The Employer Brand Advantage in Modern Recruitment

Insights contributed by
Asnor Cota, Recruitment Manager
Manpower Outsourcing Services Inc.

In today’s competitive talent landscape, employer branding is no longer a luxury; it's a strategic necessity. As companies battle to attract and retain top-tier talent, the question naturally arises: where does employer branding belong? Is it the realm of marketing or HR?

Having spent nearly a decade working across both marketing and talent functions, I’ve had the opportunity to see the evolution of employer branding from both sides. Three years ago, I took on the challenge of building the employer branding team at a multinational. Since then, I’ve realized that employer branding doesn’t just sit between marketing and HR; it actively weaves the two together.

Two Worlds, One Goal

From a marketer’s perspective, employer branding is all about storytelling, visibility, and digital presence. It involves crafting campaigns that make the company attractive to potential hires. That means social media content, recruitment videos, career pages, and job ads that reflect culture and values.

From an HR point of view, it’s about creating a workplace that lives up to the story being told. It’s about onboarding experiences, employee engagement, internal communications, and overall company culture. Companies like Airbnb have gone so far as to rename their HR department the “Employee Experience Team,” signaling how closely employer branding aligns with internal operations.

In truth, both views are accurate and necessary. This overlap is where the magic happens, but it’s also where the tension can arise.

What Makes Employer Branding Effective

1. Hybrid Thinking is Non-Negotiable

A successful employer branding professional must be able to think like a marketer and operate like someone in HR. Its content strategy meets the recruitment workflow. It’s about creating engaging content while ensuring it supports hiring needs and reflects real employee experience.

2. Alignment on Priorities is Critical

When resources are limited, say you only have one main social media channel, what content should take the spotlight? Business campaigns or hiring initiatives? This may shift throughout the year, and alignment among teams is essential to avoid conflict or confusion.

3. Constant Communication Between Teams

One of the biggest game-changers is having regular meetings between HR, marketing, and EB teams. A shared content calendar, for example, can ensure coordination and eliminate silos. This makes your messaging more strategic and consistent across platforms.

4. Design Cohesion Strengthens the Brand

Having a shared design team or close collaboration across departments ensures brand consistency. Whether it’s a recruitment video, an internal event poster, or a pitch deck, cohesive visuals reinforce your employer brand. HubSpot is a great example of a company that balances consistency and creativity across departments.

5. Strategic Planning Should Be Cross-Functional

Annual and long-term planning must involve all stakeholders. Clearly defining ownership and identifying where support is needed helps prevent bottlenecks and adds clarity to your EB roadmap.

6. KPIs Must Tie to Business Goals

Your employer branding efforts shouldn’t float in isolation. Whether it’s reducing early attrition, increasing onboarding satisfaction, or improving application rates, your KPIs should align with wider business and board-level goals. Every team member should know how their output contributes to the organization’s success.

Final Thoughts

Is employer branding a marketing or HR function? It can be both. It’s a shared responsibility that lives at the intersection of external messaging and internal experience. And when done right, it becomes one of the most powerful assets a company can have not only to attract talent but to retain it.

The best employer branding strategies aren’t built in silos. They emerge from collaboration, alignment, and a clear understanding of how people, processes, and perception work together. These are just some of the lessons I’ve learned, and I’m always eager to learn more.