Attracting and keeping great employees has become one of the biggest challenges for organizations today. And while most leaders think about HR and marketing as two completely separate functions, the truth is that they’re deeply connected. That’s one of the key ideas behind my new book, TARGET for Talent. In this latest DMJ 1 on 1 episode, I share five important lessons from the book that can help leaders rethink how they approach hiring, culture, and retention. Get the Kindle Version of the book (this week) for FREE here.
1. Hiring Is Marketing
Most organizations treat hiring as a simple HR transaction: post a job, gather resumes, and pick someone. But the reality is that hiring works just like marketing. You’re not just filling a role—you’re telling a story that connects with people.
When you write a job description, don’t make it a sterile list of tasks. Think of it as marketing copy. Speak to the person you’re trying to attract, not just the position you’re trying to fill.
Lesson: If you want better hires, start writing job descriptions like you would write an ad to attract customers. Anchor Quote: “You’re not hiring a position. You’re hiring a person.”
2. Always Be Accepting (Not Just Hiring)
Too many organizations only recruit when they’re desperate. But that’s like only advertising when sales are slow—it’s already too late.
Instead, you need to build what I call a “talent community.” This is a warm list of people who already know your brand, like what you do, and would consider joining your team when the right opportunity comes up. Even if you don’t have a current opening, you should be out in the market telling your story and building connections.
Lesson: Don’t wait until you have an urgent need. Build relationships with potential candidates year-round. Anchor Quote: “You can’t hire who you can’t reach. And you can’t reach them if they don’t know you exist.”
3. Hiring Is Sales with a Soul
The way you treat candidates says everything about your organization. Every single applicant—whether you hire them or not—is a potential brand ambassador.
That’s why responsiveness, empathy, and communication matter. Reply quickly. Be human. Let people know where they stand. Even if you don’t offer someone a job, how you treat them in the process will shape how they feel about your brand.
Lesson: Hiring is not just about filling a seat. It’s about building relationships that enhance your reputation. Anchor Quote: “The faster you care, the more they believe.”
4. Enthusiasm > Perks
Ping-pong tables and free snacks are nice, but they’re not what creates culture. Culture is built in the little moments that make people feel valued.
Things like thoughtful onboarding kits, celebrating small wins, referral bonuses, or even personal thank-you notes can go a long way. Those are the things that turn employees into real brand ambassadors—people who are excited to tell others about where they work.
Lesson: You don’t need a massive budget to build a great culture. You need intention, enthusiasm, and small consistent touchpoints. Anchor Quote: “You don’t need to hire a hundred influencers. Just make sure your own people want to talk about where they work.”
5. What Gets Measured Gets Managed
In sales, we’d never dream of running without dashboards and metrics. Yet too many HR departments are flying blind.
You need to measure both lag indicators (like turnover or retention rates) and lead indicators (like how many interviews you’re scheduling, or how often you’re recognizing employees). Tracking these behaviors helps you stay proactive, instead of reacting after a problem gets too big.
Lesson: HR deserves the same rigor and tracking as sales. Measure it, manage it, and improve it. Anchor Quote: “You can’t manage what you’re not measuring. And you can’t grow what you’re not training.”
Final Thoughts
If there’s one big takeaway from these lessons, it’s that hiring and retention aren’t “HR problems.” They’re business-critical issues that require the same thought, creativity, and consistency as marketing and sales.
When you think of hiring as marketing, build a talent community, treat candidates like people, focus on culture over perks, and track what matters—you’ll create an organization where great talent not only joins but stays.
That’s the heart of TARGET for Talent: helping leaders connect the dots between people and performance. Because at the end of the day, your team is your brand—and the relentless pursuit of better starts with them.
Hasseman Marketing is proud to announce that Genesis WorkFORCE Wellness has decided to partner with them on their Total Wellness program in their service area to help provide companies with a way to enhance their health and wellness programs.
Total Wellness Helps Organizations With Health & Wellness
Health and Wellness programs are incredibly important to organizations looking to not only lower their healthcare costs but also improve productivity and decrease absenteeism. Harvard researchers found that for every dollar spent on employee wellness, medical costs fell by $3.27 and absenteeism dropped by $2.73, resulting in a 6 to 1 return on investment.
“We are so excited to have Genesis partner with us on the program,” says Hasseman Marketing CEO Kirby Hasseman. “Genesis is not only incredibly well respected as a healthcare leader, but they also provide new services for participants to the program.”
The Total Wellness program is designed to be a stand-alone program OR to work with existing health and wellness programs in order to improve engagement and results. The Total Wellness program includes a recruitment plan to help increase participation, a design plan, a branded merchandise plan, and a communication plan. Each of these components is designed to add value, increase participation, and improve results. Learn more here, and get the Wellness Playbook here.
Genesis WorkForce Wellness has a comprehensive suite of health services tailored to meet the unique needs of employers and their employees. Their offerings include annual physicals, complete blood work, and weight management programs, acute care needs, injury management, all designed to promote a healthier, more productive workplace. Additionally, our engaging ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions provide valuable health education that fits into the busy workday. With our customizable approach, The Total Wellness program ensures that each employer receives the most relevant and beneficial wellness services for their team.
Each week on DMJ 1 on 1, Kirby Hasseman takes on a different topic to help provide value to those looking to grow a brand or organization. Unveiling our latest video, DMJ 1 on 1: The 5 Must-Haves For a Health & Wellness Program. Submerge yourself into the critical components required to craft a triumphant health and wellness program within your organization. Watch now…and dig in below.
The latest DMJ 1 on 1 brings to light five essential components for a health and wellness program to have a significant impact. Kirby shares this involvement in health and wellness programs through their work in communications and branded merch. They highlight the financial benefits of implementing a health and wellness program, such as lower medical costs and reduced absenteeism. This article will delve into these five must-haves and explain why they are critical for the success of any health and wellness program.
These five components are an enrollment plan, a design plan, a merch plan, a communication plan, and an exercise plan. Each of these plays a unique role in ensuring the effectiveness and success of a health and wellness program. They not only help in engaging the participants but also ensure that the program is aligned with the organization’s brand guidelines, thereby creating a unique identity for the program. Let’s explore each of these components in detail.
Enrollment Plan
The first must-have for a successful health and wellness program is an effective enrollment plan. This plan is crucial to ensure active participation and engagement in the program. It’s not enough to just have a program in place; it’s equally important to create excitement and engagement around it. This can be achieved through effective communication and marketing strategies.
One of the ways to generate interest and encourage sign-ups is by utilizing email scripts, videos, and CEO involvement. A multi-step enrollment process can also be implemented to increase engagement and commitment. This process can help in creating a sense of ownership among the participants, thereby increasing their commitment to the program.
Design Plan
Next up is the design plan. It’s recommended to have a design plan that aligns with the organization’s brand guidelines but is unique to the health and wellness program. This helps in creating a distinct identity for the program, which can encourage self-identification and accountability among participants.
It’s important to get buy-in from the marketing team to ensure the consistency and effectiveness of the design plan. A well-thought-out design plan can not only reflect the brand guidelines but also distinguish the health and wellness program from other initiatives of the organization.
Merch Plan
A merch plan is another essential component of a health and wellness program. It’s important to provide quality and appealing merchandise that aligns with the program’s goals and values. This can serve as a motivation for the participants and encourage them to actively participate in the program.
Consider having a strategic merch release plan to maintain participant engagement and motivation. Also, it’s advisable to pre-plan and order merchandise in advance to ensure timely delivery and avoid last-minute stress. This can help in keeping the participants excited and engaged throughout the program.
Communication Plan
A communication plan is crucial to regularly engage and inspire participants. This can include daily or weekly communication via email, text, or a company app. Consistent communication is key to motivate and educate participants about the program and its benefits.
Various communication channels can be utilized to reach participants effectively. It’s also important to incorporate mental health components into the communication plan to address holistic well-being. This can help in creating a comprehensive health and wellness program that caters to the physical as well as mental health of the participants.
Exercise Plan
Last but not least, an exercise plan is necessary for a successful health and wellness program. This plan should provide information and options for different types of exercise, including meditation and workouts at the workstation. Offering exercise resources and guidance can empower participants to take control of their fitness and mental health.
The exercise plan should include options for various exercise types, such as meditation, yoga, and workouts that can be done at the workstation. It’s important to ensure that the exercise plan is attainable and adaptable to accommodate participants’ different schedules and work environments. This can help in making the program more inclusive and effective.
Conclusion
The fact is, most health and wellness programs lack all five of these components. However, having them can significantly impact the program’s effectiveness. By incorporating these five must-haves, organizations can create a comprehensive and effective health and wellness program that not only benefits the participants but also contributes to the organization’s overall success.
Hasseman Marketing, a leading marketing company in Ohio, has been named to the PPAI 67 Best Companies to Work For list. This recognition is a testament to the company’s commitment to creating a positive and engaging workplace for its employees.
According to PPAI magazine, the 67 companies that made the list were selected based on several factors, including employee engagement, work environment, benefits, company culture, and opportunities for professional growth. Hasseman Marketing stood out among the many businesses considered, thanks to its exceptional performance in these areas.
“This is such an incredible honor,” Hasseman Marketing CEO Kirby Hasseman said. “I am so proud that our team has created a culture where we all want to work together…and do great work for our clients.”
One of the reasons why Hasseman Marketing is such a great place to work is its dedication to fostering a culture of innovation and creativity. Employees are encouraged to think outside the box and come up with new and exciting ways to help clients achieve their marketing goals. This approach not only benefits the company’s clients but also allows employees to feel valued and appreciated for their contributions. In addition, Hasseman Marketing works to create a culture of fun.
Overall, being named to the PPAI 67 Best Companies to Work For list is a significant achievement for Hasseman Marketing. It is a testament to the company’s commitment to creating a positive and engaging workplace for its employees. As the company continues to grow and expand, it is clear that it will continue to prioritize employee engagement and development, setting an example for other businesses in the marketing industry and beyond.
Working from home is not a new phenomenon for many people around the country. But with government officials and medical experts telling Americans to stay home, it has a bit of a different feel. There is a difference (for most of us) that we are allowed to work from home and we have to work from home. This is why we posted this blog about free tools for working remote AND we asked our remote team for tips on how to be productive at home. As a leader in an organization, we want to make sure our team members that work from home not only are able to do their work, but that they still feel very much a part of the team. We want to keep the sense of team and culture, and do our best to keep morale high during these stressful times. That is why at Hasseman Marketing, we think you should create a “work from home” kit. While we can certainly create this as a kit, just understand these are just a few branded pieces that might help to team build a bit during this stressful time.
Help keep the members of your team hydrated and healthy. This cool drinkware piece is a great size and has the double wall vacuum style that keeps coffee hot and water ice cold. This is the perfect piece to have with you all of the time. We did this in our recent Brand Box and the response was super good.
Sticky Note Jotter
Another piece that got a ton of positive feedback in the recent Brand Box was this Jotter. It’s a great piece to keep beside the phone or your desk so you can take quick notes during that Zoom call. It’s one of those pieces that can be used every day.
Mission Pack
Finally, if you want something to put all of these items in, and to be a great and functional branding piece, once the crisis has passed, I love the Mission Pack. This is a stylish backpack that your team can use when they are “working remotely” for years. I even did a video about this a few weeks ago…you can check it out here. These are just a few items that can help you keep the team feeling productive and together while they work remotely. Like I said, this is just a blog to get you thinking. We can gladly help you create a kit for yourself. Please contact us if you have any questions about putting a kit like this together for your team. P.S. This is also a great kit to use when you bring on new team members to make sure they get a dose of your culture and brand when they walk in the door! Thanks for reading and engaging. We will keep the content coming. Just make sure to check in on our blog each day for more!
