When we are hiring and find a really great candidate, I assume we will be competing with at least four other companies. I do not pretend we are the only option. That mindset keeps me honest about what actually makes people choose us.
If everyone is offering competitive pay and decent benefits, why would someone pick us?
It is not just about salary anymore. Free lunches and ping pong tables had their moment. The best people I meet want something deeper. They want to grow, make a real impact, and feel genuinely valued.
Here is how I think about building a brand that helps us hire great candidates and beat the competition.
1) Candidates Want More Than a Paycheck
Work life balance and flexibility are deal breakers now, not perks. I have learned that a remote policy sitting on a wiki is meaningless if people do not feel trusted to use it.
What works for us is real flexibility, with flexible start times, meeting-free focus blocks, and clear boundaries leaders actively defend.
2) They Are Looking for Meaning and Purpose
Top performers do not want to clock in. They want to contribute. The question I hear is simple. Does this company stand for something I believe in?
I connect the dots between the role and real outcomes. I share impact stories. I treat our mission like a daily operating principle, not a wall poster.
3) Career Growth Is Not Optional
Every strong candidate is quietly asking one thing. Will I grow here?
So I invest in mentorship, transparent promotion paths, and learning budgets. I show examples of people who advanced. Growth is not a perk. It is proof that we invest in people.
4) Culture and Psychological Safety Drive Performance
A healthy culture is not happy hour. It is trust. People need to feel safe sharing ideas, asking for help, and even failing while they learn.
When we support mental health, inclusion, and belonging, performance follows. Retention does too.
5) Transparency Builds Trust
Great candidates value honesty. They want clarity on expectations, pay, and growth before they join.
I share salary ranges. I write realistic job descriptions. I talk about the hard parts of the work. Then I step back and let our people speak for us.
Your employer brand is not what you publish on a careers page. It is what your employees say about you after a tough week.
Where I See Companies Fall Short
They talk about flexibility but schedule back to back meetings.
They promise growth but never show a path.
They market culture but do not create psychological safety.
They polish their brand and silence employee voices.
They hide compensation data and lose trust before the first interview.
When there is a gap between promises and lived experience, candidates notice. Then they walk.
6) How I Close the Gap Between Message and Reality
A strong employer brand starts when the story matches the experience.
Here is my playbook:
- Listen. Ask employees what they love and what frustrates them. Use anonymous surveys to get the truth.
- Compare. Put the careers page next to real feedback. Do they match?
- Act. Fix the small disconnects first. They often matter most day to day.
- Empower advocacy. Invite your team to share authentic stories about their work. Real voices build credibility faster than any campaign.
When employees become advocates, we stop competing on perks and start competing on purpose.
Compete on Purpose, Not Perks
The companies that win deliver on promises. They offer flexibility people actually use. They build real growth paths. They create cultures where people feel safe to fail and supported to succeed.
At the end of the day, an employer brand is not a strategy deck. It is a reputation, lived out loud by the people who know you best.
When a candidate has five offers, make yours the one that feels real.
We work side by side with HR teams every week, so we see what actually moves the needle on recruiting, onboarding, and retention. Centricity is a creative agency that turns your employer brand into real experiences, from welcome kits and recognition to program stores and events, so your team looks great and your best candidates say yes.
