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It’s no secret that employer branding has become a critical component of talent acquisition. But in a crowded marketplace, what will set apart a strong employer brand from the rest of the pack? As hiring slows in a shaky economy, should employers continue to invest in employer branding and, if so, what are the right messages to send to candidates right now?

These were some of the questions addressed by John Graham, VP of employer brand, diversity, and culture at Shaker Recruitment Marketing, and Ed Nathanson, VP of talent and talent branding at pharmaceutical company EQRx, at a LinkedIn Talent Connect 2022 session called “Attracting People in an Unpredictable Economy.”

In a wide-ranging discussion, John and Ed discussed such topics as the importance of sharing employee stories that resonate as authentic and the danger of making claims that aren’t backed up by reality. Here are some of the key takeaways.

1. Share authentic stories

How do you create an employer branding campaign that comes across as authentic, and not just a bunch of corporate speak? One way is to focus on the personalities and experiences of your employees. EQRx did just that in a campaign called #BeYouAtEQ.

“I’ve learned over the past few years that it’s not just about the company anymore,” Ed said, “it’s about the individual.” 

Employees were asked to name an object that says something about who they are, as well as the story behind it. An artist, in turn, created drawings based on the objects. The illustrations and captions were then turned into patches sewn into a tapestry — called “The Tapestory” — that now hangs in EQRx’s office. The company has also created a digital version of the tapestry that’s available for public view.

Employee participation has been strong, and participants aren’t shying away from sharing difficult stories on such topics as donating a kidney and overcoming suicidal thoughts.

“Instead of putting waterfalls or words on a wall,” Ed said, “we put our people on the wall.”

2. Go “beyond performative”

It’s essential that an employer brand campaign accurately reflects the reality inside your company, the panelists said.

John of Shaker Recruitment Marketing, an advertising agency that helps companies develop diverse employee value propositions and diverse employer branding initiatives, noted the danger of making false claims. “Candidates can see through it,” he said. “They’re tapping into their networks on the insides of your companies to understand who you really are beyond what your career site says you are.”

To ensure that your company’s messages match reality, it’s important to leverage data-driven approaches, John said. Shaker, for instance, has created a “Lived Experience” survey to help its clients gain an understanding of the experiences of marginalized talent within their organizations and then address the problems.

“A lot of clients want us to build diverse and inclusive employer brands,” he said. “I tell them, ‘Well, that’s noble, you should.’ But are their companies diverse and inclusive?”

3. Track your progress

One of the best ways talent acquisition leaders can ensure that their companies continue to invest in employer branding, even during a slowing economy, is to track their progress.

EQRx has created an employer branding dashboard that gathers metrics, which are sent to the company’s leadership on a weekly basis. The dashboard looks at website analytics (new users, page views, average session duration, etc.) and LinkedIn performance (new weekly followers, total monthly visitors, post engagement percentage, etc.), as well as Glassdoor, Comparably, and YouTube performance, paid campaign analytics, and more. EQRx also encourages its employees to share what’s on their minds anonymously by using an app called All Voices.

“What’s happening? What are the trends that we’re seeing?” Ed said. “What are the lessons that we’re learning?”

Final thoughts

The panelists agreed that successful employer branding must accurately reflect a company’s culture and must be delivered in an authentic way. Otherwise, you risk losing top talent to companies that are doing a better job forging real connections with candidates.

“You’ve got to own what you are and who you are,” Ed said. “And that way the right people for you will say, ‘This is somewhere I want to be and think I will thrive.’”

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