Employer Branding on Social Media: A Tactical Guide

Let’s start by clearing the air: “Employer branding” is not a trend to hop on, but a strategic approach to optimizing a company’s image as an employer.

Employer branding is the reputation you build among current employees and potential hires, and with 9 out of 10 job seekers using social media in their job searches, a strategy for these channels is a must-have.

On top of meeting your audience (in this case, talented individuals looking for opportunities) where they are, people want to see your brand in action.

In a social media setting this translates to a lot of different things – from team shout outs and unboxing videos of company swag to creating dedicated employer branding channels.

Now you know how critical it is to showcase your company’s culture in a way that feels tangible and honest. But where do you start?

Turning an abstract idea (“show the world what we’re all about!”) into a clear plan can feel overwhelming, so let’s go through a quick checklist first of all.

Employer branding strategy on social media: A checklist

Let’s cut the fluff and get down to business with a checklist of the elements an employer branding strategy needs to perform well.

1. Define your employer brand identity

What makes your company unique as an employer?

Identify core principles that resonate with your team and align with candidates.

Some choose to offer a full view of what life is like at the company, while others might focus on specific aspects like the possibility of working remotely or shining a light on perks like epic annual retreats or unlimited PTO.

2. Know who you’re trying to attract

Different roles value different content – it’s easier than you think to forget about this.

For example, tech sees behind-the-scenes code glimpses, while creatives might appreciate brainstorming sessions.

This extends to platform choices as well: LinkedIn might fit for leadership insights, while TikTok is the place for casual office vibes.

3. Align HR and marketing

HR is the key stakeholder in your employer branding efforts.

Make sure you align with the department by syncing hiring timelines, campaign themes, and content ideas.

4. Choose and develop the channels

Some companies will use existing channels for their employer branding efforts (for example, a LinkedIn company page).

This is a valid alternative, but not the only one. Depending on goals and capacity, you can go further and develop specific, dedicated channels for employer branding.

Big companies are known for doing this, but startups are increasingly doing it too, separating social profiles focused on employer branding from their main branded channels.

5. Craft engaging content

Apologies for sounding like Captain Obvious here for a minute, but employer branding campaigns are the same as other campaigns in this regard.

Offer visual variety: Mix up quick videos, photo carousels, and employee spotlights.

Don’t forget to add CTAs when needed!

Once ready, open the door to employee-generated content and let employees share personal perspectives.

6. Be responsive

Acknowledge compliments, respond to questions, and address concerns quickly.

Remember, many times, the comment is the content.

Comments, reactions, and actions (like sharing) allow you to show commitment and respect to the people who see and interact with your content.

7. Measure, analyze, adjust (on repeat)

Establish what metrics matter and track them (we recommend going for engagement metrics first, such as reactions, comments, shares, and link clicks).

Then, focus on conversion paths by monitoring how many social media visitors convert into actual applicants.

As with other social media content, be ready to pivot quickly: If a certain content type flops, try a new approach.

Content to elevate employer branding

Strategies look great on decks, but when it comes to connecting with real humans, it’s the content that will do the heavy lifting.

So, what content types can you create for your employer branding channels? Quite a few, it turns out.

From our list, here are the ones to consider first:

• Short-form video: Highlight team events, day-in-the-life of, or quick Q&A sessions. Best for TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn (in that order).
• Employee spotlights: Good for career growth stories, showing achievements, and internal team/company dynamics.
• Live sessions: Good for non-curated virtual tours, live streams, and Q&As.
• Behind-the-scenes content: You can combine pics and video to share everything from brainstorming sessions to coffee break chats.
• Policy & perks: Use social media to highlight beneficial company policy and other perks – can be anything from swag to casual Fridays.
• Calls to action: Good for time-sensitive events (hiring events), and to reach conversion figures when you need to.

Employer branding examples (Channels + content)

Employer branding strategies are far more powerful when you see them in action, so let’s check real-world examples across different channels.

IBM – A lesson on fundamentals

Life at IBM is the company’s dedicated employer branding channel on Instagram, and we love how it doesn’t go over the top, keeping everything simple and direct.

What else we like about it:

• It focuses on 4 pillars: People, employee-generated content, offices, and CTA (i.e. “join us”).
• It highlights the human side of the company (vital when you’re a huge enterprise).
• It doesn’t feel forced, or like it’s trying to be something else. Professionalism, transparency, and diversity are the dominant tones.

Spotify – The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree

Spotify also dedicates a channel to employer branding efforts, under the name of Life at Spotify.

What makes this example interesting is how close their employer brand is to their products, and how content is always an inch away from it too.

What we like about Life at Spotify:

• Carefully curated content that looks and feels great.
• Brand and product are constantly brought up naturally.
• Lots of happy employees sharing their stories.

LinkedIn – Channel strategy at its finest

You’d think that LinkedIn would choose its own platform when it comes to developing their employer brand, and you’d be right…well, partially.

LinkedIn does indeed have an employer brand page on LinkedIn, but it has also created accounts on other platforms to reach people where they are.

And the one that takes the cake is their TikTok page,:

• The content is absolutely aligned with what you expect from TikTok.
• They can show their other face (funny, humorous) without restrictions.
• They reach nearly 3x of the people they do on their own platform.

Conclusion: HR and marketing, meet in the middle

Employer branding works best when HR and marketing collaborate on a shared content plan.

Recruiters know what top candidates want to hear; marketers know how to deliver it in a way that resonates.

When they align, you get job posts that not only look good but also speak directly to your ideal applicants.

To wrap it up, one last piece of advice:

Be sure to brief your HR/legal team on any social media guidelines so employees feel safe sharing their experiences!

And if you need help setting up an employer branding program, strategy, content, or optimization, drop us a line and let us know how we can help.