What is Employer Branding?

From Glassdoor reviews to your social media presence, your brand reputation is a key factor in attracting and retaining top talent. Employer branding is more than a buzzword–it's a competitive edge when it comes to talent acquisition. A positive employer brand is critical with 88% of job seekers considering a company's employer brand before applying.

Let's take a look at employer branding, what it is, and some tips for managing your brand image.

What is Employer Branding?

Employer branding is your organization's reputation and image as an employer. It is the sum-total of your public-facing communications and actions, encompassing your values, culture, work environment, and employee value proposition. There is a strong overlap between your brand's reputation from a marketing perspective and from an employer branding perspective. However, employer branding is a specific subset of this reputation and closely relates to your relationship with your employees.

The Importance of Employer Branding

Your employer brand must be a key pillar in your talent acquisition strategy. How your brand is perceived by candidates has a direct impact on your ability to attract high-quality applicants. According to a study conducted by LinkedIn, the number one obstacle for candidates when searching for a job is not being familiar with what it's like to work at a company. In fact, that same study found that 75% of job seekers consider an employer's brand before applying for a job.

Employer brand is critically important for recruiting for Millennials and Gen Z candidates. Research shows that Gen Z spends more than four hours a day on social media, so this is a great starting point for your employer branding strategy. Employer review sites like Glassdoor also provide insight into what it's like to work for your company, often giving a candid look into a day-in-the-life of operations at the workplace.

In today's day and age, transparency goes hand-in-hand with reputation management. The modern digital environment ensures that candidates can get a deeper understanding of who you are, what it's like to work at your company, and what current and past employees think of their experiences. The key to employer branding is taking a proactive, holistic approach to build a healthy employer brand that makes a case for why you provide a solid workplace.

Key Components of an Effective Employer Brand

Your employer branding strategy needs to consider three components:

• Reputation
• Proposition
• Experience

Reputation

Building a reputation as an employer starts with how your employees feel about their work and how they share those experiences. Employee advocacy is a powerful piece of this puzzle. When employees have genuinely positive experiences, they talk about it—they share posts on social media, they recommend your company to friends. This kind of advocacy amplifies your brand without any direct effort. It’s all about creating an environment where people feel respected and valued enough to spread the word.

Transparent communication is another pillar of reputation. Keeping things open and honest with your employees builds trust. Regular updates and clear policies help prevent misunderstandings. When you’re upfront, your employees know they’re in the loop and that you’ve got nothing to hide. It’s simple, but it’s essential.

Being responsive to feedback shows that you value your team’s input. If you actively listen and make changes when you can, it’s not just about hearing them out—it’s about showing that you’re committed to growth. And then there’s the candidate experience. How you handle the hiring process matters. When it’s smooth and respectful, candidates leave with a good impression, even if they don’t get the job. That positive experience stays with them and impacts how they talk about your company.

Proposition (Employer Value Proposition - EVP)

Your Employer Value Proposition (EVP) is your promise to employees—the deal. It lays out what they’ll get in return for their hard work. Think about benefits like competitive pay, healthcare, chances for career growth. A strong EVP speaks directly to what your ideal candidates want.

Aligning your EVP with company values is key. If innovation drives your company, let that shine. Show that you value creativity, taking risks, career development. When your EVP reflects your company’s mission, employees know what they’re signing up for and how it ties into the bigger picture.

It’s also smart to tailor your EVP for different talent segments. People at different stages of their careers want different things. Entry-level hires might look for learning and growth, while seasoned professionals may seek leadership opportunities. This flexibility helps your EVP reach a wider audience and makes it feel relevant to everyone. Beyond pay, your EVP should cover the whole work experience: balance, culture, stability, meaningful work. When these align with personal goals, the EVP doesn’t just list benefits—it tells a story that resonates.

Experience

The employee experience begins the moment a new hire steps in. That’s why a structured onboarding process is so important. A warm welcome and clear guidance help them feel part of the team right away. This first impression matters—it sets the tone for their entire journey with you.

Continuous development opportunities keep things fresh. Providing learning resources, training, and growth paths keeps employees engaged. You’re not just offering them a job; you’re offering a chance to grow. This commitment to their future builds loyalty and motivation.

Recognition matters too. Having systems in place for recognizing and rewarding contributions reinforces a culture of appreciation. Whether it’s a shout-out from peers or formal recognition, these small acts can have a big impact.

And then there’s the work environment. Whether physical or virtual, it needs to support productivity and well-being. A supportive management style, inclusivity, and a focus on work-life balance are essential here.

Don’t overlook the exit process either. A thoughtful departure process leaves a lasting positive impression, and former employees often go on to be some of your strongest ambassadors. They talk, they share their experiences, and that can draw future talent your way.

Steps to Building a Strong Employer Branding Strategy

To build a strong employer brand strategy, it’s important to approach the process strategically, setting a clear foundation that aligns with your company’s values and goals. We recommend a straightforward, seven-step plan to guide you through this process:

• Define the Employer Value Proposition (EVP)
• Develop a Strategic Communication Plan
• Execute with Consistency
• Leverage Technology and Data
• Foster a Culture of Transparency and Trust
• Focus on Continuous Improvement and Adaptation
• Align with Corporate Social Responsibility and DEIB Initiatives

Define the Employer Value Proposition (EVP)

The first step is defining your employer value proposition. It’s key here to understand employee values, so you’ll want to conduct in-depth research internally to uncover what your employees value and what the roles and experiences within your organization entail. You want to understand what engagement drivers exist—are people interested in professional development, do they value DEIB, or are they looking for work-life balance?

It’s also worth looking at what your competitors are doing. Identify gaps and opportunities by analyzing competitor EVPs, or see what employees are saying on social media or review sites like Glassdoor. Make sure that your EVP aligns with your organizational goals and that it fits within your core mission, vision, and long-term objectives.

Develop a Strategic Communication Plan

Once you have your EVP in place, the next step is to develop a strong strategic communication plan. This is really about content planning. Make sure you have a calendar to support continuous and coordinated messaging across digital and other platforms. This approach helps reinforce your company’s value proposition and keeps the messaging top of mind. Include internal events too—things that aren’t publicly available or in the public domain.

A key aspect of public storytelling for your EVP and employer branding is using storytelling techniques that convey authentic employee experiences. Consider videos like “a day in the life” or employee testimonials, and share fun images from internal events. It’s also essential to have a clear plan for responding to negative feedback, showing transparency, integrity, and respect. For example, if you get a negative review on Glassdoor, think about how you’ll respond in a way that upholds your brand’s integrity.

Execute with Consistency

Your employer branding strategy should be executed with consistency. The best practice here is to establish detailed brand guidelines specifically for employer branding. This ensures that you maintain visual and tonal consistency across all platforms, so you have the same voice on social media, job boards, and other career sites. Internally, focus on training and alignment by engaging HR, marketing, and recruitment teams to help create cohesive messaging and brand representation across all employee and candidate touchpoints.

Regularly audit these touchpoints. Evaluate how you’re performing across various channels with both candidates and employees. Are exit interviews a pain point that could be improved? Can candidate screening be made faster and more effective? Lastly, consider an employee advocacy program to empower employees to share their own stories and experiences on social platforms and other venues. The key is to have an employer brand that feels genuine and relatable, infused with voices that employees and candidates can connect with.

Leverage Technology and Data

Your employer branding should impact the data and metrics around your human resources and recruiting practices. There are many tools available to help with this. For instance, you could personalize candidate experiences using AI tools to tailor interactions and even offer job recommendations based on their preferences and past interactions.

Data-driven insights and analytics tools can also bring effectiveness to employer branding, helping you measure everything from engagement metrics to candidate conversion rates. Using integrated systems like an applicant tracking system (ATS) that syncs with your employer branding tools can streamline candidate management and create a seamless experience. Remember, the experience that candidates have—whether they’re hired or not—still affects the overall brand in the marketplace.

Foster a Culture of Transparency and Trust

Ultimately, your employer brand is an extension of the relationship you have with your employees. They are your best advocates in the marketplace, so fostering a culture of transparency and trust is critical. To do this, keep communication open and provide a platform for sharing achievements and areas for improvement openly. This builds trust and a sense of shared purpose.

Regularly update employees on their progress and goals, showing your commitment to their growth. Share updates on company goals, performance, and future plans, reinforcing each employee’s role in the company’s long-term success. Platforms like Glassdoor let you encourage authentic employee voices in the public domain. Promoting honest employee reviews and experiences can attract new candidates while also providing a space for sometimes anonymous feedback from your team.

Have an internal mechanism for handling constructive feedback. Address negative reviews with transparency, and highlight improvements and a proactive approach to resolving challenges. Ensure employees feel safe sharing critical feedback about management or processes in a constructive way, while also offering opportunities for growth and areas for them to improve.

Focus on Continuous Improvement and Adaptation

Continuous improvement and adaptation are key components of a strong employer brand. Employees and candidates respect organizations that take feedback seriously and use it to improve. Make sure you have a feedback loop for new hires, current employees, and even those who decline offers, to understand their perceptions of your brand and gather input on how to enhance it.

Stay informed on industry trends and adjust your employer brand strategy to reflect changes in candidate expectations. For example, as newer generations like Millennials and Gen Z increasingly use social media, it’s important to develop a social media strategy for your employer brand. Benchmark your employer brand against others in your field, identifying areas for enhancement and opportunities to stay competitive.

Align with Corporate Social Responsibility and DEIB Initiatives

Showcasing your organization’s commitment to social and environmental goals is a vital part of employer branding. It’s a chance to engage with your community and give employees an opportunity to contribute to meaningful causes. Social responsibility helps employees feel involved in the community, making an impact that aligns with your company’s broader mission.

Promote your diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives, emphasizing how a diverse workplace strengthens and enhances innovation. Building authentic partnerships with nonprofit organizations can also reinforce your brand values, attract socially conscious talent, and advance your mission. By highlighting these commitments, you attract candidates who share these values and want to be part of a socially responsible organization.

Employer Branding and Partnering with a Talent Acquisition Advisor

An employer branding strategy is a multi-faceted, multi-channel approach. It involves digital channels, offline channels, and a cohesive, holistic strategy for both existing employees and your candidate pipeline. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by all the aspects of employer branding, many top organizations partner with talent acquisition advisors like AMS to strengthen their strategies.

With the guidance of an advisor like AMS, you benefit from seasoned expertise and a host of advantages, including:

• Strategic insight into market trends
• Customized employer branding solutions
• Access to advanced technology and analytics
• Expertise in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB)
• Experience with diverse industries and brands
• Refinement and enhancement of the candidate experience
• Support for employer brand amplification across digital channels
• Continuous optimization and support
• Access to a comprehensive toolkit and resources

Employer Branding in the Real World: The LHC Group Case Study

To see how employer branding works in practice, let’s look at the partnership between AMS and LHC Group, a leading provider of value-based healthcare in the U.S., focusing on in-home patient care. With over 29,000 employees and nearly 1,000 agency locations, LHC Group faces ongoing recruiting demands, including nearly 3,000 open positions every month. For LHC Group, building a strong employer brand was essential to attracting healthcare professionals and filling these positions. They wanted to position themselves as the employer of choice in a highly competitive field, appealing to candidates who shared their values and were looking for long-term careers.

AMS helped LHC Group leverage storytelling to shape their employer brand and communicate a compelling employee value proposition (EVP). Through a process of research and discovery, AMS crafted a brand narrative and target personas that allowed them to deliver a personalized EVP message that resonated with LHC Group’s target audience—those seeking meaningful work within a supportive community. A key part of the strategy included redesigning LHC Group’s career website, which featured the theme "A Career That Calls You Home." The website used doodle animations over photos and videos to give an authentic glimpse into LHC Group’s culture and values.

To ensure consistent brand messaging, AMS developed a toolkit for LHC Group’s recruiters. This toolkit included resources on verbal brand identity, visual assets, social media templates, and persona-specific messaging, empowering recruiters to convey a cohesive brand message across thousands of locations. The impact was substantial: LHC Group saw a 7% increase in social media engagement metrics, a 67% rise in Google Ads engagement, and a 32% decrease in cost per click. They also observed a 33% reduction in cost per application. This example demonstrates how a well-executed employer brand can drive recruiting success and significantly improve talent acquisition metrics.

Leveraging Talent Acquisition Expertise for Employer Branding Success

As you can see from this post, building a strong employer brand is a strategic advantage you should absolutely consider if you don’t already have a well-defined brand. Crafting a compelling employee value proposition and establishing clear guidelines for your employer brand playbook are key steps in developing and maintaining a strategic edge in a competitive talent acquisition marketplace.

Partnering with a talent acquisition advisor like AMS allows you to leverage the expertise and insights of an experienced advisor who understands industry trends and has access to the latest digital tools. A skilled partner will bring a toolkit of resources to help you strengthen your employer brand and attract top candidates. If you’re interested in learning more about improving your employer brand, get in touch with AMS today.