Unlocking employer branding with Alex Her: insights & guidance 

In this blog, we're excited to welcome Alex Her, a leading expert in the field of employer branding, to share his insights with us. As the head of Global Employer Brand at GoDaddy, overseeing 47 countries, Alex brings a wealth of experience in crafting innovative solutions, driving content marketing, and implementing game-changing strategies.

Alex’s work spans everything from recruitment marketing and social media to managing campaigns that help job seekers find new opportunities. His passion for creating new ways to advertise, networking, and building partnerships has not only driven success at GoDaddy but also earned him recognition as one of the top thought leaders in the industry. He’s been named among the “15 Inspiring Employer Brand Leaders in the Southwest” by Comparably and is a Top-30 Recruitment Thought Leader to Follow.

The role of an employer branding consultant

What exactly does an employer branding consultant do, and how can they add value to an organisation?

In my opinion, a consultant's job is to work with the company to discover exactly what their employer brand is and how to best market that to their target audience. This can be as simple as auditing what the company has in place to building out campaigns and creating content marketing and recruitment marketing campaigns to drive awareness for the company's employer brand.

When should a company consider bringing in an employer branding consultant? Are there specific indicators or challenges that signal this need?

First and foremost, really consider why you're bringing in an EB Consultant. It shouldn't be for a one time social campaign but for more of a long-term project where you truly work to uncover what your employer brand is and isn't, and how to properly activate the power of your employer brand across all possible platforms and channels. 

In terms of indicators or challenges, I'd look at lack of brand awareness and recognition, long time to hire/fill, lack of applicant conversions, offer acceptance, quality of applicants, costs to hire, cost per applicant, etc. Honestly, the list can go on and on, as not managing and just not showcasing what your employer brand is just impacts on a company on so many levels.

Building a strong employer brand

What are the key components of a successful employer brand?

Some key components of a successful employer brand are an EVP (specific and defined), authenticity across the board, strong social presence showcasing EB-specific content (culture, team, locational, individual features), diversity (not necessarily owning it but being able to truly showcase it), and employee advocates. Having said that, while an EVP is definitely ideal, it's not always possible with each situation, so it shouldn't be a ding against a company.

Can you share some examples of companies with strong employer brands and what sets them apart?

Off the top of my head, I'd say Spotify, Congara Brands,  Sainsbury's, and HelloFresh. 

1) Spotify - I think anyone in the space just admires what they're doing there. They have a tagline alone that just works for them in the space that they're in (Join the Band), and their approach is very candidate first and transparent. 

2) Sainsbury's - I love what they've done over the last 2 years. They're not just seen as your local grocery store, but more as a tech company, which is tough to do for most. 

3) Conagra Brands - Congara has done a great job of separating itself from the other brands under its umbrella of companies. The approach over the last 2 years has really blended the consumer and employer brand in ways that are just not easy to do. The best example of this is on their social channels. 

4) HelloFresh - Another brand with a great consumer brand, but even better employer brand. Their socials consist of a good mix of employer branding content, and they've also taken their employee advocacy to the next level.

What are some common mistakes companies make when trying to develop or improve their employer brand?

The process of working with a consultant

What does the process of working with an employer branding consultant typically look like, from initial consultation to implementation?

So, I think the process really depends on what the company is requesting and what stage they're at. Assuming they're just getting started, you'll go from initial audit, sharing findings, teammate conversations (1:1 and group calls) to putting together the EVP, and sharing (if needed), and activation.

How do you tailor your approach to meet the specific needs and culture of a company?

I'm very big on taking an empathetic approach. I may have things that I've done before that have been successful in the past, but I prefer to listen to the needs of a company and seek to understand what's going wrong to determine what I can make right and help them achieve.

What kind of data or insights do you rely on when developing an employer branding strategy?

There's a lot to unpack, but I'd start with the following :

• Glassdoor/Indeed/Kununu Reviews
• Annual survey results
• Offer acceptance rate
• Cost per applicant
• Time to hire/fill
• Source of applicant/hire
• Existing partnerships
• Social stats (impressions, clicks, engagement rate, brand awareness, CTR, VCR)
• Google Analytics (source, views, demographics, etc)

Challenges in employer branding

What are some of the biggest challenges you face when working with companies on their employer brand?

I think one of the biggest challenges is aligning expectations with reality. In a lot of cases, the EB Consultant is expected to make magic happen in a matter of weeks, which isn't realistic. I think we can get quick wins in a matter of weeks, but truly finding what makes a company's EB great and activating it takes time.

How do you help companies navigate negative perceptions or reputation issues that may affect their employer brand?

My approach to that is to respond to all reviews, good or bad. I treat it like typical customer service. If I were a customer, I'd want some sort of response, as radio silence does nothing for me. 

Future of employer branding

What trends do you see shaping the future of employer branding?

I think the obvious one is that everyone is after AI. I know there's a little fear about embracing AI, but I truly think a lot of efficiencies can be gained that can help us get much more strategic with EB strategies. It's tough to be strategic when you're doing a lot of manual tasks. 

Next, I'd say embracing data and truly making it work for EB is a growing trend. I'm not talking about impressions or clicks, but diving deeper into the ROI of employee advocacy, understanding audience segments across Google Analytics/Social Networks, and how it all impacts the bottom line of a company

How do you think the rise of remote working is influencing employer branding strategies?

Remote working gives companies another dynamic to add to their employer brand. Yes, it's tapered off a bit, but those that can still offer it can lean on flexibility and offer that to potential employees.

Advice for companies

For companies just starting to focus on their employer brand, what initial steps would you recommend?

Audit what you have now and what you're doing. So much can be done by simply just reviewing your social channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter), Career Page, and Glassdoor/Indeed/Kununu. Companies likely already have a presence on those channels, but just need to review them and use them to activate their employer brand on them.

What advice do you have for companies to ensure their employer brand remains authentic and resonates with their target audience?