Employer branding is more than a talent acquisition buzzword—it’s the critical intersection of a company’s identity as an employer and the lived experiences of its employees. It’s time to open the aperture on the term “employer brand” and focus on what it is: understanding people, culture, and the employment relationship. 

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It’s more than a nice-to-have. 

In today’s competitive talent market, employer brand isn’t optional. As we approach 2025, it’s essential to attract and retain the right talent you need to deliver products, services, and experiences to your customers. 

When I began my career as an agency recruiter in the late 1990s, I loved connecting great candidates with opportunities with my clients. Over time, I went in-house as a corporate recruiter and noticed something: the external promises we made to candidates needed to reflect the internal, lived employee experience. To not do so is to sell false promises—and people will leave. 

One of the biggest challenges in employer brand is bridging the gap between what a company promises externally and what employees experience day-to-day. Developing an employer brand that will drive results first requires looking inward—conducting confidential surveys and unbiased focus groups to understand real employee experiences. This comes well before crafting external messages and snappy taglines. At exaqueo, we emphasize creating brand narratives, pillars, and positioning that are grounded in research, authentic to the organization, and resonate with employees at all levels. 

Once defined, integrating those brand promises consistently across all organizational levels is key. Every touchpoint should reinforce the brand’s core values, from onboarding to leadership communications, from hire to retire. Whether you’re enhancing job postings, optimizing your internal and external careers sites, or leveraging other communication platforms, your employer brand underscores how your organization shows up as an employer. 

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Authenticity is the foundation of strategy. 

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Activation is the fun part of the work. 

Start by understanding your employee experience, align your brand narrative with reality, and amplify it using words, creative assets, technology, and people. 

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Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Tony Moore, head of marketing at Timpl, a recruitment and staffing firm. We shared some laughs, covered many topics, and provided several tips along the way.

Visit the Tiimpl page for more content, the full video, and a podcast recording.

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