Is Your Brand Reputation Hurting You When Recruiting?

When it comes to recruitment, many businesses approach the process from a largely internal, even “self-interested,” perspective: We need someone to fill this role. While that's a completely valid need, it's only one side of the equation. What many employers overlook is that job seekers are also evaluating you and whether they want to join your team.

In today’s competitive job market, candidates aren’t just looking for a job; they’re searching for the right job with a company whose values, culture, and reputation align with their own. 86% of HR professionals agree that recruitment is becoming marketing-focused (Vouchfor). 

Your Reputation Precedes You... and it’s Heavily Affected by Your Candidate’s Experience

Whether you're actively managing it or not, your company has an employer brand. Whether companies like it or not, your employer brand is either helping or hindering your recruitment efforts. The way you treat candidates throughout the hiring process, along with the experiences of current and former employees, directly impacts your ability to attract top talent.

Any marketer knows the importance and incredible power that Word-of-Mouth has as a tool for a brand. A negative interview or recruitment experience can discourage a candidate from reapplying and may even lead them to warn others in their network. It's estimated that 42% of candidates won’t reapply after a bad experience, and 22% will actively discourage others from applying to that organisation.

Similarly, former employees with unresolved grievances may voice their dissatisfaction publicly on platforms like Glassdoor, social media, or through direct referrals, which can potentially steer top candidates away before they even consider applying. A whopping 86% of job seekers research company reviews and ratings before applying (9cv9). If you’re brand reputation has or is damaged, it’s estimated that 50% of job seekers refuse to work for a company with a poor reputation and even knock back offers even when offered a higher salary (BarRaiser).

A recruitment process that is slow, impersonal, or poorly communicated leaves a lasting impression and often, not a good one. Even candidates who don’t get the job form an opinion of your organisation. That experience becomes part of your employer brand.

A surprising statistic for hiring managers and organisations is that it’s estimated that 23% of job seekers lose interest in a position if they don’t hear back within a week (BarRaiser). This demonstrates how incredibly fast businesses need to react to applications and ensure the hiring process continuously moves forward.

Over-Advertising Roles Is Costing Your Brand’s Credibility

An often-overlooked aspect of employer branding is how and how often you advertise job openings. If the same roles are repeatedly posted, candidates may begin to assume there's high turnover, disorganisation, or dissatisfaction within your company. That perception, whether it is right or wrong, can negatively impact both application volume and candidate quality. With job seekers starting to question and ask themselves or their networks, “What’s wrong at that organisation?”

While it’s important to keep your talent pipeline full, excessive job postings can damage credibility. Your organisation’s job posting needs to be strategic, well-timed and placed to attract more qualified and confident candidates.

Becoming a Choice Employer that People Want to Join

On the flip side, organisations that are recognised as great places to work have a significant edge in the talent market, particularly in the low-unemployment market that Australia is currently facing. A strong employer brand, which is built on authenticity, respect, and genuine employee wellbeing and care, can drastically increase both the quality and quantity of applications through perceived perception, positive Word-of-Mouth from experiences or reviews.

Interestingly, 25% of candidates with a positive experience are twice as likely to become loyal customers of your brand, even if they weren't hired, as their opinion of your brand and its people has only enhanced how they perceive your brand (BarRaiser).

Companies with a strong employer brand can also expect to have up to a 50% reduction in cost per hire, saving time, resources, and budget. As their brand sells itself in a positive light, it makes it easier to attract the right type of talent for the organisation’s needs.

A positive brand reputation turns every interaction, whether with candidates, employees, or previous employees, into an opportunity to strengthen your market presence and talent pool while spreading positive word of mouth to their network, ultimately making your organisation more desirable to join.

Your Brand Affects More Than Just Customers

Your brand reputation doesn’t just influence your clients or customers; it affects your future workforce. Recruitment is a two-way street, and today’s candidates are more empowered than ever to research, review, and share their experiences online.

In Australia, as of mid-2025, unemployment is still sitting around 4%, meaning the Labour market remains candidate-driven. There are more jobs than there are job seekers. If you want to stand out and secure top talent, your employer brand needs to work for you.

It may even be helpful to step into potential candidates’ shoes and ask yourself - Would I want to work here based on what’s publicly known about our company? What would I find if I Googled us or read employee reviews online?

If the answer isn’t a confident yes, it might be time to invest in building or rebuilding your employer brand and looking into the true experience candidates are having with you during the recruitment process. From there, you can refine your recruitment process and foster a workplace culture that people are proud to be part of and want to join.

For more tips, tricks and advice on hiring for your team, explore our other blogs or reach out to our consultants!