With skills shortages spanning multiple industries and markets, few companies can afford to miss out on talent. With research showing that more than half of job seekers will not apply to a firm after reading negative feedback, the strength of an employer brand is critical. But how can organisations protect themselves, and what is the role of PR in building and protecting their reputation?
Brand reputation, in contrast to brand awareness, represents stakeholder sentiment and is based on what people feel and believe about an organisation. This is important for consumer-facing brands, with the modern-day citizen more discerning and having far more choice available to them than any of their predecessors. But for employer brands, it is equally critical. Candidates, particularly younger generations, take a wider range of factors into account when selecting a potential workplace and company, and also have access to a lot more information about employers than ever before
Authenticity and trust are both important elements in building a brand’s reputation. Indeed, this is one of the factors behind why advertising is becoming less effective. Modern consumers are more cynical and recognise when they are being sold to. Real, authentic trust, or a lack of it, forms over time through experiences, signals, and storytelling, and PR is the mechanism by which those signals are managed, and shaped.
To many with little familiarity of the discipline, there is a lingering misconception that PR is simply about media coverage or crisis management. While this may have been true in the past, modern PR is far more proactive and sophisticated. It’s about strategic communication that builds a consistent, credible presence across all platforms; earned, owned and shared. It’s not merely about visibility; it’s about shaping how your organisation is perceived by its target consumers and all stakeholders.
Historically, companies could control the narrative more effectively, but today their perception is shaped by the likes of Glassdoor reviews, media coverage, social media posts and more. This has reshaped how trust is earned, and research from Edelman shows that businesses most effectively build loyalty and engagement from transparent, earned media activity and employee advocacy.
Within the employment market specifically, 86% of job seekers now research company reviews and ratings before applying for a job. A company with a strong reputation not only attracts more applicants but also reduces recruitment costs and time-to-hire. Candidates want to work for organisations that are respected, purposeful and publicly engaged, and PR supports that by building and shaping perception, piece by piece, across months and years.
One model that many organisations adopt is to consider the concept of brand reputation in terms of layers: visibility, credibility, relatability and resilience.
Visibility is about more than just being seen; it’s about being visible in the right places and saying the right things. For employer brands, this means securing features in reputable trade publications, podcasts, at events or on online platforms where your target candidates are active. Yes, advertising can achieve this, but not to the same degree as PR. So-called paid media boosts reach, but public relations offers more value because it has been earned. After all, it’s better to have someone else say how great you are, rather than you saying it yourself.
Credibility can be the determining factor in whether a candidate chooses your organisation over a rival. Modern professionals often have multiple offers to choose from, and a strong, well-regarded public profile, supported by thought leadership, for example, can tip the scales in your organisation’s favour.
In a world increasingly defined by automation, personal connections matter, which is where relatability plays its role. Brands that are faceless or overtly corporate often fail to connect with real audiences, and in this case, identify the right talent. PR, delivered effectively, can counteract that by telling stories of people, not just products or strategies. This is particularly key with the aforementioned element of employee advocacy. Stories, interviews or other internal initiatives showcased through PR not only attract attention, but they also build affinity. Candidates want to know what kind of people work at your company, how they’re supported, and what the culture is really like. PR ensures that these stories are not confined to internal newsletters but reach wider audiences.
Finally, resilience is critical; reputations are fragile and, as we touched on in a recent blog, a single, poorly handled incident can destroy years of goodwill and trust. But PR can safeguard perceptions and help organisations to emerge from crises stronger than they were before. Timely and appropriate engagement can be the difference between reputation damage and reputation enhancement. For talent acquisition teams, PR ensures your employer brand remains intact even under pressure. If redundancies occur, for example, how they are communicated sends a message, or if a diversity initiative is challenged or undermined, how you respond highlights your values. PR guides this journey, not by controlling the narrative, but by managing and shaping it.
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With over a decade’s experience in PR, marketing and communications, Bruce develops and executes media relations, content and social media strategies for firms in the recruitment and hiring industries, as well as suppliers to those sectors and other organisations both in the UK and internationally.