Employer Branding Diary Series | Part 1

Confessions of a marketer who discovered that the hottest collab isn’t with Creative — it’s with HR.

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Dear Diary,

Today I realised something both obvious and slightly embarrassing: our brand’s identity isn’t our website font or the pretty orange swirls on the brochure… it’s the people. And guess what? We keep hiring from the same pond. It’s like making soup with only carrots and wondering why it tastes, well, carroty.

Cross-industry mobility is slowing down for the grown-ups (apparently career commitment is back in fashion), while the under-35s treat work like a buffet table. Meanwhile, we need fresh spices in the pot or we’re going to bore ourselves to death.

Wizard, can you sprinkle in some data magic here before I start quoting Simon Sinek?

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Note to self 1:
Why Your Brand Needs Cross‑Pollination

One thing I’ve learned from binge-watching old rom-coms: the way you talk about your exes reveals more about you than it does about them. The same goes for hiring.

Asking for “ten years of identical experience”? That’s just professional déjà vu. Real bravery is hiring for perspective, not perfection. After all, innovation never comes from a room full of people who agree on everything.

Wizard, how would you measure bravery in hiring without sounding like a corporate horoscope?

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Note to self 2:
Designing for Cognitive and Cultural Diversity

My to-do list (written in lipstick on the bathroom mirror – don’t judge):

• Audit every “must-have industry experience” phrase. How many geniuses did we scare off?
• Shift to skills-based assessments. Can you solve problems, lead people, get creative? Good. I don’t care if you sold widgets or wi-fi.
• Showcase leaders who switched lanes. We need our own Tom Hanks-in-Big moment – someone who tried something new and saved the day.

Wizard, can you help me build a mini dashboard for this — something with KPIs that won’t make HR faint?

Dimension	Metric	Target
Job ads free from industry bias	% of postings	> 75 %
Cross-sector hires	% of new hires	> 20 %
Visible mobility stories	# / quarter	≥ 3

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Note to self 3:
Generational Mobility & Perception

So, if the gen Z/Y wants growth, inclusivity and purpose (and apparently unlimited snacks), and the mid-career crowd values influence, stability and maybe a chair that doesn’t squeak. Our brand has to whisper to both groups at once.

Wizard, what’s your read on how to balance all that without splitting our brand personality in two?

Cohort	Driver	Brand Signal (Meaning)
< 35 yrs	Growth, inclusivity	Adaptive culture → your brand should project openness to change, learning opportunities, and belonging. It signals: “You can grow here and be yourself.”
35–55 yrs	Influence, stability	Reinvention story → your brand should convey maturity with purpose — showing transformation, leadership voice, and renewal. It signals: “You can shape the future here, not just survive it.”

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Note to self 4: My Takeaway

So, basically, if our brand story were a movie, this would be the part where the protagonist finally realises the supporting characters are the story —  because every hire shapes the plot.

Maybe it’s time we started casting for chemistry — not just credentials. 🤔