5 Steps to Building an Employer Brand That Works

You’ve posted the job. You’ve shared it on LinkedIn. But the applications coming in? Not great. If you’ve ever wondered why you’re not attracting the right candidates—or any candidates at all—it might be time to look inward. LinkedIn’s Employer Brand Statistics report states that 75% of job seekers research an employer's brand before applying. And companies with strong employer brands not only attract more applicants—they also make 50% more quality hires while cutting hiring costs in half.

Building an employer brand that works isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s one of the most powerful tools you have to attract, hire, and retain the right talent. In this guide, we’ll break down what employer branding really means, why it matters more than ever, and how to build a strong employer brand in five practical steps.

Table of Contents

• How talent shops for jobs
• What is employer branding?
• The ROI of employer branding
• 5 steps to building an employer brand that works
• Want to take your employer brand to the next level?
• Build a brand that attracts—and converts

How talent shops for jobs

Modern candidates follow a three‑stage process—Discovery, Validation, Decision—mirroring the classic buyer’s journey. They scroll through social feeds, dig into Glassdoor reviews, and evaluate company values against personal priorities.

Over half of job seekers abandon an opportunity after reading negative reviews. Even more telling, according to Glassdoor, 75 % of applicants say employer reputation influences whether they apply at all. In practical terms, the hiring funnel now begins long before résumé submission—and your digital footprint is the first filter.

What is employer branding?

Before diving into tactics, it helps to define what employer branding actually means. At its core, it’s the ongoing story people tell about what it’s like to work at your company—whether they’re employees, candidates, or even customers.

It’s shaped by everything: the policies you write, the reviews you respond to, and the conversations your team has with friends who are job-hunting. And while marketing and HR help shape it, employer branding is owned by everyone.

It’s not just swag

Too often, employer branding is mistaken for surface-level perks or shiny campaigns. But real employer brands are built from the inside out—not the other way around.

A strong employer brand is not:

• A one-off campaign
  A splashy LinkedIn post or a single marketing initiative might grab attention momentarily, but brand equity is built—or eroded—through consistent, daily interactions.
• Corporate decor
  A neon mission statement in the lobby or motivational posters in the break room won't compensate for a lack of career growth opportunities or poor management practices.
• Surface level gloss
  Candidates verify your claims across platforms like Glassdoor, TikTok, Reddit, and Slack. Authenticity beats polish every time.

If leaders think perks or PR can paper over company culture cracks, they’ll be outed fast—and prospects will believe the employees, not the branding.

Your company culture, made credible

Strong employer brands are built by aligning what you say with what employees actually experience. It’s a living contract between company and team, reinforced every day.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) defines employer brand as what an individual perceives it’d be like to work at your company—a belief that must be validated by employees, not just recruiters.

A strong employer brand is:

• Aligned with organizational values and company culture
  It reflects the company’s core principles and environment, ensuring the external image aligns with internal realities. This consistency attracts candidates who fit the company culture and are more likely to succeed and stay.
• Authentic and credible
  A strong employer brand truthfully represents the employee experience. It's validated by current and former employees through reviews, testimonials, and word-of-mouth.
• Consistent across all touchpoints
  From job postings and career pages to social media and interview processes, a strong employer brand maintains a consistent message and tone.
• Differentiated and memorable
  It clearly expresses what makes your company stand out. Whether it’s your company culture, mission, or development paths, a strong employer brand showcases the unique qualities that make your organization appealing to top talent.

When the employee experience aligns with your message, candidates trust what they see. And that trust compounds—across referrals, reviews, and every new hire who says, “This place is exactly what I hoped it would be.”

The ROI of employer branding

A polished employer brand isn’t a vanity project—it’s a compounding asset that reduces recruiting friction and bolsters workforce stability. Below are four evidence‑backed pay‑offs that show why branding belongs on every COO’s dashboard:

1. More Qualified Applicants

When a company’s narrative resonates with job seekers’ values, unqualified résumés naturally fall away. LinkedIn’s report shows that organizations with highly regarded employer brands receive up to 50 % more qualified applicants per role.

2. Lower Hiring Costs

According to LinkedIn, employers with strong brands see an average 43% decrease in cost-per-hire. Brand equity converts into budget savings. Word‑of‑mouth referrals and organic interest cut reliance on paid listings and external agencies.

3. Faster Time‑to‑Hire

The same LinkedIn report states that applicants who are already aligned with your company culture convert more quickly, leading to 1–2x faster hiring cycles. This speed isn’t cosmetic—vacant roles strain teams and stall projects. Filling seats quicker protects revenue and morale

4. Better Retention

Value alignment and purpose now matter more than ever. A strong employer brand doesn’t just attract—it retains. Employees who join for more than salary exhibit higher engagement and loyalty, driving down churn. LinkedIn data shows a 28 % reduction in first‑year turnover where employer brand promise matches reality.

The bottom line — investing in employer branding returns immediate recruiting efficiencies and long‑term cultural resilience.

5 steps to building an employer brand that works

Brand equity is earned through action. The five steps below convert principles into practice.

Step 1: Define your Employer Value Proposition (EVP)

Your Employer Value Proposition (EVP) forms the foundation of your employer brand, clearly answering the critical question: “Why should someone choose to work here instead of anywhere else?” A strong EVP sets you apart in the job market, drawing candidates who resonate deeply with your organization's values and aspirations. It’s not just about being attractive; it’s about attracting the right people.

The Four Pillars of a strong EVP

A compelling EVP clearly communicates and reinforces four key pillars that reflect the essence of your organization.

The four pillars:

• Mission & Purpose
  Share how your organization's work contributes to a larger goal or societal impact. Highlight stories or examples that demonstrate this purpose in action.
• Culture & Environment
  Describe the day-to-day work atmosphere, team dynamics, and leadership approach. Provide insights into how collaboration, inclusivity, and respect are fostered within your teams.
• Rewards & Wellbeing
  Outline the tangible and intangible benefits offered, such as compensation, health programs, and work-life balance initiatives. Emphasize how these rewards support employees' overall wellbeing.
• Growth & Development
  Detail opportunities for professional advancement, including training programs, mentorship, and clear career progression paths. Share success stories of employee development within your organization.

By effectively communicating these pillars, you provide a transparent and authentic picture of what it's like to be part of your organization, helping to attract and retain talent aligned with your values and mission.

How does EVP show up in employer branding?

Your EVP isn’t static—it needs to flex across various formats. While your careers page can extensively cover all four pillars, shorter formats like job descriptions, recruitment emails, and social media bios should distill your EVP into concise, compelling phrases that instantly resonate. Tailoring your EVP to each context ensures clarity and consistency at every touchpoint.

Great examples of flexible, engaging EVPs in action include Netflix's careers page and HubSpot’s Culture Code deck—both of which bring company values to life in ways that feel clear, creative, and human.

HubSpot’s Culture Code

A standout example of a comprehensive EVP communicated in an innovative format is HubSpot’s Culture Code. First published in 2013, this widely viewed public document goes beyond typical corporate jargon to vividly outline HubSpot's unique workplace culture.

The deck opens by defining culture as a company’s “operating system”—a product in its own right. In HubSpot’s words, “Culture is to recruiting as product is to marketing,” underscoring their belief that a strong company culture naturally attracts strong people.

The Culture Code has been viewed millions of times—clearly serving as a beacon of HubSpot’s employer brand. It reflects the company’s culture not just in what it says, but in how it says it: clear, candid, and quirky. Through humor, storytelling, and sharp visual design, the deck communicates how HubSpot thinks, what it values, and the kind of environment candidates can expect to join.

How to craft your EVP

Creating a meaningful EVP involves thoughtful internal reflection and external validation. Here’s a structured approach:

• Collect detailed insights
  Survey current employees about what motivates and retains them. Talk to new hires about what drew them in—and to recent departures about what was missing.
• Map insights to the four pillars
  Organize what you’ve heard into the key areas of your EVP: Mission & Purpose, Culture & Environment, Rewards & Wellbeing, and Growth & Development. This ensures your messaging reflects a complete picture of the employee experience.
• Draft, test, and refine your EVP
  Turn those insights into draft statements and workshop them with cross-functional teams. Refine based on feedback, and validate externally with candidates or focus groups to ensure clarity and resonance.
• Embed it into the employee journey
  Bring your EVP to life in the places people will see and feel it—job postings, your careers page, onboarding, and even performance reviews. It should show up in both the message and the experience.

By deliberately crafting your EVP, you set clear, compelling expectations that attract aligned talent—those who share your values, see opportunities for growth, and are excited to contribute to your mission.

Step 2: Align your message with reality

Say only what you can back up—and back up what you say. Today’s candidates quickly spot the gap between polished messaging and real experience. When what you say externally doesn’t match what employees live, trust erodes—and so does retention.

Recruiting expert Joe Shaker puts it plainly: “If you put something on a billboard that isn’t true, people will leave.”

A glossy but inaccurate portrayal might draw applicants at first, but it won’t retain them. Disillusioned employees leave, and negative reviews follow—discouraging future candidates before they even apply.

On the other hand, honest branding builds credibility. When the message matches the experience, employees stay longer, perform better, and help amplify your brand through word of mouth.

Netflix’s Culture Explained

Netflix is known for its public culture deck—but its Culture Explained video series takes it further. In candid clips, real employees share what resonates most about working there, along with what still needs work.

This transparency acts as a filter, attracting people who align with the culture and are ready for its challenges.

Alignment doesn’t require an overhaul—just steady, focused effort. Start with these:

• Run quarterly pulse surveys. Compare employee sentiment to what you’re saying externally. Use gaps as early signals—and act on them before they become trust issues.
• Review how you describe the work experience. Ensure your job descriptions and careers messaging reflect real company culture and day-to-day reality—not just easy, generic language.
• Respond to reviews on Glassdoor. A well-crafted reply can ease the impact of critical feedback—and regardless of the tone of a review, candidates appreciate knowing you’re listening and continuously improving.

Small steps done consistently go a long way. They keep your employer brand rooted in reality and trusted by the people who matter most.

Step 3: Let employees lead the brand story

Your people are your most trusted storytellers—give them the mic. According to LinkedIn’s Employer Brand Statistics report, candidates are three times more likely to trust what a current employee says about working at a company than what the company’s own marketing channels claim.

In an era of Glassdoor reviews and endless social feeds, firsthand testimony signals authenticity and lowers the risk of making a career move. When job seekers hear real stories—from team rituals to growth moments to candid critiques—they can more easily picture themselves thriving there.

That trust multiplier is why employee‑generated content routinely outperforms polished recruitment ads in both reach and engagement.

Cisco’s #WeAreCisco

Cisco’s employer brand refresh wasn’t driven by ad campaigns—it was built on trust. Through #WeAreCisco, the company handed employees the mic across Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and the Life at Cisco blog.

Instead of polished corporate content, Cisco spotlighted real employee voices. Nearly all posts on @WeAreCisco are employee-generated. The blog features firsthand stories by employees. And on Snapchat, every post is an employee takeover.

The impact? In one year, Cisco’s Twitter following quadrupled (5,000 to 20,000), with engagement rates 2–3x above industry norms. Instagram grew from 1,500 to 15,000 followers. Snapchat stories logged over 5 million minutes viewed in just seven months.

Meanwhile, the blog became one of Cisco’s most-shared content sources, and careers site traffic rose 6%—a significant increase for a site that sees 500,000 visits per month—all fueled by these authentic stories.

How to activate employee voices

Helping employees share their experiences isn’t just about content—it’s about trust. You don’t need a big budget or studio setup. Start small, stay consistent, and let the stories grow.

• Prompt stories internally using Slack or email nudges—like asking, ‘What’s one thing you’re proud of this week?’ With permission, reshare these as quotes or micro-stories on LinkedIn or your blog.
• Spotlight ERGs and culture groups by sharing their stories in monthly blog posts or short videos. Let them show what inclusion and advocacy look like in practice.
• Support DIY content by offering simple tools—smartphone tripods, ring lights, and a 60-second video guide. With light structure, employees can create “day-in-the-life” stories that feel real and relatable.

These small actions build momentum. When it’s easy—and safe—for employees to share real experiences, your brand becomes one candidates trust, and employees rally behind.

Step 4: Build a careers page that reflects your brand

Your careers page is your employer brand in action. According to LinkedIn, 52% of candidates first go to a company’s website—followed by its social media—when researching an employer.

It’s often the first meaningful impression a candidate has of your company—and that impression shapes whether or not they choose to apply.

Careers pages drive better hires

CareerPlug’s 2024 Recruiting Metrics Report found that while careers pages account for only 13% of applications, they yield 26% of hires—meaning candidates who apply through your site are four times more likely to be hired than those from job boards.

Careers pages deliver hires at nearly three times the rate of sponsored job ads (26 % vs. 9 %)—demonstrating the power of your own site over paid channels.

Careers page visitors are serious: they’ve done their research, connected with your mission, and are more likely to become strong hires who stay longer.

What a great careers page should include

A strong careers page is your digital front door. When done right, it weaves together everything you’ve built in Steps 1, 2, and 3: your EVP, your (authentic) company culture, your employee voice.

Here’s what high-performing careers pages have in common:

• A clear mission and value proposition
  What do you stand for? Why does your work matter? This is where you reflect your four EVP pillars—mission, culture, rewards, and growth—in plain language that resonates.
• Culture in action
  Highlight real stories, photos, and rituals that show your culture at work. Team shout-outs, group outings, and traditions tell candidates what being “one of you” feels like.
• Authentic employee voices
  Testimonials, quotes, and short videos from real employees build credibility. Let them share what drew them in, what’s kept them here, and what it’s like to grow with your company.
• Smart filtering for easy navigation
  Help candidates move fast. Let them filter jobs by category, location, or flexibility so they can find the right fit with minimal friction.
• Optimized for mobile and accessibility
  More than half of job applications are completed on mobile devices per SHRM. Ensure your page loads fast, adapts to different devices, and meets basic accessibility standards.

The best pages combine clarity, personality, and usability. They don’t just tell candidates what you do—they help them picture themselves doing it with you.

Need help bringing your careers page to life?

If building or maintaining a careers page feels overwhelming, ATS platforms like Polymer and no‑code website builders like Webflow make it easy to create a polished, branded careers experience—whether or not you have engineering support.

Here are four flexible ways to make that happen:

1. Launch a custom‑branded careers page with Polymer

The fastest way to get started. Create a fully branded careers page, host it on your own domain, and link it from your website’s main navigation—no coding, no design work needed.

2. Embed open roles directly into your existing site

Sometimes, a job board embed is just the right solution—offering a simple, seamless way to display open roles without redesigning your entire site. Polymer offers a fully customizable Job Board Embed that looks great out of the box and can easily be tailored to match your brand’s style and layout.

3. Build a fully custom careers experience with a jobs API

For engineering teams who want complete flexibility, Polymer’s Jobs API lets you programmatically manage job data and build a careers page from the ground up. Check out Polymer’s API docs here.

4. Integrate your ATS with a no‑code website builder

If you're already using a no‑code website builder—or exploring a full‑site solution—you can design a fully custom careers page that matches your brand's look and feel while keeping your open roles automatically synced from your ATS.

If you're using Webflow, Polymer makes it easy to sync your job data directly into Webflow’s CMS, keeping your listings updated without manual work.

For even more complex Webflow CMS setups—like syncing jobs, blogs, and landing pages—tools like Whalesync help automate updates and provide deeper visibility with features like publish status and error tracking.

No matter which path you take, the goal is the same: create a careers page that makes great candidates stop, connect, and picture themselves on your team.

Step 5: Candidate experience is part of the brand

A candidate’s journey with your company starts well before they join—and how you treat them during that process says everything about your values. A CareerArc study found that 72% of candidates who have a negative experience share it online or with their networks.

That kind of reputational fallout is hard to reverse, and it can quickly erode the brand equity you’ve worked hard to build.

Best-in-class candidate experiences are built on three core principles:

• Clarity: Let applicants know what to expect. Share interview timelines up front and offer status updates at regular intervals.
• Speed: Respond quickly. Same-day feedback after final interviews and offer decisions within 48 hours make a strong impression.
• Respect: Even rejections matter. Personalized notes with feedback turn “no for now” candidates into future brand ambassadors.

These practices aren’t expensive—but they are deliberate. They show that your organization respects people’s time and effort, regardless of the outcome.

Atlassian’s transparent hiring journey

Atlassian sets the bar high when it comes to clarity and transparency in the hiring process. Through its Candidate Resource Hub, the company offers role-specific interview handbooks—for engineering, product, and design positions—that break down what candidates can expect at every stage.

These guides cover everything from application tips to sample questions and interview formats, helping candidates prepare with confidence. By demystifying the process, Atlassian not only reduces candidate anxiety but also reinforces trust and respect—key pillars of a great candidate experience.

Small steps, big impact

Want to level up your candidate experience without a complete overhaul?

• Add a “What to Expect” section to your careers page or job descriptions.
• Use calendar reminders to nudge hiring managers for post-interview feedback.
• Automate respectful rejection notes that still feel human.
• Follow up with silver medalists personally—even if it’s a quick “We’d love to stay in touch.”

Every interaction leaves an imprint. Done well, your hiring process becomes a brand asset—one that wins over talent whether you hire them or not.

Want to take your employer brand to the next level?

Once you’ve laid the foundation—clear EVP, compelling careers page, employee voice in full swing—it’s time to build momentum. These next-level moves help your brand stay fresh, responsive, and far-reaching.

Repurpose your content for social media

Your social channels are often a candidate’s first impression—keep them active, authentic, and aligned with your brand.

Don’t let great stories gather dust. republish spotlights as carousels or video shorts, and clip webinars into recruitment reels. Pull standout Glassdoor quotes into team bios, splice EVP lines into onboarding decks, or convert Q&A sessions into podcast clips.

HubSpot nails this, turning slides from its Culture Code into weekly “Friday HEART” tweets—low lift, high consistency.

And don’t forget the basics: post consistently, tag featured employees (with permission), and engage with comments. Strong social presence isn’t about volume—it’s about visibility.

Keep the feedback flowing

Your brand perception evolves—so keep tabs on it. Build a lightweight feedback engine:

• Add a “How are we doing?” question to post‑interview surveys.
• Run monthly syncs between recruiting and marketing to catch misalignment early.
• Track Glassdoor trends and social sentiment quarterly to spot shifts in candidate perception.

Small adjustments made regularly prevent trust gaps later.

Fuel culture from the ground up

Want to tell a story that candidates believe? Let your people lead the narrative. Salesforce’s Ohana groups are a strong example—employee-led, purpose-driven communities whose volunteer work and #TeamEarth posts reflect real values in action.

Spotlight “culture champions” who surface stories worth sharing, and maintain shared visibility with a team calendar or recognition channel. When company culture rises from the ground up, your brand writes itself.

Build a brand that attracts—and converts

Your employer brand is more than a message—it’s a magnet. The stronger and more authentic it is, the faster you’ll attract aligned, high-quality candidates who stick around.

From your EVP to the candidate experience, every moment matters. And while clarity and consistency are key, the right tools can make it easier to bring your brand to life.

Whether you're just starting to define your employer identity or ready to level up your careers page, platforms like Polymer help you turn that vision into a standout candidate experience—without the technical overhead.

Start with your story. Make it real. Then let your brand do the heavy lifting.