How Seth Godin’s marketing lessons can help inspire an exceptional employer brand

Marketing guru Seth Godin is renowned for his marketing wisdom. Recruitment is marketing, therefore Godin’s theories can be related to how employers and leaders should think about engaging, retaining and attracting talent.

Here are a few insights from Godin which help explain why in the era of talent you should be adopting a marketing-led approach.

Personalisation is the only way of being the best

Godin discusses what it means to be the best at something. He explains that the mass market is dying, so there is no longer one type of product or service deemed the best.

‘Best is subjective,’ explains Godin. ‘I (the consumer) get to decide, not you. The world is selfish. It’s my definition, not yours. It’s the world I define, based on my convenience or my preferences. Be the best in my world and you have me, at a premium, right now.’

In the era of talent, talent decides which organisation is best for their own unique preferences and circumstances. An employer that adopts personalisation at work addresses the individual’s needs, and gives them the opportunity to make work work for them. Work is more than just a salary for some. For example, having the flexibility of when and how people work may be more valuable than a yearly bonus.

It’s not about you as the employer. It’s about the talent you’re trying to engage. For someone looking to find an employer, it’s not so much about why you’re a great organisation, but why you would be a great organisation for that person.

Don’t be boring. Don’t fear controversy. Be different.

Godin’s ‘purple cow’ theory is about turning something ordinary into something extraordinary. It’s based on the idea that if you were driving past a load of fields full of black and white cows, you’d start to take less and less notice as they all look the same. Normality is boring and less memorable. But if you saw a purple cow, you would probably take notice and remember it, because it’s different.

‘In almost every market, the boring slot is filled…,’ said Godin. ‘The real growth comes with products that annoy, offend, don’t appeal, are too expensive, too cheap, too complicated, too simple – too something. (Of course, they’re too too for some people, but just perfect for others.)’

‘What works? Holding on to your uncertainty a little longer. Becoming a bit bolder and a lot more generous. Finding a path that’s too challenging for people who don’t care as much as you do.’

Simply having a good service or a good product isn’t enough anymore. Talent expect more. As an employer, you’re not selling a paycheck or a job title. You’re selling a different future. A better future. You’re offering growth, balance, opportunity, flexibility and a challenge. You’re selling the value you provide as an employer.

Without a brand story, you’re invisible.

Godin highlights the importance of having a story behind your brand.

‘Even if someone is listening,’ said Godin, ‘your offering of a little bit cheaper, a little bit better, or a little bit easier is just a waste of time. They’re open to hearing your story only if it’s truly remarkable; otherwise, you’re invisible.’

Your brand story is the narrative that highlights your organisation's mission, values, history, and the essence of what you stand for. It’s an image of what you’ve gone through to get to where you are, and where you’re heading. This includes your wins and losses, triumphs, and disappointments. It's a compelling message that you present to the world which can engage and attract talent. Finally, it demonstrates the value you bring to your employee’s lives.

A great brand story will create a unique identity that your organisation portrays to potential talent and current employees. This is the employer brand. The employer brand provides meaning to your organisation, which can pique the interest of potential talent, encouraging them to explore career opportunities within your organisation.

An exceptional employer brand will put you on the front foot and shine a spotlight on your workplace as being somewhere people want to work, and where employees want to stay.

Emotion is paramount. Make the consumer feel good about their purchase.

Godin uses an example of dog food to explain this. People who make dog food are looking to constantly improve on the products they have on the market to attract new customers and retain customer loyalty. But as a dog owner, how do we really know what the dog thinks? The key to their products success is to make and market dog food that dog owners want to buy. They want dog owners to feel satisfied that they are providing for their precious pooch, that they are making the right decision by buying these products.

People don’t want what you sell; they want how your product makes them feel. This is the same as hiring talent. Talent specialists must market the job opportunity. How will this job make your life better? 

People-first leaders are the most powerful 

Leadership has changed. You don’t need to be standing high on the career ladder or have decades of experience. Anyone can be a leader, if they have a people-first mentality.

‘Tribes grow when people recruit other people, that's how ideas spread as well,’ said Godin. ‘Leadership is the art of giving people a platform for spreading ideas that work… This kind of thinking changes what matters about marketing. Marketing is now about leadership, about leading a tribe, about assembling and connecting and interacting with a group of people on a mission. Marketing is creating a movement.’

This idea relates to the importance of employee experience and employer brand. Give your people a job with purpose, and a workplace that provides the opportunity to grow, and you are more likely to have happy, fulfilled employees. A satisfied workforce will shape a positive employer brand which will result in greater retention and higher talent attraction.

For help developing your employer brand, contact the team at Heart Talent today.