At CRI, we know that one of the most powerful tools a company can develop to attract and retain top talent is a strong employer brand. While consumer branding shapes how the public sees your products or services, your employer brand shapes how current and prospective employees see your workplace.
A compelling employer brand helps companies compete for talent, reduce turnover, and foster long-term employee engagement. Here’s a practical roadmap to get started.
1. Start with Research
Before you can define your employer brand, you need to understand where you stand today.
- Survey employees to uncover what they value most and where there’s room for improvement.
- Audit external perceptions on platforms like Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and social media.
- Compare internal and external views to identify the gaps between how you want to be seen and how you’re actually perceived.
This ensures your strategy is based on reality, not guesswork.
2. Define Your Employer Value Proposition (EVP)
Your EVP is the promise you make to employees in exchange for their skills and commitment. It should answer: “Why should someone want to work here?”
- Focus on your differentiators: career growth, flexibility, culture, mission, or benefits.
- Keep it authentic and tied to real employee experiences.
A strong EVP becomes the foundation for all your recruiting and retention efforts.
3. Gain Internal Buy-In
An employer brand isn’t built by HR alone; it requires alignment across the organization.
- Involve leadership, HR, marketing, and communications teams.
- Encourage employees to share their stories. Authentic voices carry more weight than polished slogans.
When your team is aligned, your message is consistent and credible.
4. Bring the Brand to Life
Once you’ve defined your EVP, make sure candidates and employees experience it at every touchpoint.
- Career site: Highlight your culture with testimonials, videos, and employee stories.
- Social media: Showcase real workplace moments and achievements.
- Recruiting process: Ensure the candidate experience reflects your values from first contact through onboarding.
Consistency is key, your brand should feel the same everywhere.
5. Measure and Refine
Like any business strategy, employer branding should be measured and improved over time. Track metrics such as:
- Time-to-fill and cost-per-hire
- Quality of applicants
- Employee retention and engagement
- Sentiment on review sites and social media
Use the data to adjust and strengthen your message.
Final Thoughts
Building an employer brand takes planning and persistence, but the payoff is worth it. A strong brand not only attracts great candidates, it also engages current employees and builds long-term loyalty.
At CRI, we help organizations navigate every stage of the talent acquisition process, from branding to recruiting to retention. If you’d like support in building or refining your employer brand, we’d love to start the conversation.