How To Maintain A Strong Employer Brand In Uncertain Times
I think it’s safe to say that the world of work got off to a chaotic start in 2025, especially if you’re in the HR, DEI, or employer branding space, if you’re a socially conscious business or nonprofit, if you receive grant funding, or if you’re in the Federal labor force. So much is in flux and changing that directly impacts labor and employment that it feels like we’re trying to figure things out on the fly.
While there are plenty of HR and DEI folks debating what the future of our fields look like, and while anything and everything feels like it’s subject to change right now, I can’t help but think —
If having a strong Employer Brand was important in the past when things were semi-certain, it’s even more important now when everything seems uncertain.
Regardless of which Administration is in office and what’s trending, the fact is:
Employees and seekers want to work for a company with a strong sense of purpose
Culture and values matter
Companies that prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion are more successful by nearly every metric
For as long as there have been people who work, those people have wanted their employee experience to be defined by things like fairness, respect, dignity, recognition, transparency, safety, security, meaning, autonomy, innovation, empathy, fun. This is not something that changes every election cycle.
Regardless of how it gets branded, these are core human needs. With so many of us working most of our lives, is it any wonder people want these things from their employers? This IS diversity, equity, and inclusion work — keeping employers accountable so we all have an equal shot at enjoying a work experience like this, regardless of the intersecting identities we bring to work.
What critics call woke DEI work are natural human desires for the world at work.
As early 2025 has shown us, the reality of what “DEI work” actually is, and what I’d call “DEI branding,” aka the optics and public perceptions of this work, aren’t always aligned.
So then, what does all this mean at this moment in time? How are HR and DEI providers, and employers and general supposed to respond? How do you continue to attract, engage, and retain the right people? Here are 3 “predictions” I’m willing to make about how you can maintain a strong employer brand in uncertain times.
Predictions for Employer Branding in Uncertain Times
1: Purpose-and-values-driven organizations will have an easier time adapting.
People-first HR firms and socially conscious employers with a strong sense of their values that prioritize integrating those values into their culture will have an easier time adjusting. This is especially true if you’re one of those employers who always has and always will value people, purpose, planet, then profit, regardless of who is in office and what is trending.
A values-driven culture makes decision-making, marketing, recruiting, leadership… basically anything about people, culture, employee experience, and the world of work much more efficient. When you have a firm connection to your guiding ethos, and you’re already intentionally building culture through that lens, figuring out how to show up and navigate times of uncertainty is easier. Period.
2: Even if the acronyms change, HR and DEI work will continue to exist on a spectrum.
Like most things we humans have created, people and culture work has always existed on a spectrum. There have always been companies that avoid all things HR and DEI like the plague, whether deliberate or unintentional. Some employers don’t have the talent, skillset, or resources to prioritize this work, and others that just refuse to.
There have always been companies that take a middle-of-the-road stance and play it safe. This might look like companies that consider HR and DEI work to be compliance-driven, check-the-box activities. These companies often do the bare minimum required to keep themselves out of trouble, which can be a resource issue, a values issue, or both.
Playing-it-safe companies tend to be highly concerned with what’s trending because the last thing they want is to become the next viral target for consumer or employee activism. This could also look like performatively celebrating Pride Month while simultaneously donating to Anti-LGBTQIA+ politicians behind the scenes and scrapping ERG groups as soon as they’re confident they won’t be alone in doing that.
And then there are the companies that genuinely value diversity, equity, and inclusion because they genuinely value their purpose, their people, the planet, and then their profits. The ones who believe this work is a source of competitive advantage and a moral and business imperative. These companies have always believed that being socially conscious is the new compelling, and they will, whoever is in office and whatever they call it.
Call it what you want, DEI has existed and will exist until the work is no longer needed.
3: Socially conscious businesses will shine as catalysts, partners, and employers of choice.
Countless studies have long made the case that socially conscious is the new compelling. Because again, there’s that whole human need thing and the desire anyone who works has for an employee experience defined by things like fairness, respect, dignity, transparency, safety, meaning, autonomy, and innovation.
The people behind this data don’t disappear every four or eight years on Inauguration Day. They still exist, no matter where they fall on the politics of DEI work.
Since a strong ethos and value set makes everything people, culture, employee experience, and the world of work easier to navigate, socially conscious employer brands will shine in this new era. They’ll likely find it easier to embrace their role as thought leaders, innovators, and culture-makers. They won’t sound like everyone else who is regurgitating the same “safe” content in an uncertain time.
How to maintain a strong employer brand in uncertain times.
I’m not quite sure yet if this will prove to be a popular opinion or not, but just as I don’t think the desires and wishes we have for our work environment have shifted all that much, I don’t think the steps to maintain a strong employer brand have shifted all that much either.
So, if you are one of those employers who always has and always will value people, purpose, planet, and then profit, regardless of who is in office or what is trending… how do you make sure everyone knows this? Always, and especially in uncertain times.
As always, you don’t just have your recruiters and leaders tell others why you’re an employer of choice. You show your people why using storytelling content that brings your employee experience and employer brand to life.
Types of Employer Brand Content
5 types of Employer Brand Content to lean on in uncertain (and more certain) times.
When you have a strong, people-first culture, storytelling content can help you build a magnetic employer brand. Each type of employer brand storytelling content provides endless opportunities to communicate your values, build trust with current and future employees, create genuine connections, and inspire people to act.
That said, here are five types of content you can use to help you maintain a strong employer brand in uncertain times:
Employee Spotlights and Advocacy
Behind-The-Scenes Content
Long-Form Thought Leadership
Industry and Corporate Podcasts
Case Studies
Conclusion: Employer Brand Content shows you value purpose, people, planet, then profit, no matter who is in office or what’s trending.
Whatever we call DEI work, and however we market or brand it going forward, the work will always be there until the outcomes workers have wanted for centuries become the default. Or, like I say in my marketing, until we make the phrase irrelevant, socially conscious is absolutely the new compelling.
People’s security and livelihoods are at stake when they change jobs. This is true in all job markets, in any economy, and under all Administrations. That’s precisely why people spend so much time reading about you before they apply.
If you want them to be known in the minds of job seekers that you are a catalyst, partner, and employer of choice, you don’t want to rely only on Glassdoor reviews. You need to publish your employer brand content. Consistently.
I need help creating magnetic employer brand content. Can I hire you as a ghostwriter to help? Absolutely!
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In the interest of ethics and transparency, I wrote this post; these opinions are mine. When blogging for myself, I experiment with AI a lot. For this post, I used ChatGPT to wordsmith. Please note that while I did not use it for this particular post, I am an affiliate with BrandWell and prefer their AI to others I’ve seen for long-form content creation. I may receive a commission if you use this link to sign up for any of their services. Post published February 2025.
