The Importance of the Company Experience

• The Company Experience is absolutely part of the employer brand
• Recruitment & retention are deeply impacted by the company experience
• Consistency is important -- variabilities are going to happen, but you want to be careful that it doesn’t become too divergent.

The Problem of Disconnects

• Disconnects between PR and HR regarding the employee experience can become a problem. 
• Ideally, they should be in the same department, or simply work with the lines of communication open between the two.
• “Perhaps second only to communications with the legal department, I would say communications between PR and HR are among the most important for a company to have down pat.”

The Role of Storytelling

• Storytelling is huge - people want to hear stories about their colleagues, about the employee experience, so PR being able to gather those stories is really important, and they can’t do it alone. 
• A lot of stories get heard and shared by HR, and that partnership becomes key because finding out where those good stories are within an organization is something HR is particularly well-suited to source.
• Facebook and YouTube are the two primary social platforms for sharing the company experience and sharing stories.

Recruitment: How HR and PR can Join Forces

• How PR can “soften the ground”: if a company is looking at recruiting a particular market or school, they can do that through some well-timed PR stories, talking about the company, through the local media market or through social media. Get the buzz going about your company!
• Certain departments are going to be better at some of the tasks involved than others, but all together, recruitment should be a very synergistic, cooperative effort between departments.
• Job Boards: organizations that are struggling with negative reviews should help remind employees who are happy to go online and talk about what’s wonderful about the company. Ask people, don’t compel them. HR and PR working together to encourage people to post positive sentiments is critical.
• All it takes is one disgruntled employee or former employee to post something negative about the company on a job board to deeply impact recruitment, so you want to make sure you have a lot of positive reviews to balance it out.

Other Cooperative Efforts

• Benefits Communication - PR can help demystify the “alphabet soup” of HR’s technical, jargon-filled information.
• Training - PR is a great resource for Leadership Training and Communications Training for executives.
• Crisis Management - Many crisis situations arise that have little to do with HR functions, but the HR/PR relationship becomes critical when it comes to company response to these kinds of issues, particularly when it comes to sensitive issues like harassment or labor issues.

Reputation Partners, LLC

• Based in the midwest
• Works closely with HR departments and other functions within companies, both, large and small, to protect them against current or impending crises, rebuild them if they’ve recently weathered a crisis event, and enhance their reputations in the good times.
• They do this through earned media relations, crisis planning, helping around the whole employer brand piece, communicating about benefits and other changes, and provide marketing services, as well.
• Reputation Partners also provides labor relations assistance, offering consultants to assist organizations deal with labor issues. 

Nick Kalm: Backstory

• A.B.(B.A.) in Political Science from Kenyon College
• Began career working in Public Affairs for Ciba-Geigy and American Cyanimid Company
• Served as EVP/GM -- Reputation Management Practice and Global sector Leader, Employee Engagement for Edelman Worldwide
• Mr. Kalm is currently the Founder, President and CEO of Reputation Partners, LLC

Contact

• Nick Kalm: nick@reputationpartners.com
• Nick Kalm LinkedIn

• Reputation Partners websiteReputation Partners LinkedIn