Defining your employer brand isn’t just a marketing exercise—it’s a strategic necessity. A strong employer brand answers one big question: “Why should someone choose to work here over anywhere else?” But to get there, you need clarity. You need to go beyond job perks and get to the heart of your company’s identity, values, and promise to talent. If you’re building (or rebuilding) your employer brand, start with these 5 foundational questions. Your answers will shape everything from your content strategy to your EVP—and help you define your employer brand in a way that resonates. Here are the 5 Questions Every Talent Leader Should Ask to Define Their Employer Brand.
1. What Do We Want to Be Known For as an Employer?
This is your employer brand’s north star. It’s what sets you apart from the hundreds of companies offering similar jobs, perks, or pay.
Ask yourself:
- What makes our work meaningful or impactful?
- What do we do differently that employees value most?
- How do we want talent to talk about us?
This question helps you crystallize your brand positioning in the talent marketplace.
2. What Do Our People Actually Experience Day-to-Day?
Your employer brand isn’t defined by what you say—it’s defined by what employees experience and share.
Look at:
- Onboarding experiences
- Employee feedback and engagement scores
- Real stories of growth, leadership, or belonging
Listen before you define. Your internal culture is your greatest brand asset—or your biggest blind spot.
3. How Aligned Are Our EVP, Culture, and Communications?
Misalignment between your messaging and reality is a fast way to lose trust with candidates and employees.
Audit your:
- EVP messaging across channels
- Internal communications
- Hiring manager alignment and recruiter talking points
When you define your employer brand it should show up consistently in everything from your career site to your Slack messages.
4. Who Are We Trying to Attract—and What Do They Care About?
To define your employer brand without knowing your target audience is like building a product with no user research.
- Identify your high-priority talent segments (engineers, frontline, creatives, etc.)
- Map out what they value most: flexibility, purpose, development, leadership, etc.
- Adjust your brand voice and content to match those preferences
Great employer brands are built with the candidate in mind.
5. How Will We Measure Success?
Once your brand is defined, how will you know it’s working?
- Set clear, measurable goals tied to:
- Brand awareness and sentiment
- Content engagement and reach
- Quality of hire and retention
- Employee advocacy metrics
Platforms like Cliquify and CLEO can help you track sentiment and competitive performance in real time.
Clarity Is Your Brand’s Superpower When It’s Time To Define Your Employer Brand
Defining your employer brand starts with asking the right questions—and really listening to the answers.
When you align what your employees experience with what your candidates see, you build a brand that’s not only attractive—but trustworthy and lasting.
Want a quick visual guide to what a strong employer brand looks like?
Download our free infographic: The Anatomy of a Strong Employer Brand and see how clarity, consistency, and connection come together to shape talent perception.
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