Employer Bland

Steve Ward, founder of the Employer Brand Club, joins Chris for a proper journey through a career that started with a painfully shy kid doing teacher impressions in a Nottingham school panto and ended up reshaping how he thinks about branding, recruitment and trust. We go right back to the beginning. A first recruitment job built on fear and cold calling that he came to despise. Three redundancies in a single year. A mentor who spotted his strategic mind. And the hand-drawn A3 CV that flipped a switch and pushed him toward creative, personal outreach over scripted selling. From there it's the founding of Cloud9, the move into social recruiting before anyone took it seriously, and the build of a community-first agency where people were hired to create trust rather than chase placements. The second half gets into where the industry is heading. Steve makes the case that young people have grown up so surrounded by fake, AI-generated content that anything too polished now reads as a warning sign. His answer is to shift from a sell mindset to a trust mindset, show the real story, warts and all, and protect the human voice that AI can't replicate. He shares a story from an AstraZeneca shoot that sums it all up. A brilliant conversation about authenticity, reputation and why the truth is the one thing automation can't fake. Chapters (00:00:00) - Steve Ward(00:01:14) - Steve Jobs: Starting Out(00:07:34) - Steve's story of turning down a job(00:12:20) - The Story of Branding in Employment(00:17:40) - Steve Crowell on Randstad's Branding(00:22:06) - The rare social media analyst(00:27:20) - The culture of community management(00:30:33) - Steve Jobs on Being Ahead of the Curve(00:36:11) - EB Club: The employer brand community(00:40:23) - Employer Branding: The breadth of the topic(00:48:01) - EB CLUB: On AI and the Job Search(00:53:52) - Reveal: The AI backlash in recruitment(00:57:35) - In the midst of all this,(00:58:21) - Employer Brand: The Collective Experience(01:01:54) - Steve Jobs: Listen to What People Say

Emily Firth, co-founder of The Truth Works. From a decade in advertising to building an award-winning employer brand team at Booking.com, she's now tearing up the agency model with a platform that connects companies directly with verified fractional EB experts. We get into gatekeeping in the industry, why your uncomfortable truths are the gift, and how lean teams can get senior thinking on tap without the six-month retainer. Chapters (00:00:01) - Welcome to The Employer Bland Podcast(00:01:10) - A Little About My LinkedIn Profile(00:06:24) - The Secret to Success in the Advertising World(00:11:52) - Employment Brand Industry: The Need for Talent(00:13:51) - Employer Brand(00:18:40) - No Imposter Syndrome At Booking.com(00:22:28) - The Elevated Experience(00:27:36) - Getting Through The Recruitment Process(00:33:37) - The Next Evolution of Employer Brand(00:40:14) - The Future of Freelance Work(00:44:35) - Expert Network: The Future of the Platform(00:48:24) - Don't Get Blacklisted Over Your LinkedIn Post(00:52:02) - Employer Bland

Dave Hazlehurst spent 17 years at PH Creative, which later became Human Magic, helping build employer brand into the discipline it is today. He's worked with some of the biggest brands on the planet, spoken at LinkedIn Talent Connect, and trained more people in this space than most would care to count. This episode is a proper debrief. Dave recently left the agency world after nearly two decades (who knows for how long), which made for a conversation with very little to protect and a lot worth saying. We cover the origin story — four people in a Liverpool office doing websites for solicitors, a career site pitch at Nationwide that changed everything, and a chance Peroni in a Dublin hotel bar that led to a LinkedIn keynote. Then we get into the stuff that actually matters. Why EVPs are broken by design. Why employer brand is too focused on the outside and not enough on the inside. Why the function needs to stop expressing culture and start driving it. And why AI is quietly making most LinkedIn content look the same. If you've worked in employer brand for five minutes or fifteen years, there's something in this one for you. Chapters (00:00:01) - Employer Bland(00:01:01) - PH Creative: When did we start marketing our jobs?(00:06:17) - Adam Levine: The LinkedIn Invite(00:11:11) - The Making of a Pitch(00:16:47) - The Real Story Of Winning A RFP(00:20:25) - The Big Win at Nationwide(00:23:44) - Covid Business School: The Great Ideas(00:28:33) - Getting it out of the Screen(00:30:15) - Human Magic(00:31:44) - Have You Ever Heard A Pitch Like That?(00:36:03) - The Formula One(00:36:55) - Covid(00:42:46) - PPH Creative's Rebrand(00:43:22) - The RE brand rebrand(00:47:12) - Pithole on the Future of Human Magic(00:50:05) - Employer Brand: Future of the Company(00:56:05) - Employer Brand: The Need for Internal Focus(01:00:00) - Dave on the Piers Morgan Interview

Niall Macmillan has 10+ million followers across social media. You probably know his face. You might not know his name. You definitely know the milk. He's the awkward POV guy. Silent, non-threatening, and somehow one of the most watchable people on the internet. In this episode, Chris sits down with Niall to talk about how a green screen, a glass of milk, and a string of happy accidents built a global audience — and what that means for how companies should think about the people already inside their walls. We get into the power of being relatable over being polished, why your most introverted employee might be your best content asset and Niall's parting advice for any brand that wants to stop being bland... "Reveal the creatures. Let them be your Avengers." Chapters (00:00:02) - Nile on the Employer Bland Podcast(00:00:54) - The Awkward Guy(00:02:03) - "The Milk Guy"(00:03:56) - milo on his 10 Million Followers(00:06:55) - In the Elevator With TikTok(00:13:36) - In the Elevator With Richard Hammond(00:14:33) - The Silent Empire(00:19:23) - In the Elevator With LinkedIn Creators(00:21:59) - How To Write a Funny Video(00:24:27) - Employer Branding: The Uniqueness of Companies(00:29:30) - The New LinkedIn Haul(00:34:16) - No More Vlogs(00:38:47) - Employer Bland

Chris is joined by Dylan Lees-Jones, European Recruitment Marketing Manager at Wipro, for a conversation that gets right to the heart of one of employer brand's longest-standing frustrations: why does a function with so much proven impact still have to fight so hard for boardroom credibility? Dylan brings a rare dual perspective - A career that started in consumer and B2B direct marketing before moving into employer brand and he uses it to cut through some of the noise around metrics, measurement, and making the case upwards. They cover a lot of ground, including: Why now is genuinely a tough time to ask for budget and why having empathy for that pressure actually makes you a more effective EB practitioner The preparation problem — why so many teams go live on campaigns without agreeing upfront what success actually looks like, and how to fix it Quality of hire vs vanity metrics — what the board actually cares about, and why chasing volume without defining the right candidate profile creates an attrition cycle nobody wins from The lifetime value gap — why employer brand is sitting on one of its most powerful commercial arguments and not yet using it, and what consumer marketing figured out decades ago that EB still hasn't fully applied The halo effect in practice — Dylan shares a real example of switching off radio advertising to prove its value, and what that means for how EB teams should think about attribution Collaboration as the unsexy answer — why misalignment between EB, TA, HR, and senior leadership is quietly undermining even the best work The episode closes on a genuinely exciting idea: that AI could be the thing that finally makes Employer Brand Lifetime Value measurable and what that would mean for how the C-suite views employer brand investment. If you've ever been in a room trying to explain why your work matters and felt like you were speaking a different language, this one's worth your time. Chapters (00:00:00) - Employer Bland(00:01:12) - Employer Brand: Rethinking leadership buy-in(00:03:00) - Have Marketing Teams Stepped Up on Employer Brand?(00:03:55) - Employer Branders: The challenges(00:07:14) - Employer Brand and Corporate Marketing(00:11:25) - Delivering ROI through Talent, Employer Brand(00:16:25) - Employer Branding: Quality of Recruitment(00:21:07) - Employer Brand Success and Analytics(00:24:01) - Senior Leadership Apprenticeship(00:26:51) - Employer Brand Functions(00:30:59) - What Should We Remove From Our Company's Metrics?(00:32:56) - Brand Data: The importance of it for consumers(00:35:01) - Understanding the Lifetime Value of a Customer(00:42:24) - Dylan on The Future of Talking

In this episode I had a thought provoking chat with Steven Brand, Global Employer Brand Lead at Rolls-Royce and a very well respected figure on the global EB circuit, to talk about what really happens to employer brand when things get tough. Not when you're launching a shiny new EVP. Not when you're celebrating growth or looking to attract bucket loads of talent. But when people are leaving, redundancies are happening and restructures are taking place... what happens then? We explored: • Why employer branding often gets “switched off” during tough moments. • The danger of silence (and what fills the gap when leaders don’t communicate) • Survivor’s guilt — and how quickly trust can erode internally • Whether employer brand should be closer to offboarding and exit data • Why values mean nothing if they only show up in the good times One line that stayed with me: “You see the strength of your employer brand in the bad times, not the good.” If we say we stand for transparency, integrity and people-first leadership… That has to apply when it’s raining too. Steven shared some brilliant insights on a topic that doesnt often get the airtime I feel it warrants. Hope you enjoy!

In this episode of the Employer Brand Podcast, I sat down with Ventsislava Nikolova (Ventsi) to unpack what employer branding really means — beyond ping pong tables, fruit bowls, and career fairs. We covered: • Why employer branding needs to stop sounding like… employer branding • How to connect storytelling to profit (without making CEOs’ souls leave their bodies ) • Why internal mobility is one of the most underused retention levers • The KPI she looks at first (and it’s not traffic, clicks or impressions) • Why employees — not companies — should be the hero of the story Hope you enjoy! Chapters (00:00:02) - Ventislava on the Employer Branding Summit(00:00:43) - Introducing Vanzis Leva(00:02:25) - Employment branding: Growing up(00:07:42) - How to Build a Employer Brand: Bridging the Gap(00:09:12) - The lack of visibility for early-career professionals(00:11:30) - What's the Background of the Employer Branding Summit(00:16:31) - Startling a new summit(00:18:29) - Is community building a big part of your organization?(00:19:52) - Employer Branding Summit(00:23:39) - Employment Branding and its Relationship with Profit(00:25:54) - Internal Mobility and Employee Brand(00:28:16) - Employer Branding: The North Star Metric(00:32:01) - How to Build a New Employer Brand(00:34:01) - Venti on Catching Up With Larry

I recently had a great conversation with Global Employer Brand & Recruitment Marketing Leader, Leah Lenihan. We went deep on a topic that I think sits right at the heart of employer branding in 2026: The gap between declared culture and felt culture. Not what’s written in your EVP deck. Not what’s on the posters. But what people actually experience day to day. Leah shared some powerful, real-world insight from her time leading employer brand and recruitment marketing across multiple regions and brands. It reinforced something I see time and time again: A global EVP only works when it’s translated into local, lived reality. Consistency matters - but so does nuance. Culture isn’t what leaders say. It’s what people live. Trust lives in the gap between promise and experience. We also talked about: How local teams should be empowered to interpret EVP, not just receive it The danger of glossy campaigns without operational follow-through Why advocacy only works when people actually believe what they’re sharing How leaders can unknowingly undermine their own EVP in micro-moments One stat that really stuck with me: Less than 23% of employees typically agree with their company’s EVP promise. That’s a massive disconnect and a big opportunity. If you’re working on EVP, employer brand, EX, CX or culture at scale, this episode is well worth a listen. Chapters (00:00:01) - Employer Land: Two weeks off for the boss(00:00:35) - Employer Branding: From promise to felt culture(00:02:54) - A Single Global EVP(00:04:22) - Global Evp: The Need for nuance(00:10:07) - The Evp: Local & Global?(00:17:02) - As a value, is innovation valued?(00:17:47) - The Need for Open Feedback(00:20:50) - Vinod Sinha: How Often Does an EVP Need(00:22:49) - Employer Brand Advisory: Testing the Experience(00:26:54) - Post-it Guardrails(00:31:00) - The Evp vs. Feeled Culture(00:33:12) - Employee Experience and Campaigns(00:36:13) - Leah on Taking a Break

I recently sat down with Sang-Kyun Park (Sanny) for an episode that made me stop and reassess how we’re all using AI in employer branding and talent attraction. Not from a hype perspective. Not from a fear-led perspective. But from a human one... Sanny brought a brilliantly grounded view from the front line — working in a small global employer brand team, operating at scale, with all the same pressures most of us feel right now. A few things that really stuck with me: AI is powerful and expedites so many tasks - but fast doesn't always equal good. Over-reliance creates an illusion of efficiency The “what” of EVP must stay human-led - AI should help with the “how” Authenticity erodes quickly when everything starts to sound the same. AI amplifies 'same' by the very nature of how it works. Human judgement still matters most at emotional moments in the journey We also got into some tougher territory: AI as a crutch vs AI as an amplifier The risk of AI damaging employer brand at scale Why rejection without human contact feels so unsettling to candidates, the long-term employer brand damage could be huge How employer branding risks becoming generic if creativity is outsourced Why HR and EB must move from cost centre → value driver (and how data can help connect these dots to highlight genuine bottomline business impact) + Lots more... We hope you enjoy! Chapters (00:00:00) - It's sunny in Berlin(00:00:40) - Meet the KWS HR Executive Sanny Park(00:04:52) - Employer Branding(00:09:33) - Is AI Eating our Creativity?(00:19:06) - Analyst: The Amplification of AI(00:24:37) - Do you think with all of this Saniya, there could be(00:33:52) - AI enhancing the work, but without replacing independent thinkers(00:38:27) - Employee Branding and Its Impact(00:42:24) - Do We Need More Independent Thinking in Talent Assessment?(00:46:59) - Different audiences, different experiences(00:48:39) - Steve Bartlett on the AI in the Recruitment Process(00:58:09) - How can we Strive for Authenticity in an Age of AI(01:04:57) - Interview

As part of Chris Le'cand-Harwood and my Employer Content Club series, we explore the 5 pillars of Employer Content. Among many other points, we discuss how most people don’t announce disengagement... they drift away. This conversation looks at how employer content can create space for honest voices, surface hidden signals, and help organisations listen before people leave. Hope you enjoy! Chapters (00:00:00) - The 5 Pillars of Employer Content Club(00:00:38) - In the Studio With Chris Evans(00:01:02) - Co-Created: The Content Creation Series(00:03:42) - 5 Pillars of Employer Content Creation(00:06:49) - How to Get Out of the Monkey Cage(00:09:08) - Budget and Employer Content Strategy:(00:12:28) - In the Elevator With Eric Reese(00:12:58) - Employment Branding: The Need for Iterative Budget Spending(00:14:22) - How to Gain the Right Feedback on Content(00:18:08) - How to get vets to create content for VCA Animal Hospitals(00:19:41) - Be visible in the workplace(00:23:37) - The Voice of the Workplace(00:25:57) - Co-Create: The Agile 4 Week Sprint(00:31:54) - Talking to colleagues about disengagement(00:33:03) - Pillar 5: Experience in the Next Year(00:39:10) - Episode 5