When a prospective employment candidate looks at an organisation, what do they see? Employer brand and recruitment processes have a direct impact on the success of talent attraction and retention efforts.

While employers may view the recruitment process largely as an opportunity to assess the skills and cultural fit of applicants, a candidate's experience of the recruitment process has a significant impact, either positive or negative, on their perception of an organisation as an appealing workplace.

HR Summit director Stephanie Campanale says HR teams play a critical role in creating a strong employer brand.

"The recruitment process is definitely a two-way street," said Campanale. "HR plays a central role in recruitment and retention, so it's crucial HR practitioners have the skills and knowledge to enhance the process and make it as user-friendly as possible in order to engage the right people."

At the upcoming HR Summit Melbourne on 27-28 July, Meahan Callaghan, HR director at SEEK Limited, will discuss the importance of the 'mirror test', or the ability to evaluate your organisation from the outside. Delegates will learn the factors that influence candidate perceptions of you as an employer and gain tools and techniques to create a unique and memorable recruitment function that will attract the best talent.

Online registrations for the HR Summit Melbourne are open at http://melbourne.hrsummit.com.au. Every paid registrant will go in the draw to win a Team Building experience for 10 from RedBalloon worth $400!