Your hiring billboard isn’t broken, but your message is. Learn what your employer brand should be saying instead.
You’ve raised your hourly rate. You bought the billboard. You even added “Apply Today” in bold letters. And still… crickets.
If this feels familiar, you’re not alone. Across today’s competitive hiring landscape, companies are pouring money into recruitment marketing campaigns that simply don’t deliver results. Why? Because they’re all saying the same thing.
“Now Hiring!” used to stand out, but today it’s just noise.
Stronger Employer Branding > Louder Job Ads
In the battle for attracting top talent, louder isn’t better. Stronger employer branding is.
On a single 30-mile stretch of highway, one of our team members counted five different hiring billboards. All of them listed pay rates, all of them promised benefits, and none of them differentiated one company from the next. When your hiring message mirrors everyone else’s, it doesn’t matter how much you’re paying—you’re blending into the background. Leading with compensation has become a race to the bottom.
Why Employer Branding Matters More Than Ever
Today’s employees are looking for more than a paycheck. They’re looking for purpose, culture, and meaning. A Glassdoor survey showed that 65% of millennials value company culture more than salary. And it’s not just younger workers—over half of employees aged 45 and older feel the same way.
A strong employer brand communicates your values, mission, and workplace experience. These are the things that attract people who want to stay and grow.
Your Employer Brand Already Exists. Start Using It.
One local company we know has a phenomenal story to tell. It’s employee-owned, offers full benefits, gives back to the community, and has a generous profit-sharing program. But their hiring billboard? “$17–$20/hr, Apply Now.”
They’re burying the lead. And they’re not alone. Many companies with exceptional workplace cultures are missing the opportunity to showcase them.
Turn Your Talent Attraction Strategy Into a Brand Campaign
As Jeff Bezos says, “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” In today’s job market, your brand needs to work just as hard to attract employees as it does customers. Candidates research companies before applying. They check reviews, read employee testimonials, and browse your social media. They’re forming opinions long before they submit an application or meet with your team.
How to Build an Employer Brand That Works
So, how can companies make their employer brand stand out in the talent marketplace? Consider these strategies and steps:
1. Define your “Why”
Employees want more than tasks. They want purpose. They want to believe in what they are doing. According to a McKinsey study, 70% of employees said their sense of purpose is largely defined by their work, and purpose-driven companies report stronger employee engagement and loyalty. Use frameworks like Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why” to align internally on your core purpose, then infuse that into your hiring message.
2. Tell a compelling story
Facts inform, but stories inspire. Employer branding is about painting a picture of what life looks like inside your company. Use storytelling to connect emotionally with candidates, especially through testimonials, day-in-the-life content, or founder narratives. Harvard Business Review has shown that stories activate parts of the brain linked to emotion and empathy, making your brand more memorable and human.
3. Show, don’t just say
Authenticity is the new currency of trust. Stock images and generic copy won’t cut it anymore. Feature real employees in your content. Record behind-the-scenes moments. Use language your people actually speak. Glassdoor research shows that job seekers are 3.5x more likely to apply when they see relatable employee stories in employer content.
4. Think beyond the billboard
While physical signage still has a place in recruitment marketing, especially for local talent, it can’t stand alone. The most effective employer brands operate with a campaign mindset, where every channel works together to create a consistent and immersive experience. A billboard may be the first touchpoint, but it should guide candidates to a deeper, more engaging digital journey.
5. Go multichannel
Top brands meet candidates where they are—on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and increasingly, TikTok. According to LinkedIn, companies with strong employer brands see a 50% reduction in cost per hire and a 28% reduction in turnover. That kind of impact comes from being visible and consistent across all platforms. A killer careers page, targeted social ads, and short-form video can create awareness and drive action in ways that static job posts never will.
6. Treat roles like a product launch
You’d never launch a product without a strategy, and your open roles deserve the same thought. Build messaging around what’s in it for the candidate: growth, impact, culture, purpose. Highlight what sets your company apart, and design a clear, user-friendly application journey. Think of your career site and job ads as your sales funnel, and candidates as discerning customers.
7. Track what works
Measurement turns guesswork into strategy. Ask applicants how they heard about you. Monitor time-to-fill, application conversion rates, and engagement on recruitment content. According to SHRM, data-driven recruiting teams are more than twice as likely to improve their hiring outcomes year-over-year.
8. Use analytics to optimize
Then, your employer brand should evolve based on what the data tells you. What’s resonating with engineers may not land with creative roles. If your campaign is driving traffic but not applications, it may be a messaging mismatch. Use tools like Google Analytics, social insights, and ATS dashboards to tweak campaigns in real time and improve ROI.
9. Align HR and Marketing
Marketing knows how to craft compelling messages and build campaigns. HR knows the candidate and employee journey. When the two collaborate, you get branding that’s not only beautiful but backed by lived experience. Gallup found that companies with strong alignment between their brand promise and employee experience see 3.9x earnings per share growth compared to competitors.
Done well, employer branding becomes your most valuable recruiting asset. It builds trust before the first interview. It speaks to people’s deeper motivations. And most importantly, it helps your company stand out—not because you’re the loudest, but because you’re the most real.
The Future of Talent Acquisition Is Storytelling
If you’re still relying on pay-focused ads alone, it’s time to evolve. Because you’re not just offering jobs, you’re building an employer brand that invites people into something meaningful that offers them a sense of purpose.
In the end, employer branding and recruitment go hand-in-hand. A great job description may catch attention, but a great story earns loyalty. When your company’s culture and purpose shine through, you won’t need to shout. The right people will come knocking.
