Understanding how we measure the effectiveness of employer branding and recruitment marketing is key to driving business success. Metrics should not only track performance but also ensure that these efforts are aligned with broader organizational objectives. In this fourth article of our series on EB & RM, the CXR Community Research panel focused on data, metrics, and their insights.
At CareerXroads, we bring together expert practitioners and leaders through our quarterly research panel program, where we explore critical talent acquisition topics over the course of four to five weeks. Each panel consists of anywhere from 30 to 50 invited experts and leaders from top organizations who engage in in-depth discussions on key issues. These conversations are enhanced by input from hundreds of our community members, gathered through weekly surveys and polls. The insights we collect are then compiled into a series of headlines like this and a number of quarterly reports that provide actionable recommendations and best practices for talent acquisition professionals.
Aligning Metrics with Business Goals
When it comes to measuring the effectiveness of employer branding (EB) and recruitment marketing (RM), leaders agreed with one panelist’s analogy of "sprint" metrics and "marathon" metrics. Sprint metrics, typically used to measure shorter-term recruitment efforts, include traditional KPIs like cost per application (CPA), cost per hire (CPH), applicant volume, and social media engagement. These metrics allow teams to assess the immediate impact of campaigns, but they don't always capture the long-term impact of EB efforts.
Marathon metrics, on the other hand, focus on long-term business objectives like improving talent retention, increasing the quality of applicants, and building a talent pipeline for critical skill sets. These metrics are more aligned with overarching business goals but take longer to measure. While sprint metrics focus on filling roles quickly, marathon metrics measure the deeper value EB and RM bring to the organization over time, such as reducing turnover, enhancing brand awareness, and improving employee sentiment.
This dual focus ensures that while short-term needs are met, leadership can still see the broader value of employer branding in driving long-term organizational goals.
Leaders also discussed the challenges of being saddled with too much responsibility as it pertains to the full hiring funnel. As panelist @Rachel Duran, Head of Global Employer Brand & Recruitment Marketing at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, pointed out, “I typically ask if the product marketing team is wholly responsible for the sales team not closing sales, or just bringing qualified leads. We bring leads - that is our primary function.”
Co-facilitator @Jimmy McCourt, VP of Client Services from Shaker Recruitment Marketing, shared non-hiring metrics to consider, including:
- CPO (cost-per-offer) vs Cost-per-Hire
- CPQA (cost-per-quality-apply) vs just Quality-of-Hire
Key Takeaways
- Balance short-term metrics (sprint) with long-term goals (marathon) to provide a comprehensive view of performance.
- Correlate EB/RM efforts directly to business outcomes, such as improved retention or reduced time-to-hire.
- Use data-driven insights like turnover rates to adjust branding strategies and ensure alignment with employee reality.
Leveraging Recruitment Marketing Insights to Enhance Employer Brand Authenticity
A company's employer brand is shaped by the experiences and perceptions of its employees, making authenticity crucial to maintaining credibility. Recruitment marketing (RM) insights play a vital role in ensuring that the employer brand aligns with employee reality. Several key metrics, such as employee surveys, employer reputation scores, and employee engagement data, help assess whether the messaging accurately reflects the true work environment.
The discussion further highlighted the importance of exit interviews, particularly those conducted independently and after a 30-60 day period, to uncover any disconnect between recruitment promises and the actual employee experience.
Data trends, such as early turnover rates, offer valuable insight into whether recruitment marketing messaging aligns with employee expectations. In turn, these insights help to refine employer branding, ensuring that it remains credible, while also driving retention by setting realistic expectations for new hires. By integrating data from various points across the employee lifecycle, organizations can create an authentic employer brand that resonates with both current and future employees.
Rethinking Traditional Metrics
In evaluating the effectiveness of employer branding (EB) and recruitment marketing (RM), leaders agreed that traditional metrics, while still useful, often don’t capture the full impact of these efforts. Metrics like cost-per-hire (CPH) or time-to-fill may offer immediate insight, but they fail to measure how well EB/RM strategies align with business outcomes. Instead, panelists emphasized the importance of focusing on business metrics that leadership cares about and correlating them with EB/RM efforts.
A concise list to consider with any new EB/RM project might be:
- Problem Statement: What is the problem?
- Goal: Describe the state of this problem being solved.
- Business Impact: How will solving this problem impact key business metrics?
- Success Metrics: How will we measure the impact? Name specific analytics dashboard or tool and describe the KPI.
By identifying business problems and reverse-engineering metrics that address them, teams can better demonstrate the value of employer branding initiatives. For example, increasing brand awareness in a new market could lead to reduced time-to-hire and lower recruitment costs, providing direct business benefits.
In Conclusion: Measurement is Key to Messaging that Resonates
As the conversations have shown, measuring the effectiveness of employer branding (EB) and recruitment marketing (RM) requires a thoughtful balance between traditional metrics and deeper, business-aligned insights. While short-term metrics like cost-per-hire and time-to-fill provide important data points, they often miss the broader impact that EB and RM efforts can have on a company's long-term success. Leaders agree that aligning these strategies with key business objectives, solving specific problems, and ensuring authenticity are crucial for creating an employer brand that truly resonates with both current employees and potential candidates.
Looking Ahead: Future Trends in EB & RM
As we move forward, how do you think emerging technologies and shifting candidate expectations will reshape employer branding? Join us next week for a bonus update (part V of IV!) as we explore these trends and the strategies companies will need to attract and engage talent in the years to come.
Our panelists also spent time debating what makes a brand truly effective, using examples like Amazon, US Army, Chewy, and Procter & Gamble, to name a few. In our final report, we’ll provide insights into these discussions and how these companies have, or haven't, delivered on employer branding. Stay tuned for more in the full report!
This research project on the Alignment of Employer Branding & Recruitment Marketing brings together exclusive insights from a select group of industry leaders and experts. Through in-depth discussions, they are exploring how to align Recruitment Marketing and Employer Branding strategies effectively. Their expertise, along with input from hundreds of CareerXroads community members, will result in actionable recommendations and best practices for talent acquisition professionals worldwide.
Our research is ongoing, and we’re always looking for new participants to join the conversation. If you’re interested in taking part in our next research topic, express your interest at www.cxr.works/research to see if you qualify. The broader talent acquisition community is also invited to participate in our weekly polls, found on the same page.
We’re proud to collaborate on this project with Jimmy McCourt, Vice President of Client Services at Shaker Recruitment Marketing, who has generously sponsored this research. Together, Jimmy and the CXR team are co-facilitating the discussions and surveys that drive our insights.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts as we continue to explore the evolving landscape of Recruitment Marketing and Employer Branding. To stay informed and express your interest in future panels, visit https://cxr.works/research.