Candidates are talking about you, and people are listening to them.
Corporate Responsibility Magazine found that 69% of job seekers would reject a job offer from a company with a poor reputation (even if they were currently unemployed 🤯).
So, all those Glassdoor reviews, Reddit conversations, Slack messages, and LinkedIn comments really add up.
TLDR: Your employer brand matters a lot. The best way to build up your brand reputation? Invest time and resources into building a great candidate experience.
You want to attract great people. Well, to do that, you’ve got to be an organization where great people want to be. Here’s our breakdown of how (and why) to provide that stand-out candidate experience.
What Does Your Candidate Experience Have To Do With Your Employer Brand?
Your employer brand is the front door to your talent pipeline.
Before a candidate ever applies — or even responds to a recruiter’s message — they’re sizing up your organization.
- What do they see?
- What do they hear from others?
- And most importantly, do they feel drawn in, or left out in the cold?
Employer brand is more than a logo or a catchy tagline. It’s the sum of every story told about your company, every review on Glassdoor, every LinkedIn post, and every interaction a candidate has with your team.
And the perception they get directly impacts whether they’ll respond to a message, stay engaged throughout the hiring process, and ultimately join your pipeline.
Nearly half of Glassdoor users research companies before applying to narrow down their job search. So if your score isn’t too hot, you might not even get the chance to talk to candidates before you’ve lost them to a competitor.
How Your Brand Sets The Stage For Stronger Candidate Engagement
A well-managed employer brand sets clear expectations and creates a sense of trust and excitement.
When candidates see transparent communication about your values, culture, and hiring process, they’re more likely to feel comfortable and motivated to participate — whether that means completing an application, showing up for a video interview, or referring a friend.
But, the impact goes further: a positive employer brand keeps candidates engaged throughout the process, reducing drop-off and ghosting. When you outline your hiring process clearly and communicate what candidates can expect, you remove uncertainty and build confidence.
Candidates who feel respected and informed are more likely to stay active in your pipeline, respond to follow-ups, and even refer others, even if they don’t get the job themselves.
For people-first organizations, this level of engagement is critical.
A strong employer brand helps you build a living, breathing talent community — not just a list of names. It encourages candidates to interact, ask questions, and see themselves as part of your story. This two-way engagement is what keeps your pipeline warm and ready, ensuring you have great-fit talent on hand when you need it most.
Creative Ways To Use Your Employer Brand As An Engagement Magnet
You don’t need a Fortune 500 budget to make your employer brand shine.
1. Share Genuine Employee Stories
Nothing builds trust in your employer brand like real, unfiltered stories from your team. When candidates see genuine accounts of growth, challenges, and day-to-day wins, they get a sense of what it’s truly like to work at your organization.
These stories can take many forms — short video interviews, written spotlights, or even social media takeovers where employees share their workday in real time. When your people tell their own stories and share them across platforms, the brand becomes more relatable and memorable.
For lean teams, start by highlighting a few team members each month and encourage them to talk about their favorite projects, career development, or what makes your culture unique. This authentic content helps candidates picture themselves as part of your story and builds a foundation of trust before they ever step through the door.
2. Give a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Company
Candidates want to know what it’s really like behind the curtain, not just the polished version they see on your website.
Use social media to showcase everyday moments: team meetings, celebrations, volunteer days, or even quirky office traditions. These glimpses into your company’s daily life make your culture tangible and help candidates gauge if they’d feel at home.
Visual content — especially photos and videos — goes a long way here. Even simple smartphone snapshots of team lunches or remote work setups can make your brand feel more accessible and inviting.
Here’s an example of how this is displayed on Spark Hire’s careers page:
The key is consistency: regularly share these moments so your employer brand feels alive and current, not just a static page on your careers site.
3. Highlight Your Values in Action
It’s easy to list values on a website; it’s much harder (and more powerful) to show them in action.
Bring your mission to life by sharing stories of how your team lives out your values — whether that’s through community service, DEI initiatives, sustainability efforts, or professional development opportunities.
For example, if collaboration is a core value, highlight cross-functional projects or team wins.
If you’re committed to growth, share stories of upskilling or internal promotions. This approach not only attracts candidates who align with your mission but also reassures current employees that your values are more than just words — they’re part of your everyday culture.
4. Engage Your Current Employees as Brand Ambassadors
Your employees are your most credible advocates. When they share their experiences, refer candidates, or post about your company online, it carries far more weight than any corporate message could.
Start by making it easy and rewarding for employees to participate: launch an employee referral program, recognize and celebrate team members who share about your culture, and provide resources or templates to help them tell their stories.
Empowering employees as brand ambassadors not only amplifies your reach but also deepens their own engagement and sense of belonging.
Over time, this creates a virtuous cycle — happy employees attract great candidates, who in turn become engaged team members.
5. Be Present Where Your Ideal Candidates Are
To truly engage top talent, you need to show up where they spend their time. This means joining industry groups, attending or hosting virtual events, and participating in conversations on platforms like LinkedIn, Reddit, or niche job boards relevant to your field.
For organizations with lean teams, prioritize the channels that matter most to your target candidates.
Consistent, thoughtful participation — whether that’s sharing insights, answering questions, or simply showing up at the right events — signals that your organization is active, approachable, and invested in the community.
Over time, this presence builds recognition and trust, making it easier to attract and engage the right people.
Every touchpoint — job descriptions, recruiter outreach, interview scheduling, and even rejection emails — should reflect your brand’s values of respect, transparency, and thoughtful communication.
Candidates notice when your process is buttoned up and human-centered, and they remember when it’s not.
A Positive Experience Results in a Positive Brand
When you treat candidates with respect and care, you’re rewarded with a stronger talent pipeline, future advocates, and a reputation that stands out — all essential for building a lasting employer brand.
While the idea of putting people first is simple, weaving those values into a fast-paced, ever-changing hiring process can be challenging. That’s why having a supportive, consistent process — and the right technology to back it up — makes all the difference.
Learn how Spark Hire can help you build a hiring process that promotes a great candidate experience and reflects the great employer brand you’re building.
