Standing out as an employer of choice is no small feat, but the 2024 Rally Award winners have nailed it. These companies have built industry-leading employer brands that truly resonate with candidates, and there’s a lot we can learn from them—like how they portray their company culture, what external messaging they use with candidates and how they’ve built an engaging online presence.
To learn more about their winning talent attraction strategies, we reviewed the content and messaging on their careers sites using our expert Rally® AI™ assistant, a feature of our Rally® Inside™ Recruitment Marketing Platform. This type of careers site analysis can be valuable for understanding how employers publicly market their company culture and career opportunities to potential talent. It’s a valuable exercise I recommend you perform on your own careers site as well those of companies you admire. If this is something you’d like to learn how to do, I teach this technique in my Mastering AI for Employer Branding virtual course, and it’s a strategy you can harness too by leveraging AI tools to analyze your competitors, as it will help to inform and differentiate your own strategies.
In this blog post, you’ll discover how these 2024 Rally Award-winning companies market their employer brands on their careers sites:
- Ascension Health
- Baylor Scott & White Health
- Church & Dwight
- Cisco
- Cleaver-Brooks
- Dunkin’
- Eaton
- Evonik
- Ford Motor Company
- Gerdau
- Grab
- HCLTech
- Intuitive
- King
- MetLife
- Mutual of Omaha
- Northwestern Mutual
- SEB
- Sheetz
- SiteOne Landscape Supply
- TTEC
- UBS
We also break down their strategies by industry, so you can see how to apply this winning messaging to your own Recruitment Marketing efforts. Ready to level up your employer brand? Let’s dive in!
Key Recruitment Strategies Shared by Rally Award-Winning Companies
Rally AI found a common thread in how Rally Award-winning employers emphasize a culture that is inclusive, supportive and innovative. They highlight the importance of collaboration, diversity and continuous improvement. Even across diverse industries, these leading companies share several key recruitment strategies that set them apart:
1. Common Company Culture Attributes
- Innovation and Continuous Improvement: Companies like Ford, Evonik, Baylor Scott & White Health, Gerdau, Cleaver-Brooks, HCLTech, Intuitive and Eaton highlight their commitment to innovation and constant growth.
- Inclusivity and Diversity: Emphasized by King, Cisco, Grab, Mutual of Omaha, SEB, MetLife, Dunkin’, Ascension Health and Northwestern Mutual, these companies stress the importance of a diverse and inclusive work environment.
- Community and Collaboration: Many companies, such as TTEC, Grab, Sheetz, SEB, SiteOne Landscape Supply and UBS, focus on a collaborative culture that supports community involvement and teamwork.
- Employee Well-being: Companies like Ford, TTEC, Eaton, MetLife, Intuitive, Ascension Health and Mutual of Omaha emphasize a culture that prioritizes employee well-being, safety and work-life balance.
2. Common Themes to Attract Talent
- Innovation and Growth: Companies like Ford, Evonik, HCLTech, Northwestern Mutual, Intuitive and Eaton emphasize career growth, innovation and professional development opportunities on their careers site.
- Community and Impact: Organizations such as Grab, Ascension Health, Dunkin’, UBS, MetLife, Church & Dwight and Gerdau focus on making a positive impact in their communities and fostering a sense of belonging throughout their content.
- Support and Inclusion: Many companies, including Cisco, MetLife, Mutual of Omaha, SEB, Cleaver-Brooks and SiteOne Landscape Supply, stress the importance of a supportive and inclusive work environment in their messaging.
- Work-Life Balance: Firms like TTEC, Grab, Eaton and Sheetz highlight the importance of maintaining a work-life balance and offer flexible work arrangements, often through employee story examples.
- Recognition and Legacy: Companies such as Cleaver-Brooks, Church & Dwight, Gerdau and Ford emphasize their long histories and stable, reputable positions in their industries, which appeal to candidates who may value working for a large company.
3. Common Keywords in their Messaging
- Innovation
- Collaboration
- Career Growth
- Support
- Impact
- Inclusivity
- Community
- Development
- Diversity
- Employee Well-being
4. Common Elements of Tone and Style
- Professional and Aspirational: Companies like UBS, Northwestern Mutual, SEB and MetLife use a polished and sophisticated tone that inspires ambition.
- Conversational and Warm: Firms like Intuitive, Mutual of Omaha, Dunkin’ and Church & Dwight maintain a friendly and approachable tone, making the content engaging and relatable.
- Inclusive and Caring: Organizations such as Cisco, TTEC, King Entertainment and Ascension Health emphasize inclusivity and employee well-being with a caring and supportive tone.
- Straightforward and Informative: Companies like Cleaver-Brooks, Ascension Health, Ford and SiteOne Landscape Supply focus on providing clear, detailed information about their values and opportunities.
5. Common Attributes of their Employer Brands
- Employee-Centric: A strong focus on employee well-being, professional development and work-life balance is prevalent. These companies prioritize creating a supportive environment where employees can thrive both personally and professionally.
- Innovative and Impactful: Highlighting opportunities for innovation and the positive impact employees can have both within the company and in the wider community is a common theme. These companies emphasize their commitment to driving change, sustainability and making a global impact.
- Diverse and Inclusive: Emphasizing diversity and inclusion as key components of their culture is crucial. These organizations strive to create an environment where all employees feel valued, welcomed and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work.
- Reputable and Stable: Companies with long histories and strong reputations leverage their legacy to build trust and attract talent. They present themselves as stable and reliable employers, offering a secure yet dynamic work environment where employees can build long-term careers.
In-Depth Industry Analysis of 2024 Rally Award-Winning Companies
Understanding the industry-specific approaches of these award-winning companies can provide valuable insights for your own Recruitment Marketing strategies. Let’s take a look at some of the industry-specific characteristics of their external candidate messaging:
Manufacturing
Companies: Ford Motor Company, Gerdau, Cleaver-Brooks
Employer Brands: These companies position themselves as forward-thinking and responsible employers that prioritize safety, innovation and employee growth. They present an image of stability and reliability, making them attractive to candidates looking for a secure yet dynamic work environment.
Retail Food and Convenience
Companies: Dunkin’, Sheetz
Employer Brands: These companies position themselves as dynamic and inclusive employers that value their employees and communities. They emphasize a fun and supportive work environment, making them attractive to candidates looking for a place where they can thrive both personally and professionally.
IT Services and Technology
Companies: HCLTech, Cisco, Grab
Employer Brands: These companies are portrayed as leaders in technology and workplace culture. They value diversity, inclusion and employee well-being. Additionally, they emphasize community impact, collaboration and work-life balance, presenting themselves as places where employees can grow, innovate and make meaningful contributions.
Financial Services
Companies: UBS, SEB, Northwestern Mutual, MetLife, Mutual of Omaha
Employer Brands: These companies present themselves as prestigious and forward-thinking employers that prioritize diversity, inclusion and employee development. They focus on creating a supportive environment where employees can achieve their full potential and contribute to meaningful work.
Healthcare and Medical Technology
Companies: Baylor Scott & White Health, Ascension Health, Intuitive
Employer Brands: These companies are portrayed as mission-driven and supportive employers dedicated to innovation and community impact. They offer a nurturing environment that values continuous improvement and employee well-being, appealing to candidates passionate about making a difference in healthcare and medical technology.
Entertainment & Gaming
Company: King
Employer Brand: This company emphasizes creativity, diversity and a playful work environment. They focus on creating magical moments both in their products and their work culture.
Customer Experience
Company: TTEC
Employer Brand: This company highlights employee happiness, diversity and career development. They stress the importance of a supportive, flexible and engaging work environment.
Construction and Landscaping
Company: SiteOne Landscape Supply
Employer Brand: This company focuses on safety, customer obsession and continuous improvement. They emphasize being a people-first organization, supportive of diversity and inclusion.
Specialty Chemicals and Power Management
Companies: Evonik, Eaton
Employer Brands: These companies are portrayed as ethical and inclusive employers dedicated to sustainability and innovation. They offer a supportive environment that values continuous learning and professional growth, appealing to candidates who are passionate about making a global impact.
Key Insights and Takeaways
By examining the strategies of these award-winning employers, you can gain valuable insights to enhance your own Recruitment Marketing and talent attraction efforts. Here are key takeaways to help you build a compelling employer brand that attracts top talent in your industry:
- Emphasis on Innovation and Continuous Improvement: Maintaining a culture of growth and innovation is crucial.
- Focus on Inclusivity and Diversity: Creating an inclusive work environment is a common priority.
- Community and Collaboration: Promoting a collaborative culture that supports community involvement.
- Employee Well-being: Prioritizing employee safety, well-being and work-life balance.
- Professional and Conversational Tone: Balancing professionalism with a warm, inclusive tone in communication.
- Clear Employer Brand Messaging: Consistently portraying a forward-thinking, inclusive and employee-centric employer brand.
Bringing It All Together: Applying Award-Winning Strategies to Your Recruitment Efforts
It’s clear that Rally Award-winning companies have cracked the code on employer branding and talent attraction. They champion inclusivity, support and innovation, placing high value on diversity, professional growth and community impact. Their careers sites collectively portray these companies as forward-thinking, inclusive and committed to employees’ personal and professional growth, brilliantly showcasing their values and turning them into magnets for top talent. Congratulations once again to all of this year’s winners! By using these insights, you can supercharge your own Recruitment Marketing strategies and create an irresistible employer brand that recruits and retains the best talent in your industry.
Feeling inspired? Consider entering your company in the Rally Awards to showcase your achievements and join the ranks of these industry leaders!
