The hidden cost of no brand

By JP 

TD:LR: No employer brand? That silence is costing you. Without clear, consistent signals, great candidates scroll past, drop off, or choose competitors. Brand isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a performance multiplier. It builds trust, fuels long-term growth, and makes every job ad work harder. 

We’ve talked about crafting better ads. About winning attention. About where to show up, and how.

But even the best-placed ad can’t fix what isn’t there. 

Because when you don’t actively shape your employer brand, the market fills in the blanks for you with assumptions, apathy, or worse, silence. 

The silent damage of no brand 

When candidates can’t find clear, consistent signals about what your workplace is really like, they’re more likely to: 

• Scroll past your ads 
• Ignore your outreach 
• Drop off mid-application 
• Choose a more visible competitor 

You might never make the shortlist. Not because your roles aren’t good but because no one knows who you are or why you matter. 

Brand drives performance 

Les Binet and Peter Field’s research reminds us: short-term performance (ads, promotions) gets attention, but long-term brand-building drives growth. 

In recruitment terms: 

• Short-term = job ads, social posts, fast-fix campaigns 
• Long-term = your EVP, employer brand, and cultural narrative 

You need both. But only brand makes both now and next work harder. 

System1 backs this up: emotionally resonant brand campaigns not only build future memory, they outperform rational ads in the short term too. 

Without brand, everything costs more 

No brand can mean: 

• More media spend 
• Longer time-to-fill 
• Lower-quality applications 
• Passive talent tuning out 
• More drop-off through the funnel 

It’s not a pipeline issue. It’s a relevance issue. 

Brand is a multiplier 

A compelling, consistent employer brand builds trust, removes doubt, and helps talent see the "why" behind the role. 

Brand doesn’t compete with performance. It multiplies it. 

And in a world where candidates want more than just a job they want meaning, belonging, and growth brand is what makes the difference. 

Practical tips - start today: 

• Google your company like a candidate would. What shows up? If it’s unclear, outdated, or uninspiring, start there. Your brand is talking, even when you’re not. 
• Need some inspo or guidance? Reach out to your pals and HainesAttract and Zeil.  

#TalentAcquisition #EmployerBrand #RecruitmentMarketing #JobAds #CandidateExperience #EVP #HainesAttract #Zeil #FutureOfWork