USING VARIOUS METHODS TO STRENGTHEN THE HR BRAND IN BUSINESS. ANALYSIS OF SUCCESSFUL CASES OF COMPANIES WITH A STRONG HR BRAND

ABSTRACT

This article is devoted to various methods for strengthening the HR brand in business and successful examples of organizations that have achieved high results in this area. The purpose of the study is to examine existing methods of improving the HR brand and analyze the cases of companies such as Gazprom, Sberbank and MTS. It will be considered how, with the help of effective cases, companies have achieved increased employer interest and influenced their business results. The research methods are the study of Russian and foreign materials, their analysis and processing. The focus is on tools that influence the development and strengthening of the HR brand and its promotion in companies. The results include recommendations to expand the scope of successful cases and proven methods to strengthen the HR brand, as well as to increase its popularization in business, where company executives seek to improve their image among employees and candidates.

Keywords: HR brand, corporate culture, labor market, talent attraction, company cases and strategies, effective HR brand tools.

The world is a constantly evolving system, so businesses must continuously adapt to modern realities. In recent years, corporate culture has shifted toward the digital economy and the simplification of work processes. Now, the focus is not on the employer but on the employee: specialists choose the company, not the other way around.

The new workforce is interested in acquiring new knowledge, improving skills, and exploring other fields of science, which provides more opportunities to be selective in employment choices. These changes have led many to consider starting their own businesses—in Moscow alone, about 600 new business projects are launched daily. This surge in organizations increases competition, prompting employers to pay more attention to strengthening their HR brand to enhance their image and attract proactive professionals.

One of the most important systems in a company's social development strategy is its HR brand. This is a comprehensive approach aimed at engaging current and potential employees, making the company more attractive to the workforce, increasing competitiveness among other holdings, and boosting the chances of globalizing the company's status.

Today, any firm can enter the labor market by branding itself as reliable, high-quality, luxurious, etc. However, this image will mean nothing without a combination of material, functional, and psychological benefits that employees receive while working for the company, because it is the staff that determines the organization's level. The art of HR branding lies in the fact that it cannot be fabricated and mass-promoted—it must come from within the company, reflecting employees' genuine experiences.

Building an HR brand is a complex system. For productive work, efforts must be directed not only at external factors but also at developing internal structures. Often, potential employees research a company before an interview by reading reviews from current or former employees. In addition to attracting candidates, it is crucial to retain highly qualified employees who already contribute to the company's success, as they serve as essential assets for recruitment, onboarding, and training.

In the era of globalization and fierce competition, it is essential to recognize that building an HR brand takes time and requires significant effort to attract top talent. This is a complex yet critically important process for any company, demanding situational analysis as well as time and financial resources from the employer.

To strengthen an HR brand, various stages and methods must be studied, carefully selected, planned, and implemented while adapting to changing external conditions. Choosing the right promotion method is a meticulous process that requires modern solutions tailored to the business. This article will explore successful HR branding methods in detail:

1. Developing Corporate Culture

Corporate culture encompasses values, traditions, and behavioral standards within a company. It includes workspace organization, working hours, reward and punishment systems, corporate events, and employee-manager interactions. To foster a positive work atmosphere, it is important to create an open, trusting, and supportive environment among colleagues, seek their feedback, organize internal events, and consider their opinions in key decisions.

2. Training Programs

The key to a successful business is constant progress—not only in economic and political aspects but also in social ones. A crucial element of social advancement is providing employees with various training opportunities to improve their qualifications, grow in their fields, and acquire new knowledge. Companies can implement mentorship programs for new hires, offer courses, training sessions, and speaker events to foster overall company growth.

3. Media Presence

To strengthen an external HR brand, it is essential to stay on top of trends and remain visible to the target audience. When choosing media platforms, companies should analyze their audience, popular channels, and societal trends. Well-crafted advertising with compelling copy and engaging visuals (photos, videos, collages) can effectively communicate the company’s values, ideas, and corporate culture. A key aspect of media content is transparency—highlighting strengths while acknowledging weaknesses to build trust and avoid creating unrealistic expectations.

4. Company Blogging

This method strengthens both internal and external HR branding. By creating content—such as conversational videos or blog posts—employees gain new experiences, develop creativity, and enhance corporate culture through cross-department collaboration. A social media presence is currently the most popular promotion method, allowing companies to showcase their corporate culture, teamwork, and project workflows.

5. Event Participation

This method combines all the above HR branding strategies. Teamwork improves corporate culture; speaking engagements provide new experiences; media coverage at events boosts visibility; and participation diversifies the company’s blog, showcasing its versatility. Companies can engage in forums, charity events, investment projects, or partnerships to highlight their internal culture and initiatives.

By implementing these methods, companies can quickly strengthen their HR brand, increase labor market appeal, and become top employers. Using them in combination accelerates results.

The goal is to create a positive, attractive brand image so that top talent seeks out the company and current employees are motivated to grow and develop, optimizing overall performance. A well-crafted HR branding strategy can quickly offset costs, reducing the need for additional bonuses—since employees will already be motivated to work for the company.

For example, some of Russia’s most successful and attractive employers include:

Gazprom PJSC

Sberbank PJSC

MTS PJSC

Figures 1, 2, and 3 show employee headcounts at these companies from 2018 to 2023.

Figure 1. Number of employees at Gazprom PJSC (2018–2023)

Figure 2. Number of employees at Sberbank PJSC (2018–2023)

Figure 3. Number of employees at MTS PJSC (2018–2023)

As seen in the graphs, Gazprom leads in attracting employees, with numbers rising yearly—indicating strong corporate culture and HR branding. Sberbank and MTS also show stable growth, reflecting their positive reputation and employee loyalty.

These companies employ specific strategies to attract, retain, and build brand loyalty:

Gazprom’s HR Strategies

• Employee benefits (healthcare, insurance, social support)
• Safe working conditions
• Internships for students
• Educational and social projects
• Participation in job fairs and forums
• The "Key to Career" student competition
• Charity involvement
• User-friendly mobile apps and websites
• Etc.

 Thus, through the reorganization of the structure of gas distribution companies within the Gazprom MezhregionGaz group, the implementation of strategic projects in gas processing, and the commissioning of large-scale liquid hydrocarbon production projects, in 2023, the indicator for employee attraction increased, reaching 498.1 thousand people, which is 1.2% more compared to the previous year.

The subsidiary company 'Gazprombank', in order to attract more employees, decided to overturn the consciousness of employers and develop an effective HR-brand concept.

The marketing and HR team developed an Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and HR-brand strategies. They created the image of 'Gazprombank' as building a digital organization, with the human at the center of innovation.

They came up with the slogan: 'Dream Team (Команда мечТЫ)', which emphasizes addressing each employee by highlighting the pronoun 'you' ('ты').

Changes were also made in external communication channels: the 'Gazprombank' page on Superjob and hh.ru was updated, visual elements and new messages were integrated. The organization's profile became even more attractive, where one can immediately familiarize themselves with the company's context.

All key indicators increased: satisfaction and engagement grew from 85% to 89%, loyalty from 79% to 81%.

Several other projects were also launched, for example: the arcade game 'Time of Opportunities', the interactive Perfect Match test to check compatibility with 'Gazprombank', with the sounding slogan: 'Don't swipe past your dream job!'. This test took place in November 2021, after which the indicators improved: 8,450.1 thousand media impressions, 49.4 thousand clicks on company materials. More than 2000 tests were conducted and contacts were obtained from people interested in the bank as an employer, while user loyalty also increased.

PJSC 'Sberbank' develops numerous different cases, which makes it stand out among other companies. Thus, in May 2022 the company created the 'Pulse' HR platform for HR process automation. And by December 2022, more than 40 organizations had become 'Sberbank' clients, with indicators continuing to grow. Currently, it's used by more than 300 thousand employees and clients.

Through the implementation of this project, the economic effect could reach up to 41 million rubles per organization with staff of about 3000 employees, thanks to replacing all routine processes, reducing HR solution costs, switching to paperless electronic document flow, etc. Thanks to the hiring and career development tools in 'Pulse', indicators for average employee tenure grew by 10-15%.

The next case for strengthening the HR brand was created in the form of the 'Sber: In the World of Interests' test, which showed that the bank is a branched organization connected with internet and technologies. The test informed about how the organization works, what advantages it has, etc., thereby increasing the company's recognition. It also attracted IT specialists, who are not so easy to recruit.

In just 2 weeks, the website was visited by 3600 people, 62% started taking the test, 70% completed it, 86% of those who completed it took target actions, and 1316 people considered PJSC 'Sberbank' vacancies.

In 2021, celebrating its 180th anniversary, the company implemented another HR case. Sberbank ran a project on the 'Pyatnitsa' TV channel called '180-Degree Turn'. The program featured various people dreaming of trying themselves in different professions. Participants changed their workplace for a couple of days. Those who wanted to try themselves in finance could get a position at Sberbank. In just 4 episodes, the project interested tens of thousands of people both on TV and online, significantly increasing the company's recognition.

PJSC 'MTS' also has distinctive corporate culture and a developed HR brand. Examples of what's offered to employees and attracts new specialists include: rewards and bonuses, online training, development programs, compensations and benefits, medical service, student internships, volunteer projects, extensive social package for employees (massage, housing rent payment for managers, financial aid, discount programs, accident insurance, corporate transport and sports, work mobile connection and much more).

To develop its HR brand, the company creates specific cases to attract talented employees, especially in IT. It organizes events where they develop software, create innovative solutions, artificial intelligence and other things related to telecommunications and technologies.

Thus, in 2022 MTS increased its hiring indicators 4 times by conducting a developers' challenge. This project involved translating the literary work 'The Nutcracker' into programming languages: 'The Nutcracker. Less Words - More Code'. Over 1600 people participated, including 20% girls who translated text into code using one of programming languages. As a result, the work was translated into 5 programming languages (Go, Python, C#, Java and JavaScript) and demonstrated by a neural network. As an HR tool, this project helped attract talented specialists: 71 resumes, with project participant conversion rate reaching 27% among MTS employees.

MTS conducted various inclusive employment programs:

• Employment programs for people with disabilities;
• Care for employee-parents;
• Career guidance tours for children from orphanages;
• Support programs for employees aged 50+;
• Internship programs for youth with subsequent employment.

The paid student program 'MTS Intro' (working with mentors and real projects) attracted 571 interns in 2022, which subsequently accounted for up to 45% of hires.

The additional education program 'Moove', which developed skills in IT product launch management and soft skills through lecture analysis, real business cases etc., attracted 1028 applications (681 in 2021). Graduates build careers in startups, MTS digital ecosystem business. Over 4 years, 175 specialists completed the training. As an innovative employer, MTS strengthened its position in the labor market.

Each company possesses its own unique strategies and cases for HR-brand development. To attract more talented employees and enhance competitive positioning in the labor market, several recommendations can be highlighted:

• Utilize various methods for improving corporate culture;
• Engage staff in brand promotion;
• Base strategies on target audience preferences;
• Maintain honest, transparent communication to build client trust;
• Motivate employees through diverse bonus systems;
• Develop unique differentiators that set the company apart;
• While also leveraging successful cases from industry leaders as inspiration for creating new innovative approaches.

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