Employer Branding Strategies

Why rely solely on surveys when you can uncover the true state of DEI through concrete metrics? This is a question that echoes in my mind each time I embark on a new journey with a client. Surveys can provide valuable opinions, but they often fall short of capturing real facts and the nuanced realities of individuals within an organization. 🔎 Here are 6 key DEI metrics that truly matter: 📍 Attrition Rates: Take a closer look at why employees are leaving, especially among different groups. This will help you understand if there are specific challenges or issues that need to be addressed to improve retention. 📍 Leadership Pipeline Diversity: Evaluate the diversity within your leadership team. Are there opportunities for underrepresented individuals to rise into leadership roles? Are they equally represented on all levels of leadership? 📍 Promotion and Advancement Rates: Assess if all employees, regardless of background, are getting equal opportunities to advance in their careers. By monitoring promotion and advancement rates, you can identify any biases and work towards creating a level playing field. 📍 Pay Equity: Ensure that everyone is paid fairly and equally for their work. Address any discrepancies in pay based on not only gender, but also race, age, ethnicity or other intersectional factors. 📍 Hiring Pipeline Diversity: Examine the diversity of candidates in your hiring process. Are you attracting a wide range of talent from different backgrounds? Tracking this metric helps you gauge the effectiveness of your recruitment efforts in creating a diverse workforce. 📍 Employee Engagement by Demographic: Measure the level of engagement and satisfaction among employees from various groups. Are there any disparities in engagement levels? Run the crossings of identity diversity and organizational one. By focusing on these 6 concrete metrics, you can gain real insights into your organization's DEI progress based on actionable data that drives progress. ________________________________________ Are you looking for more HR tips and DEI content like this?  📨 Join my free DEI Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dtgdB6XX

Google just agreed to pay $50M to settle a racial bias lawsuit. But the real story? The warning signs were there years ago—and they were ignored. 🚨 Back in 2018, over 20,000 Google employees staged a global walkout, protesting how the company handled sexual harassment claims, and the $90M exit package they gave to an executive, Andy Rubin , the creator of the Android software, even after the company concluded that a harassment claim against him was credible! Then came April Christina Curley, a diversity recruiter at Google who raised concerns about how Black candidates from HBCUs were treated. Her reward? She was dismissed. And now, years later, the company is paying the price—economically and in their reputation. Having spent decades in tech and corporate leadership, I’ve seen this movie before! These situations unfold slowly—not all at once, but in small missteps that are ignored. But I’ve also seen how powerful it can be when a leader listens early, acts with intention, and builds a fair system of accountability with checks and balances before a crisis forces their hand. But this isn’t just about Google. It’s about every company out there that thinks DEI is optional—especially now in face of all the anti-DEI actions and rhetoric. To these leaders I say, "proceed at your own risk, because data and history show just the opposite to be true." ✅ It's a fact that when done right, DEI is a safeguard that helps you attract the right talent, retain your best people, improve decision-making, and yes, it protects you from the kinds of legal and reputational risks that make headlines. So what can organizations do today to build a stronger, safer culture? Here are 4 things I'd recommend: 🔎 Make inclusion measurable – DEI isn’t fluff. Use real-time data to find out where the gaps are, what’s working and what’s not. 🤩 Create safe spaces for feedback – Anonymity isn’t dangerous. It’s how you achieve transparency as an organization and get honesty from your employees. 📊 Audit your people processes – From hiring to promotions and pay equity – unconscious bias will creep in over time unless you actively manage and remove it. 🛠️ Equip your managers – Inclusive leadership isn’t innate. It’s a skill—one that can be modeled and developed. If you’re re-thinking your DEI strategy in this new environment, I encourage you to read the full story (link to be posted in the comments) and feel free to add a comment or DM me. Let's get the conversation going. The stakes are too high to get it wrong. 🧭 It’s time we stop treating DEI as a “nice to have” that can change with the way the wind is blowing—and start seeing it for what it really is; a core business function that protects and propels organizations. Because when inclusion is real, everyone wins. 👏 #Leadership #Culture #HBCU #Inclusion #DEI #HR #BusinessStrategy #EmployeeExperience #Retention #Accountability #Android #settlement #lawsuit Image credit: The Source Los Angeles. 🙏

We love to talk about employer branding like it’s all about shiny campaigns, fancy websites, and those irresistible job ads. BUT here’s the thing: Your employer brand is actually created by your people, EVERY SINGLE DAY. It’s the unfiltered conversations they have in the break room, in Slack chats, and over a quick coffee about what it’s really like to work at your company (spoiler: they’re not talking about the free snacks). You can’t fake culture. 🙏 You can’t hide how you treat your people. That’s why building a strong employer brand starts with focusing on what’s happening INSIDE your company. When your employees feel respected, valued, and heard, they become your best advocates (and no, free pizza on Fridays doesn’t count). 🤌🏼 So here’s the takeaway: Build from the inside out. Create a culture where your people are PROUD to work—and I guarantee you, those stories will travel faster than any marketing message ever will (and definitely faster than your last email campaign). 🙊 So tell me now.. How are you making sure your culture is shaping your employer brand in the right way? #employerbranding #companyreputation #employees #jobs #organizationculture #behavior #values #norms #leadership #EVP

What makes an employer brand truly strong? Is it just salary and perks? Or is it something deeper—culture, opportunities, and how people are treated? It made me think—what really leaves a lasting impression? Top global companies—think Tata, Google, or Salesforce—get employer branding right because they prioritize people. And not just employees, but also candidates and even those who don’t get selected. A study by LinkedIn found that 75% of job seekers consider an employer's brand before even applying. And platforms like Glassdoor? They don’t just collect negative reviews—many companies have thousands of positive ones. The key difference? How people feel they were treated. A few small things make a big difference: ✅ Respect the interview schedule—don’t keep individuals waiting, be prepared, and make interviews engaging. ✅ Give closure—if someone isn’t selected, let them know why. Their experience still shapes your brand. ✅ Make onboarding smooth—because first impressions don’t end at hiring. ✅ Remain accessible and attentive to team members who seek your time. As a practice, I always make it a point to personally escort anyone who comes to meet me at the door and the same after the conversation is over. A small act, but it builds connection. I also tried to ensure interviewees left with a good experience, even if they weren’t hired. Because here’s the thing—people remember how you made them feel, not just their pay checks. A strong employer brand isn’t built with slogans. It’s built in those everyday interactions. ☑️What’s one small thing you do to make your workplace more welcoming? ♻️Repost to spread the message. PS: Stay tuned for my upcoming posts where I shed a different perspective on leadership, training caregivers, and attracting the right talent.

You get your dream job as a People and Culture lead in an organisation, what next? Follow BELOVD Agency first 90 days plan to maximise your impact in your new role. Weeks 1-2: Orientation & Immersion 1. Familiarise Yourself with the Organisation: Understand its history, values, mission, and current state of the team and efforts to build a healthy culture. 2. Meet Key Stakeholders: Schedule meetings with executives, team leads, and HR personnel. 3. Gather Data: Collect existing data on employee demographics, past DEI initiatives, training sessions, etc. 4. Set Expectations: Clarify your role, objectives, and what support/resources you will need. Weeks 3-4: Listening & Learning 1. Conduct DEI Surveys: If there isn't recent data available, distribute anonymous surveys to gather employee insights on the current DEI environment. 2. Host Focus Groups: Segment by departments, roles, or demographic groups, and listen to their culture-related experiences and suggestions. 3. Review Policies & Procedures: Look for potential biases in hiring, promotion, compensation, and other HR processes. Weeks 5-6: Analysis & Initial Feedback 1. Analyse Data: Understand the current state of DEI in the company using quantitative (from surveys) and qualitative (from focus groups) insights. 2. Identify Pain Points: Highlight areas of concern and opportunity. 3. Present Initial Findings: Share preliminary findings with senior leadership, ensuring transparency. Weeks 7-8: Strategy Development 1. Define DEI Vision & Objectives: Outline what DEI success looks like for the firm. 2. Develop an Action Plan: Prioritise initiatives based on impact and feasibility. 3. Engage Allies: Identify DEI champions within the firm to assist in driving initiatives forward. 4. Seek External Partnerships: Consider collaborations with NGOs, industry groups, or external DEI experts. Weeks 9-10: Implementation & Initial Training 1. Initiate Pilot Programs: Test out key initiatives in select departments or regions. 2. Roll Out DEI Training: This can be in the form of workshops, webinars, or e-learning modules. 3. Establish Reporting Mechanisms: Ensure there's a process for employees to safely report any DEI-related concerns. Weeks 11-12: Review & Adjust 1. Gather Feedback: Understand the initial impact of your strategies and what might need to be refined. 2. Adjust Strategy: Modify your action plan based on feedback. 3. Plan Next Steps: This could involve scaling pilot programs, further training, or launching new initiatives. Is there anything you would add?

It’s crucial to navigate the often overwhelming discourse surrounding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with clarity and purpose. The first step is to establish clear, measurable objectives for your DEI initiatives. This involves setting specific goals, such as increasing representation of underrepresented groups in leadership roles or improving employee engagement scores. By having well-defined targets, you can focus your efforts and measure progress effectively, cutting through the noise and demonstrating tangible results. Another key strategy is to leverage data to inform your DEI efforts. Collecting and analysing data on workforce demographics, employee experiences, and the impact of DEI programs allows you to identify areas for improvement and track the success of your initiatives. Data-driven approaches help to ground your DEI strategies in evidence, making it easier to communicate the importance and effectiveness of these efforts to stakeholders. This not only helps in addressing misconceptions but also in building a strong case for continued investment in DEI. Finally, fostering an inclusive culture requires active and visible leadership. Leaders must model inclusive behaviors, such as actively seeking diverse perspectives and addressing unconscious biases. Providing regular training and creating platforms for open dialogue can help in building a more inclusive environment. Additionally, involving employees at all levels in DEI initiatives, through resource groups or feedback sessions, ensures that everyone feels a sense of ownership and commitment to these goals. By maintaining a continuous focus on improvement and staying informed about best practices, everyone can effectively cut through the cacophony and drive meaningful change within their organizations. #diversity #equity #inclusion #belonging

🌍 DE&I Initiatives: Tokenism vs. True Impact DE&I as a brand has been associated with too many tick-box exercises. Inclusion is more than just a box to tick—it’s a culture to build. Too often, DE&I initiatives fall into the trap of looking good on the surface without creating real change. Here’s a look at 5 tokenistic DE&I measures vs. 5 impactful strategies that drive meaningful transformation. 👇🏾 Tokenistic DE&I Measures 🚫 One-Time Diversity Training – A single, isolated training often doesn’t lead to lasting behavioral change or deeper understanding. Public Statements Without Action – Leadership statements on diversity are valuable, but they need tangible actions to back them up. Unfunded ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) – Forming ERGs without budget, leadership support, or influence can make them feel tokenistic and sidelined. Hiring Quotas Without Inclusion Efforts – Bringing in diverse talent without creating an inclusive culture leads to high turnover and disengagement. Celebratory Events Without Systemic Change – Cultural events are great, but without addressing structural inequities, they risk being surface-level gestures. Measures That Make Real Impact 💡 Ongoing Education & Training – Embed regular, in-depth DE&I training across all levels, with follow-ups and reinforcement to encourage sustainable change. Accountability & Action Plans – Move beyond statements by setting measurable DE&I goals, tracking progress, and holding leaders accountable. Empowered, Supported ERGs – Fund ERGs and give them a voice in decision-making, showing that diverse perspectives shape the organization’s direction. Inclusive Culture Building – Train managers to foster a culture where all voices are valued, and diverse employees feel they truly belong and can grow. Systemic Change Initiatives – Address equity in areas like pay, promotion, and representation in leadership to tackle root issues beyond symbolic gestures. True inclusion requires more than optics; it’s about creating spaces where everyone feels they can be themselves, contribute, and thrive. Let’s commit to the kind of DE&I work that goes beyond tokenism and creates genuine, lasting change. 🌱 #DEI #InclusiveLeadership #CultureChange #Diversityandinclusion #Leadership

Your company culture is the very foundation of your brand’s survival. If you want to build external brand perception, you must first invest heavily into *internal* brand perception. If you have an organization brimming with people who don’t believe in the work they’re doing? People on the outside (clients and customers) will inevitably share that same apathetic point of view. To build fanatical internal brand belief, you can’t just list out your values and hang them on the wall… …you have to live them out in everything you do. Day in, day out—without fail. Here’s how: 1. Integrate values into decision-making Ensure that company values are a central consideration in all strategic and operational decisions, not just an afterthought. 2. Communicate through stories You shouldn’t just be sharing client results with your prospects—everyone at your organization should understand the impact they’re making. 3. Align hiring and promotion practices Recruit and promote people who align the most with your company's values and culture. C-suites shouldn’t be the only ones leading by example; everyone needs to do their part. When you’ve got internal branding locked down, irresistible external branding is inevitable. This is why our work is so important. Motto® works with leadership teams to mobilize their teams around vision and brand. If you have a new strategic vision, we help create brand allegiance to help build that strategic future. Motto® 🏴

Q-Quote from "Portrait of JEDI": Step-by-Step JEDI in the Employee Lifecycle: #EmployerBranding 📌 If your organization were a person, what would its soul whisper? Let’s flip the script: If your company were a person, what would its mental state be like? Would it whisper words of purpose and balance, or would it be caught in the chaos of anxiety, obsessive thoughts, or even delusions? Think about it. If we define employer branding as the image a company projects to its employees and potential candidates. In that case our underlying message is clear: We judge companies not just by what they offer, but by the kind of workplace they are. And guess what? Today’s talent is asking not “How much will I earn here?” but “Who will I work with? Will they value me?” That’s why principles like Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (#JEDI) aren’t just nice-to-have—they’re critical for sustainable employer branding, employee engagement, and attracting top talent. Gallup backs this up: inclusive workplaces are 60% more successful in attracting talent. So if you’re not integrating JEDI into your culture, prepare to see top talent waving goodbye at your door. Here’s how JEDI serves your employer brand: 1️⃣ #Diversity Fuels Innovation. Different perspectives lead to better problem-solving. However, diversity can also introduce communication challenges and potential conflicts. The solution? Invest in psychological safety. Dr. Timothy Clark’s model shows that innovation thrives when teams feel safe to express their ideas without fear of judgment. 2️⃣ #Justice and #Equity Boost Performance. Employees who feel they’re treated fairly are more loyal and committed. It’s not just about recognition; it’s about feeling seen, valued, and respected. Fair performance evaluations, like those at Salesforce, that consider personal growth and achievements foster a sense of equity. 3️⃣ #Inclusive Cultures Attract Talent. The best candidates today look beyond paychecks—they seek cultures that align with their values. A commitment to diversity and inclusion makes your organization a magnet for talent. Google’s Project Aristotle uncovered a game-changing insight: the most successful teams weren’t just the most skilled or diverse—they were the ones where everyone felt safe to speak up. In these teams, mistakes were seen as learning opportunities, and every voice mattered. Without psychological safety, even the most diverse teams fail to reach their full potential. JEDI isn’t just a strategy; it’s the bedrock of a thriving workplace. It bridges the gap between a company’s internal culture (its “shadow”) and its public image (its “persona”). 👉 Which JEDI principle resonates with you the most? Comment below! ♻️ Found this valuable? Repost to share with your network. #PortraitofJEDI #WorkplaceCulture #DiversityAndInclusion #PsychologicalSafety #FutureOfWork

You can have a brilliant career site, the flashiest LinkedIn content, and the best “We’re a great place to work!” messaging… But if colleagues aren’t experiencing that same culture inside the organisation, they won’t just leave, they’ll tell everyone why. And no, not in an exit interview. A few years ago, I met a friend for lunch. They were having a really bad time at work and spent most of the time venting their frustration to me. As we were getting up to leave, the barman stopped us and said, “That’s the second time this week I’ve heard someone slagging off that place!” My friend was mortified that they’d been overheard 😬. Employer branding isn’t what you post on LinkedIn, it’s what colleagues say when they think no one is listening. But the truth is that your employer brand is only as strong as your internal comms. If executives say they value transparency but decisions are made behind closed doors, colleagues won’t buy it. If you post about “wellbeing first” but people are burning out with no support, they’ll see straight through it. If you shout about an inclusive culture but colleagues feel unheard, your best people will leave. So before you start applying for awards or best place to work accolades consider these practical tips👇🏽 1️⃣ If your internal comms isn’t reflective of reality, we can’t expect colleagues to be brand ambassadors. We need to align what is said externally with what people actually experience inside the organisation. 2️⃣ If colleagues only ever hear from comms when the leaders have something to say, that’s a problem. Real engagement happens when people feel like their voices help shape decisions. 3️⃣ Most colleagues trust their direct manager more than the CEO, yet many managers aren’t trained to communicate well. If you want messages to resonate, start with the people who deliver them daily. 4️⃣ Before you launch your next employer branding campaign, ask colleagues what it’s really like to work there. What they say in exit interviews or anonymous surveys should inform what you change. 5️⃣ The strongest employer brands aren’t built through marketing campaigns but through colleagues who genuinely love where they work. Create an environment where they want to share their experiences, without them being asked. If you want to know what your colleagues really think check, Glassdoor, and Reddit - they’ll tell you. Inside the organisation, dig into trends with HR, engagement surveys, and other internal data points. Understanding what’s being said will help you craft messaging that colleagues will connect with. If you want to chat about employee value propositions or employer branding, drop me a DM. I’m always happy to help! Alt text: a random selfie of me on a train on my way to see a client!