5 Awesome Employer Brands (and what we love about them)
Posted by: Katherine Mc Sweeney - 16.06.22
A good employer brand can help businesses compete in their industry, establish credibility and recruit, retain and engage the right people.
But a great employer brand can have candidates queuing at your door. Each year, Google is rated as a top employer and gets to cherry-pick fresh talent from a whopping pool of 3 million-plus applicants for around 20,000 roles – they’re doing something right with their employer brand!
As candidates increasingly consider what’s on the table – beyond pay and the role at hand – your employer brand becomes ever more important in setting you apart from competitors.
So, which brands are getting it right? Read on for some of our favourite employer branding examples.
Want to learn more about how to create an authentic employer brand? Read our free employer brand guide which includes 10 tips for how to build a strong employer brand plus much more.
1. Nike – Move the World
Why we love it
Nike’s ambition is about elevating human potential, so it makes sense they are committed to creating an environment focused on equality, inclusion, empowerment and respect.
Their diversity and inclusion policies go a huge way to recognise and welcome people from all walks of life. Nike calls out who they support and how, including specific military, disability and indigenous inclusion policies, using web copy that balances spades of warmth and wit.
The thread of togetherness is consistent throughout the brand’s offering and continues through Nike’s ambition to innovate. ‘Move to Zero’ is Nike’s solution toward zero carbon and zero waste to help protect the future of sport – they encourage their employees and customers to get involved ‘because we can only get to zero by moving there together’.
The thread of togetherness is consistent throughout the brand’s offering and continues through Nike’s ambition to innovate. ‘Move to Zero’ is Nike’s solution toward zero carbon and zero waste to help protect the future of sport – they encourage their employees and customers to get involved ‘because we can only get to zero by moving there together’.
Their Life at Nike video features employees offering up real insights into Nike’s working environment and company culture, and offers an emotive take on how you can change the world when you work for a company that stands for something – adding a real feel-good factor for potential candidates.
2. Innocent Drinks – Life after Innocent
Why we love it
There’s much to love about Innocent Drinks. Their quick wit and fruity humour; their mission to build a successful business that cares about more than just profit. But their Life After Innocent goes the extra mile for employer brand building.
The alumni page celebrates the journeys of former employees in their lives after working at the drinks brand.
Innocent is smart enough to know most won’t stay forever, but they can get the best of these people before they take what they have learnt and make their own business dreams a reality.
As well as openly recognising, accepting and celebrating their former employees’ achievements, Life After Innocent demonstrates the entrepreneurial, commercial and socially conscious spirit of Innocent employees – and how these align with the brand values.
In addition to their alumni ‘wall of fame’, Innocent takes a refreshing, transparent approach to the recruitment process, offering up helpful FAQs and top tips for applicants.
Their employee benefits, employee testimonials, and initiatives to give back to people and the planet – all ladder up to the brand’s mission: to build a successful business that cares about more than just profit.
3. Apple – Join Us. Be You.
Why we love it
Their employer brand speaks to the individual which is no small feat for a global brand like Apple. Everyone knows Apple and it could be a genuine concern that in joining such a big organisation you could feel lost.
But their employee value proposition speaks to prospective candidates, celebrating and embracing their differences and the impact that they will make to the business and end-user. Even their ex-staff feel immensely proud to work for Apple labelling themselves as ‘ex Apple Alumni’.
Their tone of voice is unique and even without the marque, their recruitment website and employer brand assets are distinctive and recognisable as Apple. Their EVP and creative expression ‘Join Us. Be You’ is short and impactful, easily understood by global audiences.
Personal stories from existing staff help bring the employer brand to life in a credible and believable way, each supported by a range of films and testimonials.
‘Life at Apple’ clearly goes a huge way to recognise the employees’ whole self, with space in the recruitment journey to discuss how lived experiences contribute to the person’s current and future ambition. They support personal and professional development and outwardly discuss what they do as a business to support employees’ growth, all aligned to their wider company values.
The power of the Apple brand undoubtedly has a massive role to play in creating such a strong and recognisable employer brand.
4. Oatly – Join Us to Make a Change
Why we love it
According to research, 65% of employees under the age of 40 agree it’s important that their employer positively impacts society. Given that Oatly is a purpose-driven brand, it makes sense that their mission is front and centre of its employer brand. Their website proudly displays their role as a lifestyle brand unified by a set of guiding principles.
Like Apple, their recruitment website and employer brand include testimonials from current staff, reflecting a range of roles and a diverse workforce and giving insight into their work culture.
The irreverent tone of voice they deploy across the master brand is evident through the candidate experience, which adds personality to an often traditional process and recruitment experience.
By leaning into the master brand, Oatly leverage what people already know of the business to get cut through in a busy market and speak to candidates in a human and relatable way.
5. Airbnb – Live and work from anywhere
Why we love it
Most businesses have a hybrid working policy nowadays but Airbnb may have just launched an unmatched flexible working policy with employees now able to live and work in any one of 170 countries for a maximum period of 90 days.
They provide a ‘new level of flexibility’ through working with local governments to make it easier for their people to travel around the world and find harmony between technology and F2C events to strike the right balance to connect and collaborate.
The language they’ve employed dovetails with their broader brand mission, inspiring people to travel and belong anywhere. The customer and employee brand are connected: Airbnb customers, Airbnb Hosts and Airbnb people.
Moreover, their policy and EVP are built on the insight that their people want more freedom to travel and explore. It’s what binds the team together,… so it makes sense that it’s at the heart of their employer brand.
So what next?
Ready to get started on your new and improved employer brand? Find out everything you need to know about creating an authentic employer brand in our free downloadable guide. Get the guide.
