EP 14: Trust Your People, Tell Real Stories: Employer Branding with Alex Her

[00:00:58] Adriaan: All right, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another episode of The Leaders in Talent Podcast. I’m excited to welcome Alex Her to the podcast today.

[00:01:08] Adriaan: Alex is a global employer branding leader. He’s the co-founder of EB Space, a community for global employer branding specialists. He’s also a well-known keynote speaker.

[00:01:20] Adriaan: Alex has been named one of the 15 most inspiring employer brand leaders in the Southwest by Comparably, and one of the 35 employer branding experts you should follow on LinkedIn. He’s also been recognized as one of the top 30 recruitment thought leaders to follow, and Adway has listed Alex as one of the top 10 TA speakers out there.

[00:01:44] Adriaan: Alex, I’m honored to have you on the podcast.

[00:01:53] Alex: Thanks! I’m humbled by all that. I’d also add that I’m an okay karaoke singer and a traveler too.

[00:02:01] Adriaan: No top 10 ranking yet, huh?

[00:02:05] Alex: Not yet! I’ve got to go through all the karaoke bars first.

[00:02:09] Adriaan: Is there a go-to song that you always choose?

[00:02:14] Alex: I’m going to out myself here, but it’s Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way. That’s my go-to.

[00:02:21] Adriaan: Funny story—my wife is a documentary filmmaker, and whenever we travel, we make a music video—almost like a TikTok-style video.

[00:02:30] Adriaan: On our last trip, we were at a retreat with 60 other people—entrepreneurs and their partners—and we recorded a music video to I Want It That Way. It’s such an energetic song that everyone knows, so we made this fun group karaoke video.

[00:02:50] Adriaan: So I hear you, Alex! But let’s get into employer branding now—surprise! I’ll throw in some of my own perspectives here. To me, employer branding feels like this intangible experience. It’s a vibe, a feeling. But tell me what employer branding means to you, why it’s so important, and why companies should invest in it.

[00:03:31] Alex: I think it’s key. Beyond your products and services, employer branding tells the story of the people behind the scenes—the reason someone should work there, what you offer them.

[00:03:49] Alex: We’ve moved far beyond salaries and benefits. People are looking for belonging—especially in today’s world, with the shifts in global diversity and particularly here in the U.S.

[00:04:05] Alex: It’s your reputation. It’s what people really think and feel about your company—what they say behind closed doors. Or if you don’t want to wait to find out, just check your Glassdoor or Blind reviews. That tells you exactly how people feel.

[00:04:54] Adriaan: What do you think of platforms like Glassdoor and Blind?

[00:05:02] Alex: I think they’re telling you the same thing you’d hear in an annual survey—whether you act on that or not. For some reason, we’re willing to throw money at external platforms—like, “Here’s $50,000”—to get what we’re already getting internally from our surveys and data.

[00:05:21] Alex: It’s interesting that external validation is valued more, even when it’s based on similar insights.

[00:05:25] Adriaan: Do you feel those platforms truly reflect company culture and how people feel?

[00:05:33] Alex: They do—but it’s specific. I wouldn’t say they reflect the entire company. You have to consider the source—where the feedback is coming from. For example, someone on the engineering team in Singapore may have a completely different experience than someone in the U.S. or U.K.

[00:05:57] Alex: It gives you an idea of what to expect, but each team and region is different. So, no—it’s not something I’d avoid mentioning during a call with a recruiter or hiring manager. I think it gives some insight, but don’t take it at face value. There’s more going on behind the scenes than what those reviews show.

[00:06:25] Adriaan: I’ve always thought the reviews tend to come from people who are either super excited or extremely frustrated. That middle group—the folks who are content but not overly passionate—rarely leaves feedback.

[00:06:49] Alex: Agreed. It’s all about the ebbs and flows. Someone having a great day or getting a bonus might leave a glowing review. A new hire is likely to be happy too. But someone who’s just been laid off might post a review six months later, still upset. At that point, is it still relevant? Probably not, but their frustration is real and now publicly visible.

[00:07:26] Alex: As a job seeker, if I don’t do my homework and just glance at those reviews, I might wrongly assume Company A is terrible—without ever knowing the context behind that feedback.

[00:07:31] Adriaan: Let’s talk about ROI. What are some of the key metrics you use to measure the return on investment in employer branding?

[00:07:42] Alex: For me, it’s a bit more advanced because I’ve done this for several years. I look at things like time to hire, time to fill, and conversion rates—since I sit within Talent Acquisition.

[00:08:02] Alex: I also look at lowering our reliance on job boards—metrics like cost per applicant and cost per hire. But more importantly, I look at behavior changes—how visitors engage with our career pages and content.

[00:08:27] Alex: I want to show that the employer brand work is influencing decisions. We still need paid job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed—but we shouldn’t rely on them as heavily. If our content marketing, recruiter marketing, and employee ambassadors are doing their job, we should see more organic traffic.

[00:08:52] Alex: That’s when the ROI becomes clear. If we can generate great results organically, that means the brand is doing a lot of the heavy lifting—allowing us to cut back on spending without sacrificing reach.

[00:09:09] Adriaan: So you’re predominantly looking at reducing external costs by having a strong employer brand—so candidates find the company themselves and choose to apply?

[00:09:23] Alex: Exactly. It’s about showcasing what we can do internally. TA (Talent Acquisition) often gets treated like a call center. To change that, we need to prove our value.

[00:09:36] Alex: Instead of hiring external vendors for creative work, why not partner with internal marketing teams? That saves us $50,000–$60,000 right there.

[00:09:52] Alex: Or when it comes to diversity—why pay for something that you already have? Tell the real story. My current employer already embraces diversity, so we showcase that authentically through our ERGs and monthly storytelling.

[00:10:13] Alex: We don’t need to buy into a fake narrative—we already have a great story to tell. Every company I’ve been with, especially the one I’m with now, has real diversity. So we highlight our ERGs and tell authentic stories each month.

[00:10:28] Alex: One major metric I love to showcase is video completion rate. Everyone talks about how amazing video is, but few dive into the analytics. It’s one thing to have a flashy video, but what’s the actual impact?

[00:10:49] Alex: In my opinion, if over 50% of people are watching your video—whether it’s one minute or three minutes—you’ve got something good. That shows real interest.

[00:10:58] Adriaan: Yeah, because…

[00:10:59] Alex: If you’ve put all this effort—and thousands of dollars—into a video and people aren’t even watching half of it, is it really worth it? Are you really seeing ROI? Maybe your video isn’t landing the way you thought it would.

[00:11:14] Adriaan: Yeah. What kind of tools and technology do you use to track all of this? Are there any platforms that stand out?

[00:11:28] Alex: You can’t beat the native dashboards on each platform—whether it’s Meta products, TikTok, or Google Analytics. Google Analytics, in particular, is amazing for breaking things down—and I don’t think enough TA teams are talking about it.

[00:11:45] Alex: If you have access to tools like Sprinklr, Funnel, or Hootsuite, they provide strong reporting capabilities and help you dig into analytics across platforms.

[00:12:05] Alex: That level of insight helps you understand what’s working and what’s not. If it’s not landing, reassess and pivot. If it is, use those thousands of data points to show your team and leadership why your employer branding is effective.

[00:12:30] Alex: That’s something we really need to get better at as a function.

[00:12:32] Adriaan: Absolutely. How often do you think companies need to revisit their employer brand? And what does that process look like?

[00:12:47] Alex: I’d say you should look at it at least quarterly—but it depends. For instance, if your EVP was created pre-COVID, then things like return-to-office policies drastically change your brand messaging.

[00:13:13] Alex: If your messaging doesn’t adapt to those changes, it becomes outdated. However, if your EVP is built around timeless values, like belonging or inclusion, it holds up regardless of in-office, remote, or hybrid setups.

[00:13:28] Alex: At GoDaddy, our tagline is “You belong here.” That messaging wasn’t affected by COVID or remote work. It’s inclusive no matter what the circumstances are. So it still resonates today.

[00:13:48] Alex: We don’t currently have a formal EVP, but that tagline alone helps unify everything. I’m not saying you need to revamp your messaging every quarter—because that’s expensive and time-consuming—but you should be revisiting your content themes.

[00:14:11] Alex: Think of it like a TV show. Every show has a new season, right? Employer branding should work the same way. If you keep recycling the same content—“day in the life” videos every single quarter—people tune out.

[00:14:49] Alex: You need something new to pull people in. For example, this week we launched an International Women’s Day campaign—not just for one day, but for the whole week. That’s a big shift.

[00:15:05] Alex: We focus on impactful projects our people are working on—not just who they are. So just like shows have new seasons, your employer brand should have new themes and campaigns to keep people engaged.

[00:15:28] Adriaan: That’s a great analogy. For smaller or larger companies—how can they tell when their employer branding isn’t working anymore? What are the early warning signs?

[00:15:46] Adriaan: And how should they start thinking about rebuilding or realigning their strategy?

[00:16:02] Alex: That’s a loaded question, but a good one. First, look at your social channels—have you lost followers in key segments? Has engagement dropped? Are people no longer resonating with your posts on LinkedIn, TikTok, or Facebook?

[00:16:28] Alex: If engagement is down, that’s a clear sign to revisit your strategy. Next, look at your career page traffic. If your campaigns aren’t driving visitors—and you’re tracking properly—that’s another red flag.

[00:16:47] Alex: Also, work closely with recruiters. Ask what candidates are saying. Include questions in intake calls or candidate surveys like, “How did you hear about us?” or “What caught your attention?”

[00:17:04] Alex: Finally, dig into your ATS. Are applications coming in as a result of employer brand content? If not, you may need to reassess. You should be looking at trends monthly—at minimum quarterly.

[00:17:38] Alex: We often lean heavily on qualitative feedback, which is fine, but you need to balance it with quantitative data. That data will tell you whether your employer brand is working or not.

[00:17:49] Adriaan: How intertwined should a company’s mission and vision be with its EVP? Do they need to align, or can they stand separately? What’s your take on that dynamic?

[00:18:08] Alex: Great question. When I first got into employer branding, most departments worked in silos. If you were in TA, you built your EVP without much input from brand or marketing teams.

[00:18:22] Alex: Back then, I thought it was fine if the EVP didn’t align with the company mission. But over the last five years, that has really changed. I’ve seen how much more powerful it is when everything connects.

[00:18:46] Alex: Every company has a mission and values—but not all of them actually live them out. If you can see that the values are real—reflected in meetings, culture, and daily work—then it becomes much easier to align them with your EVP.

[00:19:09] Alex: You’re not trying to “sell” something that isn’t true. Your EVP becomes a reflection of what it’s really like to work there. And while your mission and values might be internal-facing, your EVP turns that into a compelling external message.

[00:19:24] Alex: So yes, if your values are authentic, the EVP should definitely be connected. It just works better when those elements are in harmony.

[00:19:43] Adriaan: Let’s talk about employees. What role do they play in employer branding? What’s your take on getting them to post and be part of the strategy?

[00:20:04] Alex: That’s my favorite part of employer branding—building advocacy programs and getting employees involved.

[00:20:13] Alex: First, find your natural ambassadors—the ones already sharing company content unprompted. They’re active on LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, whatever platform they like. Identify those people and lean into them.

[00:20:24] Alex: Then look at your internal teams. Whether you sit in comms, marketing, or TA, you’ll have allies. Start small—walk those ambassadors through the process, and show them why their voices matter.

[00:20:55] Alex: Posting job ads is fine, but it doesn’t humanize the experience. It doesn’t show real people who look, sound, and work like the candidates you’re trying to reach. But when employees speak up and share why they love their work—it resonates on a whole different level.

[00:21:16] Alex: Outside of customers, employees are your number-one audience. If an engineer posts “Here are five reasons to join my team,” it’s going to outperform a standard job post every time.

[00:21:39] Alex: That authenticity has a huge impact. If you can even get a small advocacy program running, it will elevate your employer brand significantly.

[00:21:54] Adriaan: What are your tips for motivating employees to join an advocacy program? What does it look like in practice?

[00:22:09] Alex: You’ve got to sell it to them. People aren’t going to just jump in on their own—you need to give them a reason.

[00:22:13] Alex: I usually take a two-pronged approach. First, gamify it. Create a system where people earn points or prizes—maybe gift cards or internal recognition—for sharing or getting the most engagement.

[00:22:45] Alex: Second, and this is key—show them how it benefits them. Help them become thought leaders. Tell them, “You’re a lead engineer or recruiter? I’ll help you build content that positions you as a subject matter expert.”

[00:23:00] Alex: You’re not just helping the company—you’re building their personal brand. Because most people wait until they’re unhappy to start working on that. But it’s more powerful to start now.

[00:23:15] Alex: When employees start getting more engagement, more followers, and new opportunities—that’s when it clicks. They see the value and keep going.

[00:23:34] Adriaan: Love that. How does employer branding impact turnover, engagement, and retention?

[00:23:48] Alex: There are a lot of opinions on that. I’d love to say it has a huge impact, but I try to be realistic.

[00:24:00] Alex: If someone’s featured in a blog or video, sure, it makes them feel valued. But if they get a huge job offer with more money and flexibility—like moving to Amsterdam—they’ll probably take it.

[00:24:17] Alex: Being in a video isn’t enough to retain someone on its own. So, employer branding can support engagement and excitement, but retention involves many other factors too.

[00:24:29] Adriaan: That makes sense—and yes, Amsterdam is a pretty appealing offer!

[00:24:35] Adriaan: So let’s talk about the age of AI. Content creation is easier than ever but can also feel overwhelming. How do you see employer branding evolving with AI?

[00:24:52] Alex: I think it’s already evolving—and for the better. People often hear “AI” and think of robots taking over like in I, Robot. But I see it as a way to work smarter.

[00:25:12] Alex: A lot of us in this space are underfunded, understaffed, and doing the work of multiple people. AI can’t replace creativity, but it can speed up ideation and take care of mundane tasks.

[00:25:35] Alex: What I love about this space is that we’re always asking each other for help—“How do you measure this?” “How do you present this to leadership?” AI gives you those answers instantly. You don’t need to wait or dig through countless documents anymore.

[00:25:45] Adriaan: Yep.

[00:25:45] Alex: You can literally ask an AI, “How do I measure these five things?” or “Help me build a framework,” and it’ll give you a solid starting point in minutes.

[00:26:12] Alex: That used to take hours. Now it’s fast and helps us make more strategic decisions.

[00:26:29] Alex: Also, AI lets you automate repetitive tasks, freeing up mental space for creativity and performance. When you’re not bogged down by admin work, you can truly elevate your employer brand.

[00:26:46] Alex: A great analogy is from a Bill Nye episode on Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard. He said we used to spend so much brain power memorizing phone numbers. Now, we don’t need to do that because our phones store everything.

[00:27:04] Alex: That freed up brain space—just like AI frees us from tedious work. And with that space, we can think bigger and perform better.

[00:27:10] Adriaan: That’s such a great point. So, what advice would you give to talent leaders who struggle to convince execs of the value of employer branding?

[00:27:24] Alex: Honestly, give me a call! I’m happy to help audit what they’re doing. You can find me on LinkedIn.

[00:27:41] Alex: Jokes aside, I’m not going to throw out wild percentages like some experts do. James Ellis, for example, is great at that. But I’m more practical.

[00:28:02] Alex: Employer branding is a long-term strategy. Don’t expect massive change in three months. It’s like baking—you’ve got to let it sit in the oven and give it time.

[00:28:18] Alex: If you put in consistent effort, you’ll see results over time. Maybe in a year, depending on the company and situation.

[00:28:35] Alex: If you’re hiring, you already have an employer brand—it’s just a matter of whether you’re managing it. People associate your brand with your job postings, career page, social channels, and review sites.

[00:28:54] Alex: So manage it. Take control. That way, when a candidate sees a bad review, they’re also seeing great employer brand content that balances it out. That context can completely change someone’s perception.

[00:29:11] Alex: Otherwise, they’ll default to applying at Google or Apple. You need something to compete with those brands.

[00:29:19] Adriaan: Who’s an employer brand you really admire—one you’d call a great example of best practice?

[00:29:34] Alex: I really like Spotify. Here’s why: design-wise, they’re always ahead of the game. They don’t wait for others to come up with cool ideas—they just go and do it.

[00:29:51] Alex: One of the most impactful things they did was have their CEO publicly say, “We trust our people. They’re not kids—we trust them to do their job.”

[00:30:01] Adriaan: Yes, I saw that. It’s why they’re fully remote.

[00:30:07] Alex: Exactly. That kind of statement becomes a billboard. It generates tons of earned media—all from one simple line. That’s powerful.

[00:30:24] Alex: At GoDaddy, we take a similar approach. If you want to work from an office, go ahead. If your job allows remote work, that’s great too. We’re not forcing anyone. Our leadership is super supportive.

[00:30:40] Alex: And back to Spotify—the CEO didn’t need to say much. One clear, confident message had a huge ripple effect.

[00:30:44] Adriaan: Great example. Alex, what’s the best way for people to connect with you?

[00:30:49] Alex: LinkedIn or TikTok. I try to slice and dice podcasts I’ve been on and post clips there. You’ll see what gets traction.

[00:30:59] Adriaan: I hope I’ll make my TikTok debut! During COVID, when my stepdaughter introduced us to TikTok, my wife and I tried one of the dance trends.

[00:31:21] Adriaan: When we rewatched the video, we had a realization—wow, we’re old. It looked so bad! That was our first and only TikTok. But maybe this podcast can be our comeback!

[00:31:40] Adriaan: Let’s get some virality going, Alex.

[00:31:51] Alex: Let’s do it. We’ll definitely slice this up. And yes, I’ll be using AI to do it—probably with Opus AI.

[00:31:59] Alex: It can generate ten video clips in five minutes. You just pick your favorites.

[00:32:17] Adriaan: That’s wild—how fast and easy it is now. Alex, thank you so much for joining the podcast and speaking on the webinar. I love your journey and really appreciate how much you give back to the employer branding community. Let’s definitely stay in touch.

[00:32:37] Alex: Thanks so much!