Let me tell you the story of One Amazing Week that I was proudly initiate during my stint in Thailand.
The challenge that was given to me back then was to create unforgettable experience for students, that will help attract great Graduates talent for Unilever. So we work together with a partner (STAND), and deliver probably one of a kind employer brand activation, back in 2014.
Full story of the event can be read in the publication below :
https://www.prweek.com/article/1319481/unilever-makes-students-expert-comms-pros-one-amazing-week
The reason why I think it was the best way to do employer brand is because of following reason :
1. The Graduates students themselves is at the core of the whole event. It was not about "selling Unilever" employment to them. Its about giving them an immersion to the world of story-telling, about Thailand in the eyes of those Graduates. The work that the Graduates has produced as honest stories and perspective that really unique, and hence, putting back these Graduates at the center of the whole event. Did Unilever get any benefit out of it? yes, as a facilitator of the whole event, the company gained utmost respect and admiration as we give them a chance to do things they would have not imagined doing.
2. It was a successful crowd-sourcing initiative. We bring in experts together, from various subject matters, and unleash the power of story telling from MIM Thammasat students. The knowledge provided by these experts are beyond what Unilever could offer (if we do things ourselves, without any external helps). Crowd-sourcing has been proven, in that particular day, to bring a better quality of mentoring and knowledge behind the success of the event.
Long-lasting friendship I made with the school, the students, and the external experts is the cherry-on-top of the story. It was a moment to remember also, as we ends up beating our employer-brand competitor and reduce their presence by -5000 bps back then (50% losing shares to us) in the end of year survey of employer of choice. That regaining of market share was behind the success of Unilever Thailand to be selected as Employer of Choice in 2014, before I left the country back home to Indonesia.
Lesson learned: to do great employer brand, don't hard sell and put Graduates at the center of the universe. They know who to thank for such precious experience, and your result will come soon after.
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