Companies invest significantly in branding when it comes to selling their products or services, but when it comes to attracting talent, many organisations still treat their employer brand as an afterthought. Collins McNicholas Director Michelle Murphy examines why strong employer branding as a recruitment strategy has become a priority for companies serious about competing for the best people.
Branding is one of the most powerful tools a company has, with some investing millions in shaping how customers perceive both them and their products or services. But when it comes to arguably the most important part of their business – their people – that same level of strategic focus is often missing.
Employer branding isn’t an optional extra or a ‘nice to have’; it’s a necessity in the modern business landscape. And, in an environment where competition is high in terms of attracting the best talent – particularly in sectors including technical and engineering – the way a company is perceived from the outside can be a major deciding factor for candidates weighing up their next career move.
Late last year, Collins McNicholas released the results of its 2025 Workforce Insights Report, which showed that company brand matters significantly to those seeking work. Some 71 per cent said they research companies either comprehensively or by looking at their social media. Less than one per cent said they rarely research employers before applying for a job.
This data shows that candidates are assessing employers just as carefully as employers are assessing them, so creating a good first impression can be key. This is often the advice given to candidates - that first impressions count - but the same goes for employers. The importance of employer branding as a recruitment strategy is something we always try to reinforce to employers when we begin a recruitment process with them. Here, we look at just six ways you can use employer branding as a recruitment strategy.
Define your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) You have to be clear and very specific about what makes your organisation different. Why should the candidate choose to work with you? Demonstrate the work potential employees will be doing – will they be solving complex problems in a technical engineering setting, or assembling life-saving medical devices as part of a manufacturing team, or perhaps working with a forward-thinking renewable energy company making a real difference to climate change? What impact does the company have locally, nationally or globally? Outline career progression and flexibility, as well as favourable terms and conditions. But the key part to all of this is to ensure all your messaging around your EVP is authentic. If using employer branding as part of a recruitment strategy, it needs to be rooted in reality, not aspiration.
Audit your external communications What is your external communications saying about you? A company’s website and/or social media is the main way for potential candidates to source information about your business. It needs to be informative, engaging and accurately reflect what it would be like working at the company. Tell your story, showcase your team, demonstrate what you do and who you do it for with client hero stories.
Focus on the candidate experience Every touchpoint matters. From the application process to interview, communication and feedback right through to the offer stage – all of this leaves an impression on the candidate. A slow, impersonal or unclear hiring process can damage your reputation, particularly in a competitive market where strong candidates have multiple options and counter-offers are commonly seen. Communication in recruiting is crucial, and too many companies fail to get it right. The Collins McNicholas 2025 Workforce Insights Report showed that 14 per cent of candidates wanted employers to improve communication and feedback. Throughout the recruitment process, communication is key. Keep applicants informed, be up front and show them they matter to you. Whether it’s good news or bad, communicating regularly and professionally with your applicants will earn their respect, and if they are hired, you’re already starting off on the right foot.
This data shows that candidates are assessing employers just as carefully as employers are assessing them
Keep it personal Our 2025 Workforce Insights Report also showed that a majority of professionals felt that, when in a recruitment process with an employer, automation or Artificial Intelligence can make some aspects of the hiring process worse, with 74 per cent saying automated rejection emails can feel “impersonal and dismissive”. Overwhelmingly, the one piece of advice professionals would give to companies is to “keep a human touch’ in the recruitment process, with a total of 69 per cent of professionals saying that a lack of human interaction makes them less interested in working for particular companies.
Encourage your employees to be ambassadors Many candidates are drawn to work at certain companies because of the people who might eventually become their teammates rather than the work that the company actually does. Your current team is one of the most powerful marketing tools you have at your fingertips. Ask them to become your cheerleaders. Encourage them to share their stories and experiences of working in the company on the organisation’s – and their own – social platforms. This peer-to-peer insight carries more weight than any corporate messaging could ever do. And most of the current team will be pretty chuffed at having been asked – so it can be a win-win.
Commit for the long term You cannot see employer branding as a campaign. It is an ongoing strategy. It requires consistency across your branding and messaging. It also requires regular review, adaptation and refreshing as workforce expectations evolve. If you treat it as a one-off initiative, it can do more damage than good, and you will see your company falling behind the rest of the pack.
Our experience at Collins McNicholas shows that companies that effectively use employer branding as a recruitment strategy will have lower costs, shorter hiring timelines, and fewer drop-outs mid-process, as applicants who reach that stage already know everything they need to. Poor employer branding from the start can lead to exploratory applications and more people leaving a recruitment process later on.
The best candidates don’t apply for every open role. They are selective, cautious and career-savvy and want to choose the right role to enhance their career. Chances are, they’re already in a good job, so you need to show them why they should choose you.
The best professionals will want to work with the best companies and by getting the basics of employer branding right, you might just win them over.
Access the complete Collins McNicholas Workforce Insights Report:
