Employer Branding: Insights, Strategies, and Best Practices

Introduction

Standing out as an employer of choice has become more challenging than ever. A strong employer brand can give you a competitive edge by attracting and retaining the best talent, while also shaping how your company is perceived by both candidates and employees.

Employer branding isn’t just about recruitment—it reflects your company’s values, culture, and overall mission, offering a unique glimpse into the employee experience. By aligning these aspects with your business goals, you can build a reputation that resonates both internally and externally, fostering long-term loyalty and engagement among your workforce.

Creating a powerful employer brand requires more than just a catchy slogan or polished career page. It’s about delivering a consistent, authentic message that highlights what sets your organization apart. From showcasing your internal culture to developing compelling recruitment marketing campaigns, the right employer branding strategies can help you build stronger connections with top talent.

In this guide, we’ll explore essential strategies, actionable insights, and best practices that can enhance your employer branding efforts. Whether you’re just starting, or looking to refine your existing approach, these insights will help you create a brand that resonates across every touchpoint—from the candidate experience to employee engagement.

What is employer branding?

Employer branding is the strategic process of defining, shaping, and promoting your organization’s reputation as a desirable place to work. It encompasses the values, culture, and unique work environment that set your company apart from competitors in the talent market. A strong employer brand not only helps attract top talent but also retains high-performing employees by aligning with their values and professional goals.

At its core, employer branding is about how your company is perceived by potential candidates, current employees, and even the general public. It goes beyond offering competitive salaries and benefits—it’s about building an authentic narrative that speaks to your mission, culture, and employee experience.

A well-developed employer brand influences how people outside your organization perceive working for you and plays a crucial role in shaping your internal culture. It drives talent attraction, employee engagement, and retention, all of which directly impact your business success.

Explore more: Employer branding definition - What is employer branding?

Why Is Employer Branding Important?

The importance of employer branding cannot be overstated. Research shows that companies with strong employer brands experience better talent attraction, employee engagement, and reduced hiring costs. In fact, according to Glassdoor, organizations with a compelling employer brand see up to 50% more qualified applicants and reduce their cost-per-hire by as much as 43%.

In addition to improving recruitment outcomes, a strong employer brand enhances your company’s overall reputation, helping to build trust with customers, stakeholders, and investors. When your brand consistently aligns with your values and culture, it becomes a powerful tool for driving both business performance and long-term success.

Some key employer branding benefits include:

• Improved Talent Attraction: Candidates are more likely to apply if they perceive your organization as one that shares their values and provides growth opportunities.

• Higher Employee Engagement: Employees who resonate with your brand’s mission are more engaged, productive, and committed to staying with your company.

• Competitive Advantage: A strong employer brand differentiates you from competitors, positioning you as an employer of choice.

Pro Tip: Consider implementing employer branding tools such as talent analytics platforms, culture videos, and employee testimonials to build a holistic employer brand that resonates both internally and externally.

According to Universum’s Employer Brand Insights, organizations that align their employer branding efforts with their company culture see an average 30% increase in employee engagement levels.

Roles and Responsibilities in Employer Branding

Building and maintaining an effective employer brand requires collaboration across various departments within an organization. While the Human Resources (HR) team often leads employer branding efforts, other key stakeholders—such as C-suite executives, marketing teams, and line managers—play critical roles in shaping and promoting the company’s brand.

1. C-Suite Executives

C-suite executives, including the CEO and CHRO, are responsible for setting the overall strategic vision for employer branding. Their support is crucial in aligning the employer brand with the company’s mission, values, and long-term business goals. Executives must also allocate resources to ensure the success of employer branding initiatives.

• Key Role: Provide strategic direction and ensure alignment between the employer brand and business goals.

2. HR Team

The HR team typically leads the development and execution of employer branding strategies. This includes defining the Employer Value Proposition (EVP), managing employee engagement programs, and tracking recruitment and retention metrics. HR is responsible for understanding what employees and candidates value most and ensuring that the employer brand reflects these priorities.

• Key Role: Oversee the creation of the EVP and manage recruitment and employee engagement initiatives.

3. Marketing Team

The marketing team plays a critical role in employer branding by aligning it with the company’s overall brand strategy. This includes managing the communication of the employer brand through digital channels, social media, and recruitment marketing campaigns. The marketing team ensures that the employer brand messaging is consistent, engaging, and visible across all platforms.

• Key Role: Amplify the employer brand through content creation, social media, and recruitment marketing.

4. Line Managers

Line managers are the bridge between senior leadership and employees. They have direct contact with employees and play a key role in promoting the company’s values, culture, and work environment. Their involvement is crucial in ensuring that the employer brand is reflected in daily interactions and that employees feel connected to the company’s mission.

• Key Role: Reinforce the employer brand through direct employee engagement and consistent communication.

5. Employees as Advocates

Employees are the most authentic and trusted advocates for your employer brand. They share their experiences with potential candidates, whether through social media, review sites like Glassdoor, or word-of-mouth. Engaging employees in advocacy programs where they share their experiences publicly can strengthen your employer brand’s credibility.

• Key Role: Act as brand ambassadors by sharing authentic experiences that reinforce the employer brand.

6. Senior Management and Stakeholders

Senior management, including department heads and other key stakeholders, must ensure that the employer brand aligns with the company’s overall objectives and values. They provide feedback to the HR and marketing teams and play a role in integrating the employer brand into internal processes and policies.

• Key Role: Ensure that employer branding aligns with broader business goals and is integrated into daily operations.

Collaboration Across Teams

While different roles contribute to employer branding in unique ways, collaboration between these teams ensures the brand is consistently communicated both internally and externally. Regular coordination between HR, marketing, and senior leadership helps maintain a unified message and ensures that the employer brand evolves with changing employee and market expectations.

Crafting Your Employer Branding Strategy

Developing a strong employer branding strategy is essential for attracting, engaging, and retaining top talent. Your strategy should align with your company’s mission and values while showcasing what makes your organization unique as an employer. Below, we outline six critical steps to building a successful employer branding strategy that resonates with both candidates and employees.

1. Understand Your Target Audience

Effective employer branding starts with a deep understanding of your audience—both potential candidates and current employees. Take the time to identify the characteristics, motivations, and preferences of the talent you want to attract and retain. Develop detailed candidate personas that reflect the values, skills, and career goals of your ideal hires.

Pro Tip: Use data-driven insights from surveys, focus groups, or tools like Universum’s Employer Brand & Talent Insights to uncover what your audience values most in an employer. Tailor your messaging to reflect these priorities, whether it’s work-life balance, career development, or company culture.

2. Define Your Employer Value Proposition (EVP)

Your Employer Value Proposition (EVP) is the foundation of your employer brand. It represents the unique set of offerings, values, and benefits that employees receive in exchange for their skills and contributions. A well-defined EVP should align with your company’s mission and culture while clearly highlighting what sets your organization apart from competitors.

Actionable Tip: When crafting your EVP, ensure it reflects the authentic employee experience. If your company values innovation and professional growth, make sure your EVP highlights opportunities for learning and development. This consistency will resonate with candidates who share those values.

3. Create a Multi-Channel Communication Plan

To build a strong employer brand, your messaging needs to be consistent and visible across all touchpoints. Develop a communication plan that leverages multiple channels, such as your company’s website, social media platforms, and job boards, to reach a broader audience. Your careers page should be engaging and reflect your culture, while platforms like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Instagram can showcase employee stories and company events.

Example: Use social media to post behind-the-scenes content or culture videos that give candidates a real feel for what it’s like to work at your company. Employee testimonials or “day in the life” videos are powerful tools for showcasing your workplace culture in action.

4. Engage Your Current Employees

Your current employees play a crucial role in shaping your employer brand. Engage them in the process by promoting transparency, open communication, and fostering a sense of belonging. Employee advocacy programs, where team members share their experiences on social media, can amplify your employer branding efforts and make your messaging more authentic.

Case Study: Accelleron’s Data-Based EVP Strategy

Accelleron, a global leader in high-power turbocharging, provides an excellent example of how to engage employees while building a strong employer brand. After its spin-off from ABB, Accelleron partnered with Universum to create a data-driven Employee Value Proposition (EVP) that would reflect its identity as an independent company.

The challenge was to build an employer brand from scratch while managing a large, diverse workforce across 50 countries. By leveraging internal feedback and survey data, Accelleron created a globally valid EVP that aligned with the company’s HR priorities. This EVP not only shaped the company’s external recruitment efforts but also strengthened internal branding by engaging employees at all levels.

Key Insight: Despite the complexity of building a brand for such a diverse workforce, Accelleron’s data-driven approach resulted in a clear, globally consistent EVP that could be adapted to resonate locally with different employee groups.

While the specifics of the results are confidential, Accelleron has experienced enhanced visibility and recruitment success by engaging employees in the development of its EVP, ensuring the company’s values are consistently communicated across all channels.

Quote from Remo Aeschbacher, Head of Group Employer Branding & Talent Acquisition at Accelleron:
"Our EVP not only guides our HR marketing content and visuals but also serves as a training tool for recruiters, hiring managers, and HR stakeholders during candidate interviews. We amplify target-audience-specific EVP messaging through paid social media campaigns."

5. Measure and Refine Your Strategy

No strategy is complete without clear metrics for success. Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of your employer branding initiatives by tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), such as application rates, employee retention, and engagement levels. Use these insights to refine your approach and ensure your employer branding strategy stays aligned with your business goals and employee expectations.

Metrics to Watch: Measure your time to hire, quality of hire, and employee engagement scores to understand how your employer branding impacts overall recruitment and retention efforts.

6. Stay Adaptable to Industry Trends

Employer branding is a dynamic process that evolves with changing market conditions and workforce expectations. Stay up to date on industry trends, such as shifts in candidate preferences or emerging digital platforms, to keep your employer branding strategy relevant and competitive.

Future Trends: Themes like remote work, flexibility, and diversity and inclusion are shaping the future of employer branding. Make sure your strategy reflects these trends to stay competitive in attracting top talent.

Employer Value Proposition (EVP)

Your Employer Value Proposition (EVP) is at the core of your employer brand. It reflects the unique benefits, values, and experiences that your organization offers in exchange for the skills and expertise of your employees. A well-defined EVP not only attracts top talent but also retains your best employees by aligning with their personal and professional values.

Why is Your EVP Important?

A strong EVP isn’t just about perks or salaries—it’s about fostering an authentic relationship with your employees, built on trust, shared values, and a meaningful employee experience. It aligns your organizational goals with what employees are seeking in an employer, creating a clear, consistent message that resonates across both internal and external audiences.

Key benefits of a compelling EVP include:

• Improved Talent Attraction: A well-articulated EVP draws in candidates who share your organization’s values and culture.

• Stronger Employee Retention: Employees who connect with your EVP are more likely to stay engaged and committed to your organization long-term.

• Differentiation in the Market: In a competitive talent landscape, a unique EVP sets your company apart, giving you a competitive edge.

Case Study: SEB’s EVP Transformation

SEB, one of the largest financial services groups in the Nordics, faced challenges in attracting top talent in an increasingly competitive industry. To stand out, SEB partnered with Universum to develop a data-driven EVP that reflected the values and career aspirations of both current and prospective employees.

By leveraging Universum’s Talent Insights, SEB identified key attributes that resonated with its target talent pool, including opportunities for professional growth, work-life balance, and corporate social responsibility. This EVP was not only used to guide external recruitment campaigns but also embedded into SEB’s internal communications to boost employee engagement.

Impact: SEB, one of the largest financial services groups in the Nordics, implemented a data-driven EVP to better align with the values of younger talent, focusing on career development and social impact. This initiative helped SEB enhance its employer branding and position itself more strongly in a competitive financial services market.

Internal vs. External Employer Branding

Building a strong employer brand requires focusing on both internal and external branding efforts. Each plays a crucial role in shaping how your organization is perceived by current employees, potential candidates, and the wider public. Let’s explore how to balance these two elements effectively.

Internal Employer Branding

Internal employer branding is about creating a work environment that fosters employee satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty. It ensures that your employees not only understand your company’s mission and values but also experience them firsthand. The key to successful internal branding is aligning the employee experience with the promises you make as an employer.

Key Areas of Focus for Internal Branding:

1. Company Culture: Promote a positive and inclusive workplace culture that reflects your core values. Engaged employees who feel aligned with your mission are more likely to act as brand ambassadors, sharing their positive experiences both inside and outside the company.

2. Employee Development: Invest in your employees’ professional growth through training, mentorship, and development programs. Employees who see clear career paths are more motivated to stay, and they reinforce your employer brand through their long-term commitment.

3. Employee Engagement: Create opportunities for open communication and collaboration across all levels of the company. Regular feedback mechanisms like employee surveys and town halls ensure that your team feels heard and valued.

Real-World Example: Accelleron
Accelleron, following its spin-off from ABB, focused heavily on internal branding to build a strong identity as a standalone company. Through data-driven employee feedback and co-creation sessions, Accelleron developed an EVP that authentically represented its diverse, global workforce. This EVP became a cornerstone of its internal communications and helped the company foster higher employee engagement and satisfaction across 50 countries.

External Employer Branding

While internal branding focuses on the employee experience, external employer branding aims to attract potential candidates by promoting your company’s strengths, values, and culture to the wider public. This is often done through recruitment marketing campaigns, employer review sites, and social media.

Key Strategies for External Branding:

1. Employer Branding Campaigns: Design targeted recruitment marketing campaigns that highlight what makes your organization a desirable place to work. Showcase employee testimonials, “day in the life” videos, and culture-focused content across platforms like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Instagram to reach your audience.

2. Social Proof: Leverage reviews and testimonials from your current employees on platforms like Glassdoor or Indeed. Positive reviews help build trust with potential candidates by providing a transparent look into the employee experience.

3. Consistent Messaging: Ensure that your employer brand messaging is consistent across all external channels, from job postings to social media and beyond. Candidates should get a clear and unified sense of your company’s values, culture, and employee experience.

Pro Tip: Align your external branding efforts with your internal brand. A company that promotes a positive, inclusive work culture externally must ensure those values are reflected in the actual employee experience. Consistency between the two will strengthen your employer brand’s authenticity.

The Importance of Aligning Internal and External Branding

To build a cohesive and authentic employer brand, your internal and external efforts must be aligned. A company that engages employees internally while promoting an accurate and appealing message externally will be perceived as trustworthy and genuine by both employees and candidates.

Misalignment between what you promise externally and the actual employee experience can damage your employer brand, leading to higher turnover rates and decreased employee morale. Candidates who feel misled by an inaccurate employer brand may leave early, affecting both retention and recruitment costs.

By synchronizing internal and external branding, you ensure that your employer brand tells a consistent and compelling story—both to the employees you currently have and the talent you wish to attract.

Case Study: Accelleron’s Unified Branding Approach
Accelleron’s employer branding strategy involved creating an authentic, data-based EVP that shaped both its internal and external branding efforts. By aligning their internal employee engagement programs with external recruitment marketing campaigns, Accelleron built a consistent and powerful employer brand across all touchpoints. This unified approach doubled the average number of applications per position globally and increased their visibility among top engineering talent in Switzerland.

Employer Branding Tools and ROI

Building and maintaining a strong employer brand requires the right tools and strategies. By leveraging specific employer branding tools, you can streamline your branding efforts, track their effectiveness, and ultimately measure the return on investment (ROI) of your employer branding initiatives. Below, we explore the most effective tools for enhancing your employer brand and how they contribute to measurable business outcomes.

1. Career Sites and Employer Branding Platforms

Your company’s career site is often the first touchpoint for potential candidates. It’s a crucial platform for showcasing your employer brand, sharing your company’s values, and promoting your EVP. A well-optimized career site can significantly boost your talent attraction efforts by providing a clear, engaging, and authentic view of what it’s like to work at your company.

• Career Page Optimization: Ensure that your careers page reflects your company’s culture and values through employee stories, culture videos, and testimonials. It should also be user-friendly, mobile-optimized, and easy to navigate.

• Employer Branding Platforms: Tools like the Universum’s Employer Brand Insights Platform help companies understand candidate expectations, identify brand perception gaps, and tailor their messaging accordingly.

Pro Tip: Use recruitment analytics tools to track how well your career site is performing—metrics like visitor-to-application rates, bounce rates, and time spent on the site can give you insights into how candidates engage with your brand.

2. Social Media and Content Marketing

Social media is one of the most powerful tools for amplifying your employer brand. Platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Glassdoor allow companies to reach a larger audience, engage with potential candidates, and communicate their employer value proposition in a more dynamic, authentic way.

• Content Creation: Regularly post content that highlights your company’s culture, employee experiences, and achievements. Employee testimonials, “day in the life” videos, and behind-the-scenes posts can create an emotional connection with candidates.

• Social Proof: Encourage employees to share their work experiences on social media, amplifying your employer brand message through employee advocacy. Positive employee reviews on sites like Glassdoor help build trust and attract more qualified candidates.

3. Employee Advocacy Tools

Your employees are your most valuable brand ambassadors. Employee advocacy tools help engage your workforce by encouraging them to share their positive experiences on social media, increasing your employer brand’s visibility. Platforms like Smarp, Dynamic Signal, or LinkedIn Elevate can streamline and enhance employee advocacy efforts.

• Amplifying Your Reach: Employee-generated content is perceived as more authentic and trustworthy. By encouraging employees to share posts, photos, and videos about their work experiences, you extend your employer brand’s reach and credibility.

4. Recruitment Marketing Tools

A strong employer brand also requires effective recruitment marketing strategies that target the right candidates at the right time. Recruitment marketing tools like Beamery, SmartRecruiters, or Phenom People allow companies to create targeted campaigns, manage candidate pipelines, and track the performance of their recruitment marketing efforts.

• Targeted Campaigns: These tools enable companies to run highly targeted campaigns on job boards, social media, and search engines, attracting candidates who are aligned with your employer brand.

• Candidate Experience Management: By using automated nurturing campaigns, you can engage with passive candidates over time, ensuring they remain connected to your brand.

Pro Tip: Use data analytics from recruitment marketing platforms to refine your strategies. Monitor cost-per-application, cost-per-hire, and campaign conversion rates to understand where your employer branding efforts are paying off.

5. Measuring ROI for Employer Branding

Measuring the ROI of employer branding efforts is crucial to understanding the effectiveness of your strategies. Employer branding doesn’t just influence recruitment metrics—it also impacts employee engagement, retention, and overall business performance.

Key Metrics to Track:

• Cost-Per-Hire: A lower cost-per-hire often indicates that your employer brand is attracting more qualified candidates organically, reducing the need for expensive external recruitment agencies.

• Time-To-Fill: A strong employer brand can significantly reduce the time it takes to fill positions by attracting a larger pool of high-quality applicants early in the process.

• Employee Retention Rates: A compelling employer brand helps retain top talent by aligning your company’s values with employees’ expectations. Higher retention rates lead to lower turnover costs and more consistent team performance.

• Employee Engagement Scores: Engaged employees are more productive, loyal, and likely to stay with the company. Use regular surveys to measure engagement and track how employer branding initiatives influence these scores.

Employer Branding Best Practices

Building a strong employer brand requires both authenticity and strategy. By implementing these best practices, you can effectively attract top talent and retain engaged employees.

1. Be Authentic

Authenticity forms the backbone of a strong employer brand. Candidates and employees alike value honesty and transparency. When your messaging aligns with the real experiences of your workforce, you build trust and loyalty.

• How to apply this: Gather employee feedback to ensure your employer brand represents their actual experiences. Use authentic stories and testimonials in your messaging.

• Example: Patagonia’s employer branding reflects its environmental mission through its workplace practices and employee programs, aligning perfectly with its core values.

2. Tell a Story

Storytelling allows you to showcase your company’s mission, values, and unique culture in a relatable and impactful way.

• How to implement storytelling:

  • Share employee success stories on your website and social media.

  • Use video content to give candidates an inside look at your workplace culture.

3. Develop a Strong Employee Value Proposition (EVP)

A compelling EVP outlines what makes your organization unique as an employer. It acts as a promise to your employees and should be the foundation of your employer brand.

• How to refine your EVP: Conduct internal surveys and competitive analysis to ensure your EVP reflects both employee needs and market expectations.

• Pro tip: Ensure your EVP is highlighted across all candidate touchpoints, including job descriptions, career pages, and social media.

4. Leverage Employee Voices

Employees are your most credible brand ambassadors. Their genuine stories and experiences can amplify your brand’s reach and credibility.

• How to amplify employee advocacy:

  • Use platforms like LinkedIn Elevate or Bambu to empower employees to share their workplace experiences.

  • Host internal campaigns encouraging employees to share their achievements and team moments online.

5. Optimize the Candidate Experience

The recruitment process is often the first direct interaction candidates have with your company. Ensure it leaves a positive impression.

• How to enhance candidate experience:

  • Streamline your application process and provide timely feedback at every stage.

  • Use automation tools like chatbots for real-time candidate support while maintaining a human touch during interviews.

• Why it matters: 72% of candidates who have a negative recruitment experience share it online, impacting your brand reputation.

6. Stay Consistent Across Channels

Consistency in messaging ensures that your employer brand remains cohesive and trustworthy. Mixed signals can confuse candidates and erode trust.

• How to achieve consistency:

  • Develop a messaging framework and ensure all teams (HR, marketing, recruitment) use it across touchpoints.

  • Regularly audit your career site, job ads, and social media posts to maintain uniformity.

7. Embrace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Diversity and inclusion are critical components of a strong employer brand. Candidates want to work for organizations that celebrate different perspectives and foster belonging.

• How to showcase DEI:

  • Highlight your diversity initiatives, such as employee resource groups (ERGs) or mentorship programs.

  • Share employee stories that reflect diverse perspectives and career paths.

8. Measure and Adapt Your Strategy

Employer branding is not a one-and-done effort. Regular evaluation ensures that your strategy evolves with employee and market expectations.

• Key metrics to track:

  • Employee engagement scores and retention rates.

  • Glassdoor and LinkedIn reviews.

  • Employer brand sentiment using tools like Universum’s Employer Brand Analytics.

• How to adapt: Use these insights to refine messaging, improve processes, and remain competitive in your industry.

Ready to enhance your employer brand?

Building a strong employer brand is an ongoing process that requires strategic planning, consistent effort, and continuous improvement. By focusing on authenticity, engaging your employees, and effectively communicating your value proposition, you can attract and retain the talent your organization needs to thrive.

• Assess Your Current Employer Brand: Conduct an employer brand audit to identify your strengths and areas for improvement.

• Develop a Strategy: Create a plan that aligns with your business goals.

• Seek Expert Guidance: Consider consulting with Universum’s employer branding specialists for tailored advice.