Here at The Muse, we know that there's no better way to understand how to ace your own employer brand than by seeing some best practices in action.
Well, you're in luck—because that's exactly what our Employer Spotlight Series does. We feature all sorts of helpful advice and insights from companies that are totally crushing their employer brands, so that you can learn from their success.
This month, we chatted with Steven Davis, Vice President, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Broadridge, to get the lowdown on how the company tells authentic employer branding stories—and his favorite interview question to ask candidates.
How did you find your current role, and does it align with your background (college or previous work experience)?
I found my current role through an executive recruiter—I was referred by someone I worked with more than 20 years ago. This role aligns perfectly with my career path and it was a logical progression from executive search firm to COO of recruiting, and finally, to the head of talent acquisition.
What is one tool or piece of advice you wish you'd known about when you first started working at Broadridge?
Dig really deep before accepting a job. Before starting at Broadridge, I wish I’d had a fuller sense of how diverse our products and services were. I knew Broadridge was a global fintech leader, but I didn’t internalize what 200+ products meant for broker-dealers, banks, asset managers, and corporate issuers on a global scale. It’s worth noting that when we survey our new hires, we score over 90% favorable on “was the job accurately described to you.” So, while I feel the job was accurately described, the company does so much more than I thought and that blows me away!
What part does The Muse play in your current employer branding strategy?
The Muse gives us the platform to tell authentic stories about Broadridge, whether it’s our company page and video, the employee profiles, or the articles we are featured in. As a fintech company that provides key infrastructure that powers financial markets and the financial service industry, many people don’t know who we are. Yet, through our products and services, we connect with the buy and sell side as well as corporate and individual investors. The Muse gives us an opportunity to get our story out there.
What are the most rewarding parts of your job, and what’s something that drains you?
I love, I mean love recruiting. I get charged up when I talk to someone about a new opportunity or share a role we have with a candidate that’s the best fit for them. When we make that connection, it’s near magic! The operational aspect of my job comes with a lot of paperwork, which can sometimes be a little draining—but it’s all part of the process.
Do you have any advice on how to make those draining tasks or aspects a little less so?
It’s about the big picture. You need to look at everything that goes into making a great hire. The process is what creates a great experience for the candidate and new hires as well as the hiring manager, and knowing that makes it less draining.
What is your favorite interview question, and why?
“How is the role you’re in different today than it was when you started?”
It really helps get to the behavioral or competency-based interview questions that ask why you did what you did, how you did it, and what the outcome was.
What's something you're currently reading/listening to that you love?
I have a pretty big commitment right now to David McCullough. I completed The Wright Brothers and The Path Between the Seas several years ago. I read John Adams, 1776, and Mornings On Horseback. I’m about to start the 1000+ pages of Truman. I love the way he tells history as a story and not just as dates and events. It’s about people’s lives, the events that shaped them, and how they shaped the world.
