Employer Branding During Crisis: Navigating Messaging with Empathy and Strategy as Hurricane Milton Approaches

Hurricane Milton just intensified into a Category 5 storm, and is about to hit the Southeastern United States fresh off the heels of Hurricane Helene. While it would be easy for those of us not in the Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina to continue “business as usual” (BAU), this situation calls for Employer Branders and Recruitment Marketers pause, reassess, and realign their strategies immediately. No one wants to be caught sending a scheduled campaign during a time when lives and communities are once again being deeply impacted. The cost of appearing tone-deaf is high—both in terms of public trust and your employer brand’s integrity.

Let's review how to ensure your messaging doesn’t backfire in moments of crisis and natural disasters, such as this one:

1. Stop and Review All Automated Content—Now

Automation is great, but not in a crisis. Take a beat to halt all non-essential automated messages across your platforms. This includes email campaigns, social posts, and even paid ads running in areas directly affected by the hurricane. Ads promoting recruitment or employer brand messaging in these regions can come across as tone-deaf and insensitive when people are dealing with evacuation, damage, or loss. Anything that comes off as BAU right now can seriously hurt your brand perception.

If you have national campaigns running, it's worth reviewing their tone and content, even in regions not directly impacted by the disaster. Ads that seem unrelated to the current situation could appear out of touch, even if they’re not in the affected areas. Messaging should be adjusted to reflect empathy and the current reality. For example, general ads could briefly mention the company's support efforts or focus on softer, team unity or people-focused messaging rather than posts or ads focused on conversion CTAs.

Depending on the scale of the disaster and its impact on the broader national conversation, it may be appropriate to halt paid ads entirely for a short period. This is particularly true if the natural disaster dominates media coverage, as most promotional messages will be overshadowed (which isn't a great use of your spend, anyway). It can also be seen as a respectful gesture, and signals your company recognizes the gravity of the situation.

Ultimately, it is important to redirect your focus toward showing support for affected employees and communities rather than driving promotional content in these areas. A well-intentioned campaign can quickly become a PR nightmare if it doesn’t acknowledge the larger situation. Your responsibility to your organization is to ensure your employer brand comes off as having the situational awareness necessary to shift gears when it’s needed most.

2. Empathy is Non-Negotiable

It’s not enough to stay quiet, and this is an area where too many employers get it wrong. The right move is to actively acknowledge what’s happening—especially for those with team members in impacted areas. A message that shows care for those affected should be table stakes. This isn’t about jumping into relief efforts for show; it’s about authentically aligning with the human element of your brand. People will remember how you responded during this crisis, so demonstrate genuine empathy without forcing your employer brand into the spotlight.

Sometimes, this looks like a simple post that shares what you're doing to help your employees, team members, and the broader communities your company serves. That said, Lowe's serves as both a "do this" and a "not that" example with their posts surrounding Hurricane Helene. They posted a fantastically supportive message from their corporate Instagram account, pledging disaster relief and highlighting their efforts in the aftermath. On their careers handle, however, it was business as usual the day Helene made landfall, followed by silence for several days. As you can see below, this results in some messaging dissonance for anyone looking back at their Instagram presence.

Is this the end of the world for Lowe's employer brand? No. But is it ideal? Definitely not. It does highlight how "brand silence" or inconsistent messaging can later drive misalignment and misunderstanding of what was a well-intentioned post. Perhaps more importantly, it’s a missed opportunity to show candidates how they're likely to be treated as employees during a time of crisis and to provide another external validation point that employees truly matter.

3. Focus on Supporting Employees and Candidates

Your internal teams and candidates may be directly impacted. Your communication should reflect that you’re prioritizing their safety and well-being. Ensure internal resources are readily available and clearly communicated. From offering flexibility in deadlines to providing mental health resources, your focus should be on showing tangible support. Candidates who see that you truly care about your employees are more likely to see your company as a place that values people over profits.

Make sure your people in likely-to-be affected areas know how to file with FEMA, what emergency services are available to them in their area(s) and how to reach them. If your budget allows for it, consider working with your leadership to create and deploy care package or allowances to help your team members in evacuation zones. You can find those here: https://www.tampa.gov/emergency-management/info/find-your-evacuation-zone

4. Dial Back the Sales Pitch

Right now, and likely for the rest of the week, any messaging that feels overly promotional or focused on self-promotion (like recruitment targets) is going to fall flat—or worse, risk backlash for appearing insensitive. This isn’t the time to push aggressive recruitment campaigns or aim for employer brand market growth. Instead, lean into messaging that highlights the values your organization stands by in difficult times. Focus on community support, internal unity, and any contributions to disaster relief. Make sure your messaging aligns with the current reality and reflects empathy and awareness.

5. Postpone Big Announcements

If you’ve got major recruitment initiatives, product launches, or employer brand announcements lined up, press pause. Timing is everything, and a poorly timed announcement during a national crisis could not only get ignored but also spark criticism. Let your audience focus on what matters most right now—and let them know you’re not only aware of it too, you're there to help.

Tone Matters—Stay Human

Natural disasters are a stark reminder no matter how sophisticated our campaigns become, the core of recruitment marketing and employer branding is human connection. Right now, Hurricane Milton requires our empathy, restraint, and adaptability. Employer Branders and Recruitment Marketers need to stay hyper-aware, not only of the physical impact of the storm, but also of how messaging will ultimately resonate emotionally with their audiences.

In times of crisis, we have a choice: proceed with business as usual or demonstrate true leadership through thoughtful, caring communication. The latter is always the right move.

Thanks for reading. Stay safe, be thoughtful, and ensure that your employer brand’s voice remains compassionate and responsive in the face of adversity.