Flying Your Colors

I've always found employer branding interesting because organizations sometimes think of it as something they need to create from scratch. In reality, their employer brand is already taking shape every day, whether they're actively managing it or not. Employees are discussing their experiences, candidates are forming impressions during interviews, and former employees are sharing opinions about what it was like to work there.

Recruitment advertising and careers websites are important parts of that picture, but they don't exist independently of everything else. A beautifully designed campaign may attract someone's attention, yet the impression it creates can change quickly if the application process is frustrating, recruiters don't communicate consistently, or the workplace feels very different from what was promised.

I've seen organizations concentrate considerable effort on communicating why people should want to work for them without first examining whether those messages accurately reflect the employee experience. That's where employer branding can become more about presentation than substance.

For example, a company may describe its culture as collaborative and supportive, but if employees consistently experience limited communication or little involvement in decisions, that message becomes difficult to sustain. Another organization might emphasize advancement opportunities without considering whether employees can actually see a path for professional growth.

The issue isn't that every employee must have the same experience or that employers can eliminate every workplace challenge. No organization can make that promise. What matters is recognizing the difference between what the organization wants to be known for and what people genuinely experience.

When those two things align, recruitment messaging becomes more credible. Candidates gain a clearer understanding of the opportunity, and the organization is better positioned to attract individuals whose expectations are compatible with the workplace.

That's the kind of alignment I want to help organizations explore. Before deciding what an employer should say about itself, I believe it's worth understanding what makes the employment experience meaningful, distinctive, and believable.

An effective employer brand draws from more than a collection of attractive statements about workplace culture. It reflects the organization's identity, the value employees receive from working there, and the experiences that shape how people feel about their employment.

When I evaluate employer branding, I look at several connected areas to understand whether the organization has a clear and credible story to tell.

When an organization asks for help with employer branding, I don't want to begin by developing a new slogan or redesigning its careers page. Those elements may eventually become part of the work, but first I need to understand what the organization actually offers employees and how that experience compares with what it currently communicates.

I like to start by discussing the organization's recruiting challenges, business priorities, culture, and the types of people it hopes to attract. I also want to understand how leaders describe the workplace, what employees value about their experience, and whether there are differences between the employer's intended identity and the perceptions held by candidates or employees.

Depending on the engagement, that may involve reviewing recruitment advertising, careers content, candidate communications, employee feedback, employer reputation, or other relevant information. In some cases, the organization already has a well-defined employer value proposition, but its recruitment messaging doesn't communicate that value particularly effectively. In other situations, the employer may need to do more foundational work to understand what truly distinguishes it.

I pay particular attention to the connection between audience and message. Something that appeals to one candidate group may not be especially meaningful to another. An employer recruiting experienced professionals may need to emphasize different aspects of its employment experience than it would when attracting entry-level employees, while maintaining a consistent overall employer identity.

Once those considerations are clearer, I can help identify opportunities to strengthen the employer value proposition, refine recruitment messaging, improve content, and develop a more consistent approach to communicating with candidates. The recommendations should reflect the organization's actual circumstances and the resources available to put them into practice.

I also believe there's value in being straightforward about areas where the workplace experience may need attention. If employees consistently identify a concern that contradicts the employer's recruitment messaging, changing the words alone isn't likely to solve the problem.

My goal is to help organizations communicate what makes them attractive employers in a way that is relevant, credible, and sustainable. Strong employer branding should make it easier for the right people to understand the opportunity and decide whether it's a good fit for them.