline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In today\u2019s networked, digital age, that carries more weight than the slickest communication campaign or carefully crafted corporate messaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through strategic People Marketing planning and delivery, you can craft and deliver great employee experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s what will define your reputation as an employer and workplace and contribute to positive brand perceptions \u2013 assuring your success in attracting and retaining the people your business needs to grow and outperform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sage People live demo<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Want to attract the best people, retain your key talent and increase productivity? Request a free, live demo of Sage People and discover how it can help you achieve your goals.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRequest a free demo<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Join more than 500,000 UK readers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSubscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

People Marketing means applying the principles of marketing to HR, so companies know their people as well as their customers. Here\u2019s what that means.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1118,"featured_media":5991,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[45,41,159],"business_type":[3],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[69,71],"imagine_tag":[163,92,217,96],"coauthors":[397],"class_list":["post-8287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people-leadership","tag-employee-engagement","tag-hr-process","tag-midsized-business","business_type-medium-sized-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Jessica Leyshon","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2019\/01\/GettyImages-685899594-1.jpg","imagine_tags":{"163":"Employee benefits","92":"HR and Payroll","217":"HR processes","96":"Medium businesses"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice UK","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8287","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1118"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8287"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8287\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/5991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8287"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=8287"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=8287"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=8287"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=8287"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=8287"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=8287"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=8287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}