A curriculum for human resource management includes both policies/procedures and human-centred corporate cultural activities. Human resource management language is often formal and regulatory whereas the language of employees is folkloric and tacit. This paper addresses the latter. Two intersecting forces prompted this creative approach to HRM in the light of adaptation and opportunities presented by information and communications technology (ICT) and social media in the workplace. First, HRM has entered another developmental phase as yet to be fully explored outside of traditional approaches, apart from recognizing increasing complexity and sophistication. Secondly, and accentuated by ICT and social media, organizations "ensure that the ongoing production of a common social world on the part of consumers proceeds in ways that produce a distinctive brand image and that strengthens brand equity -the productive potential that the brand has in the minds of consumers - which is understood to be the most important factor behind brand value" [1]. These two influences suggest that brand activities are very much the business of HRM, especially as, says Arvidsson [1] brand management uses what Foucault [2] called governmentality "...one does not so much give orders... as much as one works from below, by providing an ambience in which freedom is likely to evolve in particular ways". Guest [3] suggested employees were still to occupy centre stage and in particular, the importance of their perceptions was not being fully appreciated. The paper is organized as follows. An introduction makes the case for brand theory to enter the realm of human resource management activities. Traditional approaches and the changing face of HRM are followed by concepts from brand theory, specifically selected for its interface with core HRM activities such as developing a productive culture, gaining commitment and trust and providing an ambience so that the employee will find the brand what Lury [4] calls a platform for action. Brand activities need a receptive audience and data from two case studies are presented to illustrate brand readiness articulated in employees' folkloric terms. The paper concludes with suggested areas of study for human resource managers including processes for introducing corporate branding into human resource processes. The integration with Brand strategy and HRM strategy (as well as other functions) is already happening in organizations such as Virgin [1]. Such organizations are multinational and have their own challenges in developing cultures where employee stakeholders need a cause and internal coherence in the face of increasing complexity. As Reich [5] and Heelas [6] pointed out, new categories of worker are emerging, (not only knowledge workers) who cannot be fitted into any 'modernized' version of the Taylorist [7] ethic. There may be a 'new capitalist spirit' [8] requiring human resource strategies focusing on social relations, identity and culture as well as rules and regulations [9]. Already social media opportunities at work enable employees to become interactive producers of the organizational community. It is proposed that concepts from brand theory and corporate branding can be incorporated into HRM activities with the view of presenting the organization as an 'HRM Branded Community'.
