How to Create an Employer Brand That Works: And Why You Need to Validate

Employer branding is not just about the look of your company’s page on social media – it is about the authenticity of the experience that you provide and the authenticity of the experience that you provide throughout the entire process. But here’s the catch: if your employer brand isn’t validated, you’re just guessing.

This is how to create a good employer branding strategy and why it is necessary to test it:

1. Know What You Want to Achieve First.

Do you want to attract tech talent? Improve retention? Boost employee engagement? Your employer branding should be in line with the larger business and hiring goals and not something that is good to have.

2. Understand Your Target Audience and the Brand Image You Want to Create

Your employer brand is either present or not, whether you put effort into it or not. So, you need to take a step back and ask:

• What are the candidate and employee opinions? (You can check out Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and exit interviews.)
• Where are we present? (Are we present in the right platforms?)
• Are we up to date with the latest trends? (Include remote work, AI, DEI, and salary transparency.)

A good employer brand is not only a good story to tell but also the truth.

3.The Alignment of the EVP with the Actual Experience of the Company

Your Employer Value Proposition (EVP) should be the actual experience of the employees, not the marketing slogan.

So, check if your EVP is genuine by asking:

• What do we provide? (Career progression, flexibility, benefits?)
• Where and how is it being done? (Job ads, social media, interview.)
• Does it conform to what employees say from the inside? (If not, then correct it.)

If your EVP overpromises and underdelivers, you’ll lose trust fast.

4. Act and Manage Resources Effectively

An employer branding strategy that is implemented without action is just a talk.

Decide:

• What campaigns will help to bring our EVP to life? (Videos, employee stories, events?)
• Who is responsible for the employer branding? (HR? Marketing? Several of them?)
• Where do we spend money? (Paid ads, recruitment events, social media content?)

You shouldn’t stretch your resources across too many areas – rather, you should focus on what produces the most significant results.

5. Validate, Measure and Tune

Your employer brand should be dynamic. You should see what is working and making changes to it.

• Look at the engagement and hiring rates (Are your candidates and employees interacting with your content?)
• Get feedback from your employees and new hires (Are the expectations in sync with the actual situation?)
• Competitive Analysis (Are you above or below your competitors?)

A validated employer brand:

? Attracts the right talent

? Is consistent with the employee experience

? Contributes to the achievement of business objectives.

Final Thoughts

It’s not just about having a great employer brand — it’s about having one that is real and can be sustained. Validate your strategy, listen to the feedback, and never stop optimizing. This is how you develop a brand people really want to work for.

Want to chat about employer branding? Let’s connect.