Congratulations! You’ve just landed a role in employer branding (EB). Whether you are new to this niche or it’s not your first rodeo, you must set yourself up for success.
The first 90 days in any job are critical, but you must take the reins in an employer brand role. It’s your time to build trust, establish direction, and make an impact. Let’s break down how to approach this new adventure strategically while adding flair with heart and humor. Most importantly, be your authentic self.
Days 0 to 30: Speed Dating on Steroids: Meet & Greets
Your first month is like a first date with the company. Everyone’s on their best behavior, and it’s like speed dating on steroids. This is your time to reach as many key stakeholders as possible. Set aside time on your calendar each day to meet one or two people. Don’t make the mistake I once made when I had scheduled too many meet-and-greets. You’ll exhaust yourself.
Use your first 30 days to build relationships up, down, and across the organization. If this is all you accomplish, consider it a rousing success; however, you may need to convince your manager of this strategy, but trust me, it works!
Soak Up the Culture Like a Sponge
What’s the pulse of the company? Get to know its backstory, key events, and the senior exec team. Do a deep dive into the core values, vision, and mission—these are your North Star. What strategic priorities does the company have? What’s employee engagement like? Is it shining bright or a dim light?
Lastly, remember to set expectations. If the company moves quickly, aim for a 60-day delivery. If they’re more of a “let’s take it slow” pace, 90 days is your sweet spot. I prefer a 90-day timeframe.
Days 30 to 60: The Reality Check – The Lucky 7 Ps
Now that you’ve got the lay of the land, it’s time to assess the maturity levels of the employer brand across these seven key areas (Think of it as a health check-up for the brand):
- Profile: Does the company have a strong identity? Understand the company’s backstory and strategic priorities. Are the core values, mission, and vision clear like an Icelandic stream, or is there a lot of mud in the water?
- Potential: What are the top behaviors of your ideal employee? Dive into how diversity, equity, and inclusion are handled across recruitment, learning, and internal mobility. I guarantee your candidates are making these assessments.
- Promise: What are the unique reasons someone should join the company? How were these promises crafted, and are they lived daily? Assess the key messages, tone of voice, and creative assets. Is there transparency like a pane of glass or is it a blackout curtain?
- People Experiences: How does the company foster health, safety, and inclusion? What about professional development and recognition? Ownership and transparency are also crucial. Is technology aligned properly with these experiences? Is there psychological safety? You should have assessed these in your interview phase. If it’s there, you’re one step closer to spotlighting your employees. If it’s not, you’ve got a long road ahead of you.
- Proofs: Which audiences are being served, and how is this proof turned into compelling content? Look at how media is leveraged and outcomes measured. What messages are being shared internally and externally, and with what audiences?
- Partnerships: Who are your internal and external partners? This includes your executive sponsor. How do you create long-term synergy? And, importantly, how do you make time to work on the function, not just in it? If you haven’t become best friends with your marketing stakeholders, do it now! You’ll thank me later.
- Perspectives: Is employer branding a communications, recruitment, HR, or company-wide priority? How can you position it as one of the company’s strategic pillars? Plan for what’s next, considering what to optimize, update, eliminate, or create. And, of course, check the crisis management systems—better safe than sorry.
Days 60 to 90: Research & Build Your Plan
Do your research and go for the following quick wins:
- Audit your candidate experience. What improvements can be made? Track these by level of effort.
- Research competitor employer brands and assess how to differentiate the organization. On a side note, marketing may already have done this.
- Benchmark your main competitors and throw in one or two indirect ones and brands you admire that are outside your space.
- Assess your TA team’s LinkedIn presence. Is there consistency in messaging and branding?
- Another quick win is conducting LinkedIn best practices training. Teach them how to rock their profiles and attract the right talent, which is a crowd (and boss) pleaser.
- Get to know your TA tech stack. What do you need access to? Get access to all platforms and basic training.
What reporting exists? What needs to be built? What should you be measuring for employer brand metrics?
It’s time to build the foundation.
You’ve got answers to your most pressing questions, you’ve met people across the organization, and you’ve done your research. It’s time to execute and start “building the house.” Make your foundation solid. With your research in hand, start aligning your strategies. This is where you start turning ideas into action. Begin by creating a detailed plan that outlines your priorities based on the maturity assessment.
And finally, Let’s not forget the human element.
Employer branding isn’t just shiny objects. It’s strategic. It’s about people. Cultivate relationships, listen with empathy, and don’t be afraid to inject a bit of humor into your work. You aren’t doing brain surgery. You can test and learn, make mistakes, and correct the course. Kindness, care, and compassion go a long way. Make sure never to take yourself too seriously. Crack a joke occasionally where appropriate, or send a funny meme to lighten the mood.
In these first 90 days, you’re setting the stage for everything that follows. Approach it with a balance of curiosity and confidence, and don’t forget to enjoy the journey. After all, you’re not just building an employer brand—you’re shaping the future of the company’s employees.
Get ready for big wins, learning, and lessons, and make that magic happen. Take a deep breath, grab that cup of coffee or tea, and prepare to make an impact. Employer branding isn’t for the faint of heart, but you’ve got this because you’ll do it with heart.
