Why don't TA leaders see the value of employer branding?
10 reasons I keep hearing over and over again.
So obvs, I talk about employer brand a lot. Duh.
But I was thinking the other day, what are the things that people (prospects, clients, peers, leaders, conference attendees, comments, etc) that people push back on?
So here they are. The ten most common myths about employer branding that keep companies from getting value out of it.
They think EB = ads & aesthetics. They see a logo, career site polish, and slogans rather than a system that shapes who notices you, believes you, and chooses you across the entire hiring journey.
They optimize for volume, not fit. Cost-per-applicant and time-to-fill obscure the real levers: cost-per-qualified-conversation, offer-win rate vs. specific competitors, and time-to-competence.
They ignore the “shadow funnel.” Most right-fit talent isn’t actively applying today; brand creates future demand (memory, preference, intent) so tomorrow’s hiring isn’t a cold start.
They assume the consumer brand carries them. Candidate value props are different; your company’s market reputation doesn’t have a clear connection to answering the question, “why I should do my life’s best work here.”
They believe differentiation lives in perks. Look. Everyone says they have a great culture and great benefits and great people. Everyone. Your differentiation lives in the work: problems, pace, autonomy, decision rights, managers, mission, constraints, how you resolve differences, how you celebrate, how you win, etc.
They treat EB as a project, not a compounding asset. Stop-start campaigns reset momentum over and over again. EB works (and compounds!) when you have a consistent set of reasons why people should choose you over others and embed them in every single touchpoint.
They don’t “price” the hidden waste. When they do the math of what it costs to hire, they forget about things like offer declines, backfills in the first 180 days, and hiring-manager thrash burn cash and time. A clear employer brand dramatically cuts those costs.
They overweight the obvious messages. When you say you’re supportive on your career site, that’s a claim. But no one actually believes it until they see it in your job posting, social content, interview questions, ATS interactions, etc. Just because you can say something in 120 point font doesn’t mean it’s making an impact.
They fear specificity. Fear is the right word, as the urge to appeal to “everyone” drives generic claims that appeal strongly to no one keeps attracting “meh” candidates and making the company invisible to the people they want to hire.
They separate EB from business outcomes. EB is a performance tool: it increases pipeline quality, raises offer acceptance without overpaying, shortens ramp, and stabilizes retention.
We gotta stop playing with employer branding like it’s a toy. It is a business driver, provided you think about it as such. Provided you talk about it as such. Provided you measure it as such.
If your employer brand isn't making it easier and faster to make more strategic decisions that grow the company, you don't have an employer brand.
You have a bumper sticker.
-James
P.S. Where’s the world’ largest repository of employer branding materials? I know! I know!
-J
P.P.S. Think your employer brand is working? Don’t hope. Don’t guess. Know.