Using PR to Build Your Employer Brand and Win Top Talent

Public relations shapes how the world sees your company — including potential employees. While many organizations focus PR efforts on customers and investors, smart companies recognize PR’s power to attract talented professionals who align with their mission and values. The competition for skilled workers continues to intensify across industries, making employer branding through PR more important than ever. When done right, PR amplifies your workplace culture and employee value proposition to help you stand out in a crowded talent marketplace.

The PR-Talent Connection: Why It Matters Now

Traditional recruitment marketing alone no longer cuts it. According to LinkedIn data, 75% of job seekers research a company’s reputation and employer brand before applying. PR creates authentic touchpoints that showcase your organization’s culture, values, and opportunities through earned media, content, and strategic communications.

Companies with strong employer brands see a 43% decrease in cost per hire and can reduce turnover by 28%, Glassdoor research shows. PR helps build this reputation by securing positive media coverage, awards, and recognition that validate your workplace experience.

Creating Your PR-Driven Employer Brand Strategy

Start by defining what makes your organization unique as an employer. Survey current employees about why they chose to work for you and what keeps them engaged. Look for compelling stories and proof points that demonstrate your workplace culture in action.

Develop key messages that resonate with your target talent segments. These should align with your corporate values while addressing what matters most to potential candidates. For example, Microsoft’s employer brand messaging focuses heavily on impact and innovation — core themes that appeal to tech talent.

Storytelling That Attracts Top Talent

The most effective employer branding combines PR strategy with authentic storytelling. Rather than simply stating company values, bring them to life through employee experiences and workplace initiatives.

Take Salesforce, which regularly secures media coverage highlighting its culture of giving back. The company’s 1–1–1 philanthropic model (donating 1% of equity, product, and employee time to charitable causes) provides endless storytelling opportunities that appeal to purpose-driven candidates.

Employee advocacy programs can amplify these stories. When Starbucks launched its College Achievement Plan offering tuition coverage for employees, the company encouraged partners to share their educational journeys on social media using #StarbucksPartner.

Measuring PR’s Impact on Talent Acquisition

Track both quantitative and qualitative metrics to gauge PR’s influence on recruiting:

• Application volume and quality from PR-driven channels
• Employer review ratings and sentiment
• Social media engagement with employer brand content
• Candidate survey responses about employer reputation
• Time-to-hire and cost-per-hire trends
• Employee referral rates

HubSpot attributes a 20% increase in inbound job applications to their PR-driven employer branding efforts in 2021. The company regularly publishes culture content and secures workplace awards coverage.

Building Recognition as an Employer of Choice

Strategic PR can help position your organization as a destination workplace through:

Awards Programs: Apply for relevant workplace awards that align with your employer value proposition. Being named to lists like Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” provides external validation.

Speaking Opportunities: Place leaders at industry conferences to share workplace initiatives and culture insights. This builds credibility while reaching passive candidates.

Media Relations: Pitch workplace stories to relevant outlets. Profile diverse employees, highlight learning programs, or showcase innovative benefits.

Content Creation: Develop owned media that brings your culture to life through blogs, videos, and social content. Share this with journalists to spark coverage.

Maintaining Authenticity in Employer Brand Communications

PR efforts must reflect reality — candidates will quickly spot disconnects between external messaging and actual culture. Regularly gather employee feedback to ensure communications remain authentic.

Be transparent about both strengths and areas for growth. When Airbnb faced layoffs in 2020, CEO Brian Chesky’s honest, empathetic letter to employees earned praise and preserved trust in their employer brand.

The most impactful employer branding combines strategic PR with genuine workplace experiences. Focus first on building a culture worth promoting. Then use PR to amplify authentic stories that attract aligned talent. Track outcomes, adjust approaches, and maintain consistency between external messaging and internal reality.

Success requires ongoing collaboration between PR, HR, and company leadership. But organizations that get it right gain a powerful advantage in the competition for top talent.