According to a new report, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs understands that like a corporation it has a brand identity that is key to communicating with potential employees. It also gets that employees are more likely to respond to online content and, for example, print ads, and has developed a "VA Careers" website.
However, as with many agencies the face it has put on is a bit "stodgy" compared to key competitors such as Humana or Kaiser Permanente, according to a National Academy of Public Administration study to help the department to develop effective national strategies for attracting and retaining a diverse high-performing workforce.
In other words, when it comes to branding, agencies need to not only to actively define themselves but also to do it well, and a good place to start is by studying the competition.
According to NAPA, the website "should be looked at with a fresh eye to make it more appealing, easy to navigate and competitive." That doesn’t necessarily mean outsourcing it but with about half of the government’s online presence looking positively outdated, and the other half somewhat more contemporary, a recruitment website, or an agency site in general that’s stuck in the past, could make the difference between a successful recruitment program and one continually analyzed for what it could be doing better.
