The issue of sustainability has emerged as perhaps the global “hot topic” of the millennium. A huge part of the public’s awareness of this issue focuses on corporate behaviour – the commitment individual companies have to sustainable practices. Now, and in years to come, a corporation’s impact on the environment will play a significant role in its public image.

Nowhere is this issue more present than in the minds of the generation that is now entering the workplace. Many seek to assume roles that have a direct effect on the environment and a company’s sustainability practices. However, the majority of today’s potential hires want to be sure that, even if they themselves don’t play a direct role, their employers will be socially responsible companies with good environmental practices. In many cases, the issue will serve as a tiebreaker when a prospective employee is choosing between two potential job situations.

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What happens if your managing director unexpectedly resigns and no suitable successor is identified? To attract and recruit top talent is of great importance, but managing existing employees and identifying key players, through knowledge about their individual needs, skills and future plans, has been proven equally important.

Many companies seem to believe HR management software systems can do the entire job for them, from attracting, managing and identifying key players amongst employees already on board. However, it’s important to remember what a software solution actually is: an administrative tool, constructed to support the HR department. The appropriate software system may help HR-managers focus on long-term HR strategies rather than administrative details.

Different systems are designed to meet different needs: a recruitment management system helps companies manage the entire recruitment process, whereas a talent management system supports a company with everything from the recruitment process to managing employees on board. But systems can be complex to manage. To ensure a successful outcome, the most important factors are: be aware of your company’s specific needs and make sure to have a clear business objective.

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As large corporations continue to expand their reach across the globe, employee engagement is often a battle against the depersonalising effect of corporate sprawl. According to a recent study by global professional services firm Towers Perrin, companies that fail to engage their employees will lag behind, not only in today’s scarce talent market, but also in the market for customers, revenue, investors and capital. For Towers Perrin’s 2007-2008 Global Workforce Study, subtitled Closing the Engagement Gap: A Road Map for Driving Superior Business Performance, the firm surveyed nearly 90,000 employees in 18 countries.

If there is one resource that is common to every company, it is people. Yet, oddly, it might also be the one resource that is most commonly taken for granted, the study argues. And that is, in fact, at the core of what the study calls the employee engagement gap. Simply put, employees don’t want to feel like cogs – rather, they want to feel like their efforts are valued, their work significant.

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Also in Universum Quarterly #3 2008

Same branding – but different – Our CEO, Michal Kalinowski talks about how to approach your employer brand in the shadow of a recession.

Media Update – As employer branding news is more prolific, Universum Quarterly has increased our EB news to four pages. Check this out to stay abreast of EB news globally

‘Green’: the new colour of choice – The issue of sustainability has emerged as perhaps the global “hot topic” of the millennium. A huge part of the public’s awareness of this issue focuses on corporate behaviour. Now, and in years to come, a corporation’s impact on the environment will play a significant role in its public image.

Intersecting perception with reality – McKinsey’s Peter Sullivan shares his views on how to fully utilise the brand.

Getting engaged improves the bottom line – According to a recent study by global professional services firm Towers Perrin, companies that fail to engage their employees will lag behind, not only in today’s scarce talent market, but also in the market for customers, revenue, investors and capital.

Lining up the masses – To attract and recruit top talent is of great importance, but managing existing employees and identifying key players, has been proven equally important. Universum Quarterly takes a closer look at talent management systems.

Universum Hall of Fame – This new series takes a closer look at companies that excel in the Universum surveys. In this issue we focus on Audi, finally at the top of the German ranking and Yahoo!, that now challenges Google in the US.

Deliver your employer brand through on campus events – Credit Suisses’s Helen Bostock, explains how to successfully deliver your employer brand through on campus events.

First impressions in cyberspace – These days, candidates expect a lot from a company’s recruiting site, but even some of the highest-ranked employers have Web sites that miss the mark. To help companies understand what, specifically, MBA and undergraduate students seek in a recruiting site, Universum put together the Corporate Recruiting Website Report 2008.

Check your site: telecommunications companies – We have analysed and explored the Web sites of four of the biggest telecommunications companies in the world: Verizon Communications, Nippon Telegraph & Telephone, Deutsche Telekom and Telefónica.

The Universum Index – The newly re-vamped Universum Index continues in this issue with a focus on Student Topical reports and communication channels.