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Insights

From recruiters to brand builders: Exploring the role of talent branding

Madeline Andrews
Insights Lead
January 29, 2025

Using 3D data from Findem's Talent Data Cloud, we're surfacing insights that help talent teams uncover key industry trends, market shifts, and strategic opportunities.

Candidate experience has been on the decline since 2021, and according to SHRM, “employers have lost their north star of improving and sustaining a quality candidate experience.” For recruiting teams, shifting candidate sentiment starts with effective talent branding.

That is, the perceived reality of what it’s like to work at an organization. Whereas employer branding is a function of a company’s storytelling, talent branding entails the anecdotes, experiences, and stories that former and current employees publicly share about their time with an organization. Engaged employees, no matter the company size, economic conditions, or industry, are more productive, lead to lower turnover rates, and drive better outcomes for the business.

Talent branding professionals sit at the intersection of marketing and recruiting, shaping how companies are perceived by job seekers and creating a compelling narrative that helps companies attract, engage, and retain top talent. Our data reveals a clear pattern: companies that prioritize employee engagement and talent branding experience faster growth.

But what makes someone in talent branding successful, and where can companies find the right candidates to fill a growing position of need? Let’s break down our three top findings.

Talent branding vs. employer branding

Before we dive into the market for talent branding professionals, it’s important to understand the distinction between an employer brand and talent brand.

At its core, talent branding is focused on capturing and amplifying authentic employee stories and feedback, while employer branding is all about crafting and promoting a company’s curated image to the public.

Examples of talent branding include testimonials and videos from employees, reviews on platforms like Glassdoor, and the creation of employee advocacy initiatives within the company. Employer branding happens in the form of career pages, job posting, recruitment videos, and campaigns designed to elevate a company’s mission, values, and culture.

Finding #1: Talent branding is essential for high-growth companies 

Talent branding professionals are hired by fast-growing companies with significant recruiting needs. According to our data, 25% of talent branding professionals at public companies have seen more than 15% revenue growth in the past year. Only 20% of talent branding professionals at public companies have seen less than 2% revenue growth.

Common titles for talent brand roles reflect the breadth of their influence, from those at the management level to individual contributors:

  • Manager
    • Talent Attraction Manager
    • Recruitment Marketing Manager
    • Employer Brand Manager
    • Employer Branding Manager
  • Individual Contributors
    • Talent Attraction Specialist
    • Employer Branding Specialist
    • Talent Attraction Coordinator
    • Recruitment Marketing Coordinator

Talent branding professionals oversee everything from attracting active and passive candidates, developing campaigns to promote job openings and company culture, crafting the company’s Employer Value Proposition, organizing employee testimonials and workplace awards, and managing the company’s presence on platforms like Glassdoor.

Finding #2: Talent branding sits at the heart of marketing and recruiting

To be successful in talent branding requires a deep understanding of the nuances of both recruiting and marketing, with many making the transition from roles like marketing manager, recruiter, or account manager. Their diverse backgrounds and breadth of experience are central to their success in the function, and offer a natural progression for recruiters and marketers seeking a new direction in the space.

According to data in our platform, the top skills for talent branding professionals include:

  • Marketing
  • Social media
  • Sales
  • Customer service
  • Marketing strategy
  • Advertising
  • Recruiting
  • Event planning

Finding #3: Leaders and senior professionals dominate talent branding

Talent brand professionals tend to be more senior, with 79% having over 8 years of experience. 25% have over 20 years of experience, and 45% have been at their current employer for over four years. The most common past employer of talent brand professionals is Amazon.

Across all demographics, the most common attributes — as defined in Findem’s Talent Data Cloud — include “Long-tenured employees”, “have startup experience”, and “cofounded a company.” 

Know where to find the right talent branding professionals

At Findem, we’re always on the lookout for new and developing roles in the business landscape. Our Talent Data Cloud analyzes data from over 100,000 different sources to create 1.4 trillion unique and factual data points about the global workforce. 

While candidate contentment is on the decline, organizations have an opportunity to improve employee engagement and in turn, their perception to job seekers. Talent branding professionals are key to bridging this chasm, finding ways to attract top talent while showcasing the company as an employer of choice. With skills spanning recruiting and marketing, they’re primed to elevate the employer brand and drive hiring success for the entire company.

Findem’s 3D data provides insight into who is getting these positions and what to look for in hiring. Whether you are angling for a talent branding position at your company or looking to hire the perfect candidate, we think you’ll find this useful.