Step One: Time for a Leadership Glow-Up
Ideally, the decision to invest in employer branding should come straight from the top. When leadership recognizes the need for it, that’s already a good start. But here’s the catch: execs often care more about external results and less about the internal changes needed to get there. They want that polished look on the outside to attract new talent, but if they’re not genuinely committed to walking the talk, the company’s employer brand will never be strong.
Authenticity is everything here. Leadership defines the company culture, and no matter how great the external messaging is, new employees will catch on quickly if things aren’t lining up internally. Middle management plays a huge role too – people tend to leave managers, not companies. So, if the leadership vibes aren’t right, you can expect employee turnover to spike.
Employer Branding: The Ultimate Team Sport
The whole thing can fall apart at the middle-management level if the people responsible for execution aren’t fully invested. If direct managers don’t really care about the goals or feel like it’s just another task on their to-do list, they’ll end up throwing together campaigns that feel rushed and don’t deliver real results.
Employer branding requires collaboration across HR, marketing, and PR – basically, it’s a cross-functional effort. But if the leads of these departments aren’t on the same page and are just passing the responsibility back and forth, the strategy will fail. You’ll end up with uncoordinated messaging, and employees will notice when the internal culture doesn’t match the external brand you’re promoting.
How to Get Leadership Involved: Speak Their Language
A lot of people assume upper management is out of touch and hard to reach when it comes to these kinds of initiatives. But that’s not the case. Even the most traditional leaders care about employer branding because it impacts the company’s overall success. Sure, they might not always put the people side first, but they definitely feel the pressure when it comes to market trends and financial outcomes.
The trick is to back your argument with data. Leaders are more likely to pay attention when you show them hard numbers, like how much money is left on the table if they don’t take employer branding seriously. An ROI breakdown (return on investment) can be the most effective way to illustrate how much the business stands to lose by not investing in a solid employer brand.
For middle managers, education is key. If they can see how improving the company culture benefits them personally – making their work life smoother – they’ll stop seeing employer branding as an extra task and start viewing it as a shared goal. Training and development programs can help them connect the dots and understand why employer branding matters, not just for the company but for their own success.
At the end of the day, if you want a strong employer brand that resonates, you need leadership at every level to be fully committed. It’s not just about making the company look good – it’s about creating a culture that employees want to stick around for.
