Is your employer brand something employees believe in or just something they see on posters?
Employer branding is everywhere. Slick videos, smiling employees, and buzzwords like family-friendly, work-life balance, and best place to work. But how much of it holds up?
If you’ve ever been asked to be the “face” of your company’s culture, whether for a photoshoot, a testimonial, or a social media post, you’ve probably had a moment of hesitation. You may have asked yourself: Is this true? Because deep down, you know when the polished version of reality doesn’t match the lived experience.
According to a McKinsey study on purpose, while 85% of execs and upper management said that they are living their purpose at work, only 15% of frontline managers and frontline employees agreed.
Employees can tell when the story a company tells the outside world doesn’t match what they experience inside. Here are the red flags, and what to do about them.
1. Self-Nominated Awards
Many ‘best employer’ accolades are based on applications submitted by leadership, not anonymous employee feedback. If the rankings come from internal data that’s been cherry-picked, it’s more PR than proof.
2. A PR Game, Not a People Strategy
It’s tempting to treat employer branding as a campaign. But a real employer brand is what people feel on a Monday morning. If there’s a gap between what’s promised and what’s practiced, trust erodes quickly.
3. Forced Advocacy
Being asked to promote your company is one thing. Feeling like you have to is another. Employees who are ‘voluntold’ to feature in videos or posts rarely feel comfortable, or sincere. Authentic advocacy can’t be scripted.
4. The Reality Gap
Ping pong tables and pizza days don’t compensate for poor leadership, unclear expectations, or a toxic culture. When the day-to-day reality contradicts the brand message, people stop listening and start talking, especially outside the organization.
How to Fix It
The fix starts with honesty. Here’s how
- Close the gap between promise and practice. If your EVP says ‘flexible working’, but your policies don’t reflect it, fix the policy not just the messaging.
- Make listening real. Don’t run engagement surveys and ignore the results. Show that feedback drives change, even if it’s small.
- Let employees choose to advocate. Create great experiences first, and trust that people will share them when they feel valued.
- Make internal culture the foundation. Branding should reflect what already exists, not cover up what doesn’t.
- Collaborate, don’t control. Build your brand story with employees, not for them. That’s when it becomes believable.
What makes an employer brand feel real to you? And what happens when it doesn’t?
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