Employer brand starts inside: Why strategy and stories matter

In a tight employment market, people are no longer choosing jobs for the pay cheque – they’re choosing the experience of work. People are looking for connection, purpose and workplaces that feel authentic. Whether you’ve shaped it intentionally or not, your employer brand tells a story about you.

But it’s important to ask ourselves: is it the right story?

This was front of mind after I attended the AHRI Conference in Canberra, where Ora was a key sponsor. One presentation stood out: Mark Puncher from Employer Branding Australia on storytelling and connection, which told a simple truth: employer brand is innately human. It’s created through experiences, conversations and the way people feel when they engage with your organisation.

Communication professionals are often boxed into the “write the comms” role. But it goes deeper than broadcast messaging, rather balancing meaningful brand strategy, creativity and an understanding of people. Mark’s reflections prompted me to think about how employer brand shapes external reputation, internal culture, the relationship between the two – and the role of comms professionals in this careful balance.

The changing context: work, identity and the experience economy

Millennials and Gen Z are now entering or navigating work with a focus on purpose, alignment and self-actualisation. They want meaning, growth and balance – and they’re confident asking for it. They’re no longer asking, “What job should I take?” but instead “What is the experience of working here?”.

Meanwhile, we’re living in an experience economy. People make choices based on how something feels. And work is no exception. Employers are shifting from writing a job description to selling an employment experience. And finding the right language to use to describe an experience is often something we grapple with.

This shift means your employer brand can’t be superficial. It must speak to human needs, not just organisational goals.

Articulating your brand: how to start

Employer brand becomes strategic here: it helps organisations understand their audience, articulate what they stand for and meaningfully connect with like-minded people at every stage of the employment journey.

Strong brands are built with people, not for them. Work with your team to distil your brand essence using the principles of Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle:

• Why: your purpose and belief — why you exist, why you get out of bed, and why anyone should care

• How: the actions, behaviours and principles that bring the ‘why’ to life

• What: the services or products you deliver.

Translating this into a simple brand essence (one or two sentences) sets the foundations for strategy, culture and communication. Using your team’s input will bring them along so they see themselves in it.

Embed and amplify the brand through storytelling

Stories connect us. They show, rather than tell, what you stand for.

Great, meaningful storytelling with a people-focus can:

• attract talent who can see themselves in your organisation

• strengthen employee pride, performance and internal connection

• support every stage of the employee lifecycle

• shape culture with clarity and nuance, especially in times of change

• empowers employees to be your ambassadors.

When your external message aligns with the internal experience of work, your brand becomes a genuine asset.

Why employers should care about their brand

Employer brand isn’t just a marketing exercise. It’s a strategic lever that shapes culture, reputation and performance.

A strong brand:

• clarifies who you are and why you exist

• creates consistency across every touchpoint

• builds emotional connection with employees and audiences

• strengthens credibility by aligning words to actions.

Bringing it all together

A brand is more than a logo, a colour palette or a tagline. It’s the collective lived experience of interacting with you. It’s what employees say at a barbecue, how leaders show up under pressure, and the feeling clients walk away with.

A strong employer brand is built by your people, when they choose to show up every day and enliven your values. And when purpose, behaviour and expression align, your brand becomes more than a message, it becomes a movement your people choose to be part of.

At Ora Advisory, we can help organisations bring strategy and storytelling together to create meaningful brands that people connect with. Reach out to me at hello@oraadvisory.com – we can grab a cuppa and talk more about this topic or building your organisation’s employer brand.

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Sonali Jayasekara, Senior Manager