Demistifying Employer Branding
I can talk all day long about how to package this up and share it with the outside world, but if you don’t have a stance—or even worse, you’re too afraid to have one—then you’re just part of the pack.
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Let’s demystify this whole employer branding thing.
Here’s the secret: Have an opinion.
On your industry. (If you go hard on this, you will win your category.)
On culture.
On a social issue.
On the future of work.
For the love of god, have an opinion and put a stake in the ground—on something.
Stop hand waving.
Stop following the herd.
Stop with the optics.
Stop capitulating.
Stop blindly falling in line.
Stop being so damn safe and agreeable!
I can talk all day long about how to package this up and share it with the outside world, but if you don’t have a stance—or even worse, you’re too afraid to have one—then you’re just part of the pack. Even the best tactics won’t help you.
This doesn’t mean that you don’t matter. It just means that nobody cares enough to hear why you do.
If you can’t separate yourself from the sea of sameness that is trite culture speak and ambiguous value props by having the courage to be disliked, employer branding is of no value to your audience—including your own employees.
This stuff is simple. But not easy.
Examples of brands with opinions:
Patagonia: Uncompromising core values.
Hirewell: Strong views on the agency recruiting model. Follow James Hornick on LinkedIn.
Refine Labs: A clear and unapologetic stance on marketing for B2B SaaS companies.