The immersive. team led by Neil, our resident Employer Brand expert is doing some research around 'what next' in talent acquisition. It's partly looking back to how talent leaders and their organisations have survived Covid, what have we all learned and what the future holds.

Neil interviewed Jackie Hallums from Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, here is what she had to say:

NH: What for you have been the key organisational and people-based learnings from Covid?

JH: I definitely think the last 18 months has made me more reflective of what I want from work itself. I had a pretty brutal commute, so gaining more balance with that has definitely made me more focused and productive. I think too that the human factor has been much more prominent during Covid. Engaging with colleagues through Zoom and Teams means you get much more insight into their issues and struggles. These are less hidden away and managers and organisations have been or should have been much more responsive. It feels really positive to work in an organisation that has demonstrated real kindness – which might seem an odd word to use about an employer. We constantly strive to do better, learning along the way, sure, but always trying to improve our employee experience. It’s a simple ethos, in that creating an environment in which your people feel they can be themselves, feel valued and have a sense of belonging, then it’s not just your employees who benefit. 

I think we’ve always been empathetic as an organisation, but Covid has driven an even stronger sense of organisation and structure around how we engage with and support our people. We’ve made such progress in terms of how inclusive we are as an organisation. We now have over 1,000 inclusion ambassadors working within the business. We have delegated power and agency to those ambassadors – they, their initiative and their ideas are pushing it forward. And it has absolute buy-in from the top of the organisation. There is a genuineness, a passion to what is happening. We are also delivering some great programmes which provide wellbeing and mental health support. It’s been so impactful to hear people sharing their stories and experiences openly and to deliver the message that ‘it’s ok not to be ok’ and ways to get support.

NH: How do you characterise the labour market today in contrast to that of the last 20 months?

JH: I do think that what has happened means people, candidates are looking for a more personalised experience. It’s a trend more general than simply the workplace, this sense of personalisation. We all want to be seen and treated as individuals to a far greater extent, so when we talk about this in the employment context, it’s about recognising ways we can adapt and challenge our thinking about how work should or could be organised. There are clearly challenges to this – but this is something organisations need to find ways to address. I think there is less sense of acceptance, less willingness simply to put up with things, whether that be where we work, dress codes, the times we work. I think it takes agility and brave decision making, but the winners will be those organisations that drive through a more personalised approach to recruitment and to the employee experience.  

NH: So, what do you think today’s candidates are looking for?

JH: Clearly, we have touched on the importance of purpose for employees and employers alike. However, I think an organisation’s brand, reputation and prestige still counts. And that definitely plays to the Coca-Cola brand. People want to be associated with an organisation for whom people’s initial reaction is generally very positive – we do make and sell some of the world’s best loved brands. 

One key challenge for organisations is their commitment and sincerity around ethics and sustainability. It’s something that’s emerged, and quite rightly, as a real factor. For organisations whose commitment is found lacking, candidates will have real question marks about their attraction as an employer. We have to continually and visibly be doing more about waste and what we do with plastics. And that’s right – we should be held to account. We only have one planet, and packaging waste has no place in it. There’s no managing or massaging this message – it’s about being open and honest about the journey we are on and our clear intent to be part of the solution. As we work towards our goal of zero waste, with all packaging collected, recycled and reused, we are working in parallel to reduce the carbon footprint of our packaging. 

Through the TA lens, it’s about letting our people tell their stories. Letting them articulate what we are doing, the distance we have all come, and the contribution they can make. We are all about freeing up our people to share their experiences. We have to face into the challenges we get from external audiences. We have to welcome that. We have to educate and inform. 

NH: Looking ahead, what are your key TA challenges over the next year or so?
JH: This year has seen us expand beyond Europe into the Pacific and Indonesia to create Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. Bringing together all the TA processes and systems together and defining and articulating our employment offer across all markets remain a challenge going forward into 2022. As an operational business of 33,200 people across 29 countries, this can be complex! …and whilst we are doing this, we need to maintain sharp focus on recruiting in tough markets with lots of competition for talent. Underpinning everything is offering a great employee experience as this is what will strengthen our employer brand – what candidates want to understand is whether we are a culture in which they can belong and thrive, and whose principles and values align to theirs. You can no longer manage this message – you have to create the right experience, underpinned with a strong ethical stance, and trust that if you do that well your employees will sell your employer brand by sharing their opinions, stories and experiences! 

“For organisations whose commitment is found lacking, candidates will have real question marks about their attraction as an employer.”

About
Neil Harrison is recognised as a leading employer brand specialist, creating insights and actionable intelligence around key people audiences. Internal employee communities as well as external talent pools. These are insights which will help drive informed EVPs and their associated employer brands. Factors such as Brexit, as well as a tightening labour market, mean that organisations serious about talent acquisition need to act based on knowledge rather than guesswork.