Building a great employer brand

Building an employer brand isn’t about having the slickest careers page or some corporate spiel about being a “great place to work.” It’s about creating something real — something that makes people say, “That sounds like my kind of place.”

The mistake many companies make is using vague terms like culture, values, or EVP without grounding them in everyday reality. If we want to attract good people — and keep them — we’ve got to stop pretending and start being more honest and intentional.

What is an employer brand, really?

At its core, your employer brand is what people say about working with you. Not what you say in a job ad or a glossy video, but what people actually experience — and share.

• EVP (employer value proposition): the promise you make to employees. It includes pay and perks, but also purpose, flexibility, growth, and how people are treated.
• Culture: the lived, day-to-day reality — how people behave, what gets rewarded, and how decisions are made.
• Employer brand: the reputation that grows out of all of this, shared on Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and in everyday conversations.

Why it matters

Candidates are checking you out before they even think about applying. Nearly 9 in 10 candidates research your brand first. They want to know:

• What do you stand for?
• Do your values align with theirs?
• What are they really getting into?

And the risks are real. A third of new hires decide to leave within 90 days if the reality doesn’t match the promise.

A strong employer brand isn’t just about attracting talent — it keeps people around and turns them into advocates.

Where to start: get clear on your EVP

So how do you build a brand that actually means something? Start by getting clear on your EVP:

• What is the work you do and why does it matter?
• Beyond salary, what’s the deal you’re offering—flexibility, wellbeing support, learning opportunities?
• What’s it like working with your team and your leaders?
• What’s your reputation—inside and outside the company?

It’s not about being everything to everyone. It’s about defining what’s true and what makes you different.

Listen to your people

Talk to your people. Ask them:

• What gets noticed and celebrated?
• What’s frustrating?
• What’s the day-to-day really like?
• What would you tell a friend who’s thinking of applying?

This helps identify where your promises and reality don’t align — and where you might need to focus.

You don’t need a huge budget to do this. McDonald’s, for example, asked new hires simple questions after a few months: Why did you join? What’s been tough? How would you describe the culture? The answers gave them a far more accurate picture of their brand.

Don’t ignore Glassdoor

Platforms like Glassdoor shape perceptions whether you like it or not. Candidates use it, and so should you.

• L’Oréal encouraged employees to leave honest reviews — positive or negative. This tripled their review volume and gave a more balanced view.
• One company even added their Glassdoor rating to job ads, saying: “Don’t just take our word for it.”

Let employees tell their stories

Your people are your best brand ambassadors. Encourage them to share personal stories:

• Adidas and ING spotlighted staff experiences in campaigns.
• Eneco let employees take over the company’s Instagram for a day to show their jobs in action.

These kinds of real stories are far more powerful than polished HR messaging.

Align brand with purpose

Some companies connect their brand to their wider mission:

• Airbnb: Their customer promise “Belong anywhere” is mirrored in their internal culture, where employees share personal interests and feel part of a neighbourhood.
• Patagonia: Goes even further — offering time off for outdoor activities and even paying bail for employees arrested during climate protests.

That kind of alignment between customer and employee experience is powerful.

Be honest, even if it’s brutal

Creativity matters, but so does honesty.

Netflix, for example, is upfront about its performance culture. They don’t call themselves a family. They compare themselves to a sports team — if you’re not performing, you’re out. Brutal? Maybe. But it’s also clear. And clarity builds trust.

The role of hiring managers

People want to work for people they respect. Hiring managers can make a huge difference:

• Short videos introducing themselves and the role can increase application rates.
• Dropbox encourages managers to connect with potential candidates before a vacancy even exists, building relationships early.

Using AI as an enabler

AI won’t replace the human voice, but it can amplify it. Use it to:

• Draft job ads
• Summarise employee feedback
• Generate ideas for social posts
• Personalise content for different candidate personas

Final word: be real

At the end of the day, your employer brand already exists — whether or not you’ve defined it. The real question is: is it helping or hurting you?

So be specific. Be bold. Be honest. And above all, be real.