Just as a hospitality firm needs to promote a clear concept for customers, companies also need to demonstrate a clear image for their employees.

By applying product and service branding concepts to human resources, a hospitality firm can attract, select, and retain employees who best match its corporate culture.

The concept of HR branding is explained in a new report from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research, "HR Branding: How HR Can Learn from Product and Service Branding to Improve Attraction, Selection, and Retention," by Derrick Kim and Michael Sturman. Kim is a graduate of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, where Sturman is the Kenneth and Marjorie Blanchard Professor of Human Resources.

"We identify some hospitality companies that are applying the principles of HR branding," said Sturman, "including Disney, Four Seasons, Harrah's, Korean Air, Marriott, McDonald's, Sofitel, Starbucks, and Starwood. These examples demonstrate the importance of HR brand management. This includes managing your firm's reputation, culture, and HR value proposition." He added that while these hospitality companies use elements of HR branding, comprehensive brand management programs are still relatively rare industry wide.

Most important, Kim and Sturman see HR branding as a strategy for improving customer service, since the company will attract and retain the employees that have the best fit with its corporate strategy.

The report is available at no charge from the CHR, at:

www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/reports/abstract-16400.html