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Employer branding sounds like something for corporations with a team for it. For a company of twenty people it comes down to a few choices: an honest careers page, real photos of the team, job ads that describe an actual working day, and reviews from staff that match what you promise. Researchers Tim Ambler and Simon Barrow coined the term in 1996 by applying brand-building to the relationship between employer and employee. Since LinkedIn, Indeed and Glassdoor, a candidate can find out in five minutes what your people think of you, and they do.
Where candidates have the choice
In the second quarter of 2026 the EU job vacancy rate stood at 2.0 percent, but the spread is wide: 4.1 percent in the Netherlands and 3.3 percent in Belgium, the two highest, against 0.5 percent in Romania. If you hire in a tight market, or open an office in one, the candidate chooses. An invisible employer gets the candidates nobody else took, or none at all. The figure shows where a candidate gets to know you, and what they want to find there.
Five places a candidate meets you
4.1%
job vacancy rate in the Netherlands, Q2 2026, the highest in the EU
2% EU average
- Your job ada real working day, pay and hours
- Googling your namea careers page with team and place
- Your socialsyour people at work
- Reviewshonest replies to criticism
- The interviewthat it all matches what they saw
The five moments are a sketch. The figures come from Eurostat.
A job ad, before and after
| Part | What we often see | What works |
|---|---|---|
| Title | "Motivated colleague wanted" | "Heat pump engineer, Manchester area, four-day week possible" |
| First line | "We are a dynamic company" | What you actually do on an ordinary Tuesday |
| Pay | Nothing, or "competitive" | The salary range and what comes with it |
| Team | A stock photo | A photo of the people you will work with |
| Applying | CV plus cover letter | A short form or a phone number |
Everything you show belongs to your wider branding: the same tone and imagery as for customers, with a different question behind it. The ad itself is copywriting: replace "we are looking for a motivated colleague" with what someone does on a Tuesday and you get applicants who know what they are signing up for.
Pay ranges in the ad
The EU Pay Transparency Directive, which member states had to transpose by 7 June 2026, obliges employers to tell applicants the starting pay or its range before the interview, in the ad or otherwise, and bans questions about previous pay. For employer branding that is good news: being open about pay stands out among ads that hide it. If you hire across several EU countries, check how each one has written the rule into national law.
What it costs
No campaign, just time and pictures. An afternoon to write down your promise as an employer. Half a day photographing your team, which gives you images for a year; our corporate photoshoot ideas help you plan it. A careers page on your own site, and a LinkedIn company page that tells the same story. And the habit of posting about your people once a month, so you are visible when you are not hiring too; plan it with our social media plan template. Stories about your team also make good content marketing: customers read them just as happily.
Building an employer brand in four steps
- Write down why people stayAsk three employees what they get from their job. Their answers are your promise as an employer, better than anything you would invent.
- Build a careers pageOn your own site, with the team in view, a working day described, concrete benefits and a short application form.
- Show your peopleHalf a day of photography gives you pictures and short clips for a year: for your site, your job ads and your social channels.
- Say the same thing in every adThe same promise, the same images and an honest title. An ad that sounds different from your careers page breaks trust.
What employers ask us
How is it different from recruitment?
Recruitment fills a vacancy. Employer branding is the reputation that makes sure there are candidates before you post the vacancy.
What is an EVP?
The employee value proposition: what you promise as an employer, in a few sentences. Why someone would join you and stay.
Should I reply to bad reviews from former staff?
Yes, briefly and without a fight. Candidates mostly read how you respond. A calm answer weighs more than the complaint.