Sep 2023

AI and Employer Branding - Evolution or Revolution?

Author: John Tarrant

I was lucky enough to be invited by our good friends at Papirfly to join their webinar recently regarding AI and branding – more specifically, in my case, Employer Branding. 
 
I thought you’d find seeing their questions and my responses helpful. AI is the flavour of the month everywhere and isn’t going away anytime soon. There is a fair bit of myth and misconception surrounding it. Hopefully, this may demystify things a bit. 
 
Why is now the coming of age all of a sudden in terms of AI?
 
We aren’t describing this as revolution; it’s very much ‘evolution – but quicker’. After all, the recent SHRM report said that 88% of companies worldwide were already using AI in their HR practices before COVID. 
 
But what’s happened in the last 6-9 months or so has been a bit of a perfect storm. 
 
Firstly, and most importantly, the technology is much better – even since the start of 2023 - and will continue improving. Secondly, businesses expect to keep growing revenues and profits, and within that, improving efficiency is key. Moreover, as is often the case, HR and Marketing departments are expected to do more with less. 
 
If that’s the top-down perspective, there is also a bottom-up driver. Put simply, customer and employee expectations are getting more demanding. Employees, in particular, expect better engagement at every stage of the lifecycle and a better experience overall. AI isn’t the panacea, but deployed in the right way can help.
 
Finally, there’s a momentum element. As more organisations embrace AI to speed up the recruiting process or build better employer reputation more cohesively, if you’re not doing the same thing, you can run the risk of losing competitive edge. 
 
What does it mean for the here and now?
 
As an agency, we already use AI and can pass that benefit on to our clients. For example, for research or some rough first pass copy drafting, to take their programmatic attraction campaigns for rare talent to the next level, to help them deliver a more consistent Employer Brand globally, to generate unique images from scratch for new products that don’t yet exist; as well as to reduce time spent processing images from weeks to days among other things.
 
For our clients and prospects, there are some key considerations in terms of the here and now. Firstly, look at the possibilities; they are there, but also be equally aware of the risks. They are there, too. They could include an adverse effect on your all-important SEO, varying legal requirements in different jurisdictions, copyright (or rather the lack of it) in what you create, data protection and much more. 
 
Secondly, always remember AI is a means to an end, not an end in itself. How can AI benefit your people, your customers and your bottom line? If we are talking about a ‘good business change’, then it needs to be underpinned with clear objectives, planning, robust project management and measurement. So, plan very carefully, execute with flair and measure everything. 
 
And finally, think about your people. They may see the AI change as a huge threat. You don’t want your TA or recruitment team to all head for the exits, as you have made them feel obsolete. 
 
Brands are complex and multifaceted; can we simply hand power over to a machine? 
 
The answer is no. 
 
Talent will go elsewhere, even when they don’t want to. The 2023 Career Plug survey cited that 49% of successful applicants had declined an offer as they had received a poor candidate experience. 
 
Brands are all about emotion. It’s all about how you make people feel. 95% of buying decisions are based on emotion, not logic, and, to be blunt, people do not want to be simply processed. 
 
We are a flexible, easygoing bunch at DNA, but one of our non-negotiables is that the EVPs and Employer Brands we produce for clients have to be three things: distinct – i.e. uniquely you, authentic – based in full truth, and compelling - so they work hard for you every day of the week. For AI, there are danger signals inherent in all three that have to be managed if Employer Brands are to be successful in their work. 
 
Creativity is about originality, connection, stimulation, emotional engagement, sincerity, craftsmanship, and more – often humour and even sarcasm – and in that quantity is never the measure of success. Pattern finding and exhaustive subject matter research can’t replace the essential top-end creative process. 
 
And even assuming we have the perfect and precise creative rationale in place, you have to know how to make the AI magic happen effectively – crystal clear prompts, very specific task instructions and very specific outputs. AI can be a great tool at times, but it can also be hugely frustrating and ineffective. 
 
There’s a significant buyer-beware element here as well. Many old tools are being dressed up as the opposite by splashing an AI badge on them. There’s always a bright new shiny something new on the market every day – most largely unproven, or at least not proven enough. 
 
The other area that grates is that many AI tools claim that great AI and great Employer Branding are the same thing. That’s absolutely not the case. AI can help you achieve some of your Employer Branding goals. Some. The trick is to be crystal clear on those goals and where AI can make a positive, tangible, measurable improvement. 
 
How do we get started?
 
You start ASAP. That stands for as soon as is practical, not as quickly as possible. You don’t need to rush in headlong, fishing in the dark for something, anything. Or, if you feel that way, prepare to fail. If this is good business, it needs a clear plan, objectives, and measurable outcomes. 
 
It always needs the help of an Employer Branding and AI expert (like DNA!) who knows what they’re doing. As we said, AI can be really valuable, but it can also be frustrating and, in some cases, downright dangerous. Don’t let that be you.