Succession Planning and Employer Branding

In a LinkedIn post, Emmalee Amthor wrote, “Succession planning is an investment in an organization's future. Here’s why.

“1. Continuity: It ensures the smooth transition of key positions when employees retire, leave, or are promoted, reducing disruptions in workflow.

“2. Talent Development: It identifies and nurtures potential future leaders, fostering their growth within the organization.

“3. Risk Mitigation: Succession planning mitigates the risk of leadership vacuums, helping organizations avoid crises during unexpected departures.

“4. Employee Engagement: It can boost morale and engagement by showing employees that the organization values their development and growth.

“5. Cost Savings: Developing internal talent is often more cost-effective than recruiting externally.

“6. Strategic Alignment: Succession planning aligns leadership development with the organization's strategic goals and long-term vision.”

Not only does Emmalee provide great perspective on the value of succession planning, but she talks about how she developed a passion for employer branding and how she’s using it as a human resources professional on her campus.

Key Takeaways

• Succession Planning Builds Trust: Succession planning supports talent development, continuity, and engagement, establishing trust and loyalty.
• Employer Branding as Storytelling: Authentic employee testimonials and stories can enhance the institution’s reputation and appeal.
• Cross-Department Collaboration is Key: Aligning HR with marketing creates cohesive messaging that reinforces an institution’s brand and values.
• Cost-Effective Branding Strategies: Utilizing existing resources, like social media channels and internal ambassadors, can amplify reach without substantial costs.

‍

Episode Summary

What is the Impact of Succession Planning on Employer Branding?

Emmalee Amthor’s LinkedIn post on succession planning sparked Eddie’s interest in bringing her on the show. She elaborates on how succession planning goes beyond filling vacancies; it’s about developing future leaders and fostering an engaging workplace. By showing employees a clear path for growth within the institution, succession planning can be a powerful tool for retention and morale. Emmalee points out that internal mobility not only saves recruitment costs but also empowers employees to stay engaged and motivated, which strengthens the employer brand.

‍

How Does Storytelling Enhance Higher Ed Employer Branding?

Through her work at SVSU, Emmalee emphasizes the power of storytelling in employer branding, a strategy she began at a previous role in K-12 education. By sharing authentic employee testimonials and personal success stories, SVSU can highlight the unique aspects of working at the institution. Emmalee leverages real stories from employees across departments—faculty, groundskeepers, and administrators alike—to create a more relatable, humanized brand image. These stories serve as compelling recruitment tools and contribute to a unified brand identity that potential employees and students find appealing.

‍

What Role Does Cross-Departmental Collaboration Play in Effective Branding?

At SVSU, Emmalee works closely with the university’s marketing department to align HR messaging with the broader brand campaign, Stand Out. This collaboration ensures a cohesive approach to employer branding, enhancing the institution’s visibility to potential recruits. By sharing assets and attending marketing team meetings, Emmalee can maintain consistent branding across all platforms. Working with marketing also provides access to professional design assets, which ensures that all HR communications reflect SVSU’s overall brand image. This synergy highlights the effectiveness of combining resources to amplify employer branding efforts without duplicating work.

‍

What Cost-Effective Methods Can Institutions Use to Boost Employer Branding?

Recognizing the budget constraints in higher education, Emmalee maximizes SVSU’s existing social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, to reach wider audiences without needing separate HR accounts. She champions using employee testimonials, success stories, and even “Day in the Life” features to bring fresh, engaging content to SVSU’s channels. By identifying brand ambassadors within the institution and repurposing content for various platforms, SVSU can build a strong employer brand in a cost-effective way. These initiatives are both impactful and sustainable, creating an authentic brand presence that speaks directly to potential employees.

‍

This Episode is Sponsored by Pathify

Meet Pathify —  an innovative higher ed engagement hub that puts students at the center of their college journey. Pathify sits at the center of your school’s digital ecosystem, becoming the single, user experience interface tying together all systems, content, and communications.Their engagement hub elevates the information that matters most and pushes systems like the SIS behind the scenes where they belong, making it simpler for students to discover and engage with the opportunities your institution provides at every step of their higher ed journey, from prospect to alumni. What’s even better, Pathify has a mobile experience that provides 100% parity with the responsive web app, so your campus app is always in sync. Pathify is a platform that EVERY stakeholder on campus  — from marketing, to admissions, to student affairs, to IT, etc., — can get equally excited about. Learn more about how Pathify is uniting strategic units across campus and bettering the entire student experience by visiting Pathify.com

About the Enrollify Podcast Network: 

I Wanna Work There is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network.  If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  

Our podcast network is growing by the month and we’ve got a plethora of marketing, admissions, and higher ed technology shows that are jam packed with stories, ideas, and frameworks all designed to empower you to be a better higher ed professional. Our shows feature a selection of the industry’s best as your hosts. Learn from Jeremy Tiers, Zach Busekrus, Jaime Hunt, Allison Turcio, Jamie Gleason and many more. 

Learn more about The Enrollify Podcast Network at podcasts.enrollify.org. Our shows help higher ed marketers and admissions professionals find their next big idea — come and find yours.