Employer value attributes
Identify your organization’s unique employer value with the help of this fairly comprehensive list of employer value attributes.
From likes to loyal hires: Using social media to build a strong employer brand
Contents
Contents
Social media today is more than just a way to stay connected. It’s a critical business tool. Especially when it comes to talent acquisition and employer branding, social platforms are becoming the go-to places for hiring managers and job seekers alike.
According to the DataReportal 2024 Report, over 4.95 billion people worldwide actively use social media. That’s a staggering audience, and it includes not just your potential customers but also your future employees. Platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube are no longer just marketing playgrounds; they are powerful recruitment tools.
Why? Hiring isn’t just about skills and roles anymore. It’s about values, culture, and purpose. And social media is where these stories unfold in the most real and relatable ways possible.
Your dream talent is online. Are you?
Whether you’re a digital-native company or one that’s just starting to explore online strategies, one thing holds true:
“A company that isn’t visible online might as well not exist, especially in the eyes of top talent.”
You could have the most dynamic workplace, the best benefits, and a culture to brag about. But if you’re not showcasing it, you’re missing out. Job seekers today are not just applying for jobs but also choosing cultures, missions, and visions that resonate with them.
This is where employer branding steps in, as the bridge between companies and candidates. When done right on social media, it does more than attract applicants. It builds trust, fosters emotional connection, and creates a memorable first impression.
And no, this isn’t a ‘set it and forget it’ strategy. In today’s competitive talent market, you need to stay a step ahead every single day.
Stat Check:
- 75% of job seekers research a company’s reputation before applying.
- 79% of job seekers use social media as part of their job search.
Social media helps companies:
- Showcase real employee experiences and success stories
- Spread job openings to a wider, more relevant audience
- Build brand trust through leadership and employee-generated content
- Offer authentic glimpses into daily work life, values, and culture
- Quick idea
Your social feed says a lot about your company’s vibe. Go ahead and showcase all that makes your social feed appealing to candidates, giving them more reasons to stay and choose your company for their career growth. If your social feed is lacking what candidates find attractive, it’s time to brainstorm on your employer branding ideas. Read on to know how.
Be where talent is looking: Best platforms for employer branding in 2025
You don’t need to be everywhere. You need to be strategic. Here’s a breakdown of platforms that companies are using to build powerful employer brands in 2025:
LinkedIn: The go-to for professional branding
LinkedIn sets the benchmark for professional networking and is a perfect place to showcase your employer brand.
Why it works
- Job seekers are already in the ‘career mindset’ when browsing.
- Company pages act as digital brand brochures – with your values, culture, and available jobs in one place.
Salesforce shares leadership insights, behind-the-scenes videos, and employee stories regularly. This authentic storytelling helps position them as both a tech leader and a people-first employer.
Try this
- Celebrate employees’ career milestones like promotions or work anniversaries.
- Post about internal initiatives, like DEI programs or leadership bootcamps.
- Create a unique hashtag like #LifeAt[YourCompany] to build a content library.
- Pro tip
LinkedIn content doesn’t always need to be polished. It just needs to be genuine and insightful.
Instagram: Visual storytelling done right
If your brand thrives on visual culture, creativity, and authenticity, Instagram is where you shine.
Use it to:
- Share Reels or Stories of a ‘day in the life’.
- Highlight birthdays, outings, wins, and team events
- Run employee takeovers or Q&As for fresh, raw content
HubSpot’s Instagram, filled with #HubSpotLife stories, uses team-generated content to humanize the brand and make culture visible.
- Pro tip
Instagram is all about vibe. Keep it light, authentic, and human. Avoid corporate-speak!
Use Instagram highlights to create permanent stories around values, benefits, or company rituals.
Twitter / X: Micro-storytelling that builds influence
Twitter (X) is your real-time storytelling platform. It’s great for thought leadership, live updates, and participating in cultural or workplace trends.
Best uses
- Live-tweet from events, product launches, or social drives
- Retweet employee-generated content
- Join trending hashtags like #WorkLifeBalance, #RemoteWork, or #FutureOfWork
IBM uses X to combine tech insight, culture stories, and talent outreach, effectively blending employer branding with thought leadership.
- Pro tip
Use visuals and polls to break the “text-only” feed. A 10-second video can perform better than 5 tweets!
Share short success stories (employee spotlight in 280 characters!) or CSR shoutouts with a branded hashtag.
YouTube: Long-form culture storytelling
Want to go deeper? YouTube is perfect for storytelling at scale. From your company’s inception to how it is growing today, YouTube offers you a platform where you can do all that and more!
Use it for
- ‘Day in the life’ employee videos
- Virtual office tours or onboarding experiences
- Leadership talks or culture explainer videos
Google features everything from team events to innovation labs, letting candidates visualize what working there feels like.
- Pro tip
Add subtitles and clear calls-to-action. Don’t just show the story, guide viewers to their next step.
Convert videos into short clips for LinkedIn/Instagram. A well-made employer video can live across channels!
Winning strategies to build a strong employer brand
Start with employee voices
So, how do you build a compelling employer brand that resonates across social platforms? It starts with putting your people at the heart of your storytelling. Employees are your most trusted brand ambassadors. In fact, more believable than a CEO or a corporate ad. Showcase their real experiences through behind-the-scenes content, day-in-the-life stories, and authentic testimonials. Let them take over your Instagram Stories or LinkedIn feed once in a while. Not only does this build credibility, but it also gives potential candidates a more humanized view of your workplace.
Accenture regularly shares authentic employee stories across LinkedIn and Instagram under the hashtag #AccentureLife. From spotlighting women in tech to showcasing remote working experiences across the globe, they let employees tell their own stories in their own voice, making the brand more relatable and trustworthy.
Be radically transparent
Next, be transparent. Today’s job seekers want to see what your company truly stands for beyond free coffee and flexible hours. Talk openly about your DEI efforts, leadership approach, wellness programs, and company values. Don’t be afraid to show the small moments, either a team celebrating a project milestone, a virtual town hall, or how your company supports mental health initiatives. People connect with what feels real.
Buffer is well-known for its radical transparency. They openly publish everything from salary details to internal diversity reports. On social media, Buffer regularly shares candid updates about their remote-first culture, mental health days, and leadership decisions, building massive trust among job seekers.
Make it a two-way conversation.
And here’s something many brands overlook: social media isn’t just for broadcasting. It’s for having conversations. Engage with your followers. Reply to comments. Acknowledge DMs. Ask questions. When candidates see that there’s a real person behind the brand who’s listening, it creates trust, and that’s invaluable.
Shopify doesn’t just post, they respond as well! Whether it’s replying to developer feedback on Twitter or resharing employee shout-outs on LinkedIn, they make it a point to foster dialogue, not monologue. Their employer brand feels alive, present, and approachable.
Highlight your purpose
Also, don’t shy away from highlighting your purpose. Perks and benefits are great, but younger generations, especially Millennials and Gen Z, are actively seeking out purpose-driven employers. A Deloitte survey of over 4,000 respondents found that 84% employees valued working somewhere that provided meaningful work over one offering a higher salary. So, if your company supports sustainability, invests in community impact, or is working on the next big innovation, talk about it. Loudly.
Patagonia leads with purpose in everything they do. Their social feeds consistently feature environmental activism, sustainable practices, and employee involvement in cause-driven projects. They’re a magnet for talent who want their work to have a real-world impact.
Tell stories around roles, not just jobs
When it comes to hiring, go beyond just sharing job links. Think creatively. Use visuals, short videos, quotes from current team members, or even behind-the-scenes clips of the team they’ll be working with. Show candidates who they’ll work with, what they’ll build, and why it’s worth their time.
Canva uses playful, design-forward visuals to promote open roles. On LinkedIn and Instagram, job posts include employee quotes, GIFs, and colorful branded templates that perfectly reflect Canva’s fun, design-savvy culture, making their careers page one of the most clicked sections.
Stay consistent across channels
Consistency also plays a huge role. Whether someone lands on your Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube, your brand voice, tone, colors, and messaging should feel aligned. It helps build brand recognition and makes your content instantly familiar.
Whether it’s LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, or Instagram, Adobe maintains a visually cohesive and values-aligned brand presence. They use consistent colors, fonts, tone, and themes, making their content instantly recognizable across platforms.
Turn employees into brand advocates
Activate employee advocacy. Content shared by employees performs significantly better than posts from official brand channels – 8 times better, according to LinkedIn. Encourage your team to share their experiences, offer them ready-made templates or hashtags, and highlight their content regularly. When your people genuinely enjoy working with you, their stories can become your most powerful marketing tool.
Dell’s #LifeAtDell campaign encourages employees to share their personal experiences online, leading to a large volume of organic, high-engagement content. They support this initiative with advocacy tools and content guidelines, creating a strong employee-driven narrative that amplifies their brand.
Final thoughts: Make your social channels a talent magnet
In today’s attention economy, your social media presence is your first, and sometimes, only impression. By strategically using platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, X, and YouTube, you can:
- Attract top talent
- Build long-term trust
- Create a magnetic employer brand
Employer branding is not just about hiring, it’s about building professional relationships that last. And there’s no better place to tell that story than on social media.
Ready to elevate your employer brand?
If you’re ready to turn your social media into a powerful recruitment engine, check out our Employer Branding services for customized strategies and creative execution tailored to your brand.
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