Most companies post boring job ads and wonder why top candidates ignore them. The truth? Generic branding attracts generic talent. If you want exceptional people, you need to stand out.
Here are 3 counterintuitive (but highly effective) employer branding strategies that make candidates want to work for you—before you even interview them.
1. The “Ugly Truth” Recruitment Strategy
Why It Works:
Candidates are tired of polished, fake employer branding. Radical transparency builds instant trust.
How to Do It:
✅ Show the “worst” part of the job (and how you’re fixing it)**
- Example: “Our meetings used to run too long—so we implemented No-Meeting Wednesdays.”
✅ Publicly share past mistakes (and lessons learned) - Example: “We failed our first DEI goals—here’s what we changed.”
Result:
- 68% of candidates say they’d choose a company that admits flaws over one that pretends to be perfect (LinkedIn Talent Trends).
2. The “Anti-Apply” Content Strategy
Why It Works:
Instead of begging for applicants, make candidates beg to join.
How to Do It:
✅ Create content so valuable, people want in
- Publish internal training docs (like Shopify’s public “Engineering Wiki”)
- Share real team debates (“How we chose between AWS vs. GCP”)
✅ Gate exclusive content behind job alerts - Example: *“Want our 10-page ‘How We Work’ playbook? Join our talent community.”*
Result:
- Builds a pipeline of pre-qualified, engaged candidates before roles open.
3. The “Competitor Poaching” Hack
Why It Works:
How to Do It (Without Being Sleazy):
Top talent already works somewhere—often for your rivals.
✅ Run targeted LinkedIn ads… to non-candidates
- Example: “Hey [Competitor] engineers—we’re hosting an open tech talk on [trend they care about]. No recruiting, just learning.”
✅ Hijack competitor weak spots - If rivals are known for slow promotions, highlight your clear career paths
- If their Glassdoor complains about WLB, flaunt your 4-day workweek trials
Result:
- 42% of hires come from competitors when you position your brand as the obvious upgrade (Gartner).
Key Takeaway
Employer branding isn’t about being “liked”—it’s about being irresistible to the right people. These hacks flip traditional recruiting on its head by:
- Using honesty as a weapon
- Attracting talent through value, not job posts
- Stealing competitors’ best people ethically
