1. Lubrizol's Two-Track Approach
With entry-level talent, Lubrizol focuses on raising brand recognition. With mid-career talent, it targets benefits of living in the Cleveland area.
2. Overhauling an Old Brand
3. Selling Employee Passion
SFM focuses on bringing in young talent who can be shaped to fit today's customer service-oriented culture.
Union-Pacific decided it needed to revamp its brand to compete for talent inside and out of the railroad industry.
By Patrick J. Kiger Comments 0 | Recommend 0
ast year, 145-year-old Union Pacific decided it needed to revamp its brand
to compete for talent inside and out of the railroad industry.
"We put a lot of emphasis on the field positions—the people
who are out running the trains, replacing the ties and so on," explains Dina
Tilgner, Union Pacific's director of recruitment. "We made an effort to
understand the folks who've been good hires over the past three to five
years—what their demographic characteristics are, what kind of attributes they
have, what they like to do in their free time, what motivates them."
Focus group research helped Union Pacific identify the type
of individuals it needed to recruit. "These are tough jobs, with lots of hard
work and long hours," Tilgner explains. "We need people who are motivated by
being able to see the fruits of their labor. At the end of the day, you know if
the train has departed or arrived on time."
To appeal to them, Union Pacific streamed video in which
employees described their work and the satisfaction of meeting day-to-day
challenges. Union Pacific also included a map graphic so prospective applicants
could see job openings in the part of the country where they wanted to live. "We
wanted to make it easy for them to see where they could fit in," Tilgner says.
To drive traffic to its employment Web site, Union Pacific
developed complementary displays, brochures and giveaways for college job fairs.
"Everything has the same look and feel, the same images," Tilgner says. "That
way, they all feed off each other."
Workforce Management, October 22, 2007, p. 42
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Patrick J. Kiger is a freelance writer based in the Washington, D.C., area. E-mail editors@workforce.com to comment. Next Article: 3. Selling Employee Passion
SFM focuses on bringing in young talent who can be shaped to fit today's customer service-oriented culture.
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ast year, 145-year-old Union Pacific decided it needed to revamp its brand
to compete for talent inside and out of the railroad industry. 
