In the ever-changing landscape of recruitment, it is simply not an option to ignore the impact of your employer brand on talent acquisition; retention of top-performing individuals; and competitive edge in your sector. Job seekers are not just looking for a paycheck, they are extensively researching companies to ensure they align with their values and purpose.
Before even beginning the application process, today's candidates are deep-diving into your company’s mission and culture, through a multitude of sources that you may not even be aware of. Social media platforms and review sites reveal far more than you might realise about employee experience and growth opportunities; team cohesion; candidate experience; and customer experience. Without a leading employer reputation, top talent will simply avoid your company altogether.
‘86% of job seekers wanted to research company reviews before they applied for a posting, and 50% of the workers surveyed would not consider an employer with a poor reputation even if the compensation package offered was higher’ Careernet
The Rise of Talent Scarcity
Not only are candidates conducting more thorough analysis of companies, there is also the prevalent issue of talent scarcity for employers in today’s market. Following the pandemic, we witnessed a significant increase in remote work. Despite being a positive shift for many professionals, it has certainly made the world of talent acquisition and retention more complex to navigate. Far gone are the days where companies were simply competing against those within a specific geographical area. At the mercy of the rapidly-evolving digital landscape, you have entered a global competition, which has given a great deal of power to candidates, who now have a world (literally) of choice and access.
The Enormity of Employer Branding
Employer branding does not simply affect talent acquisition; it is far bigger than that. There is no doubt that it has a notable impact on recruitment, but this is just one of a vast range of areas within your company that are significantly affected. In essence, what may have once been considered as simply a buzzword, is in fact a huge decider of your company’s success. When a company’s employer brand is strong, it has a knock-on effect on every area of the company.
‘Strong employer branding impacts varied areas of the company’s performance, such as talent acquisition and recruitment, employee engagement and retention, culture and values, cohesive team dynamics, innovation, productivity, competition, employee advocacy, and, accordingly, public perception and reputation’ : Ivy Exec
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From an economic and temporal perspective, it is undeniable that a stronger employer brand is hugely beneficial - lower hiring costs and reduced time-to-hire are both directly linked: A company’s strong employer brand ensures that when a position opens up, top talent; who are aligned with your clearly-defined purpose, are eager and quick to apply. A higher reputation means that the recruitment process is significantly more efficient, with no need for costly and laborious efforts to ensure that job openings are visible to the right candidates. It is even suggested that candidates are more likely to accept jobs with a lesser pay increase if they regard the company highly.
‘Participants shown positive reviews required an average pay increase of between 35-40 percent for a job similar to the one they are doing now. But participants shown neutral reviews of a company required a higher average pay increase (45-50 percent more), while those who saw negative employee reviews required an even higher pay increase (55-60 percent more)’ PR Newswire
Internal Leadership and Employee Well-being: The Basis of Talent Attraction
Strong leadership style, built on recognition; transparency; and responsiveness, has a powerful impact on talent attraction. When combined with a deliberate focus on strengthening company culture; values; and diversity and inclusion, the result is: a) talent attraction, and b) improved employee retention; performance; and wellbeing.
According to Glassdoor when companies take the time to respond to reviews, 71% of users say their perception of that company improves. The research shows that 65% of employees feel burnout when they don't feel connected to their workplace, compared to just 35% of employees who do feel connected.
Forget your recruitment marketing strategies, a positive employer brand grows from within - it is impossible to showcase yourself as a market-leading company, when employee feedback tells a completely different story. Focusing on employee needs and voice (via employee satisfaction surveys for example) is crucial when optimising your employer branding strategy. Positive employee stories, online reviews, and word-of-mouth are the most effective form of marketing. By truly taking into account employee feedback, and genuinely caring about improving employee experience and company culture, employee loyalty increases - they know that your company is one of the best places to work, and they become your brand ambassadors.
With employees creating social media posts; and career review sites reflecting strong brand attributes, applications from top talent who are well-suited to your company’s mission; values; and culture come flooding in. They want in - they know that they can trust that you're an employee-centric company because they are hearing it from the people who matter the most. Your employees - your brand advocates - will do the company branding for you: because when employees themselves showcase a company with a diverse workforce; team cohesion; job security; and employee well-being and benefits, top talent are naturally drawn in.
The Domino Effect
A feedback loop between the drivers of employer branding strategies and the outcomes of employer brand exists for every company. For those that optimise their employer branding strategies and monitor their talent brand, it could look something like this:
Company optimises branding strategies and monitors talent brand
↓
Improved Employer Value Proposition, social media presence and clear mission and values
↓
Employee satisfaction
↓
Increased employee retention rates
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Positive testimonials and word-of-mouth from employees
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Decreased time-to-hire and recruitment marketing costs
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High-performing candidates apply to the company
This is an example of an employer branding success cycle. On the flip side, for the companies who cannot optimise and monitor their employer brand - the chain becomes a downward spiral. Whilst some become lost in the sea of ‘average’ companies, overtaken by leading competitors, others encounter serious problems: talent ghosting, offer rejections, employee attrition and significant external perception issues - and once a company’s employer brand is driven so far down, it becomes very challenging, if not impossible, to improve it.
In 2025, your employer brand isn’t just a marketing tool, it's the backbone of your ability to attract, retain, and inspire the people who will drive your business forward. For the most successful companies, it’s not a question of if they should invest in their employer brand, but how fast they can evolve it. In a landscape where reputation travels faster than job postings, where culture is king, and where job seekers now hold the power, if you don’t proactively shape and monitor your employer brand, you risk falling into irrelevance, as the top performers of the next generation of talent steer away from you and into the hands of your competitors. Invest in it correctly, and you guarantee a high-performing workforce and a market-leading company.
