How an employer brand shows up in the hardest moments: A candidate experience & employer branding story

We tend to think about the candidate experience and employer branding in the moments when they’re positive ones: the careers site, the interview process, the offer letter, the first-day experience. Those moments matter, but they are also the easy ones. The candidate is moving along with you.

The more interesting test is what happens when it’s not.

The relationship between employer branding and candidate experience in practice

Thumbtack rejection emails have been circulating on LinkedIn for the past year because candidates who did not get the job still felt compelled to share their experience publicly. What stood out was not that the email somehow made rejection feel good. Instead, it was that the rejection email acknowledged the time, emotional energy and vulnerability that come with applying for a job, and treated the candidate like a person while delivering a disappointing outcome.

The best part is that the email feels like Thumbtack. Its values include “Lead with why,” “Make it count,” and “Say what you mean,” and you can see all three in the experience. This moment perfectly illustrates the relationship between employer branding and candidate experience: true brand strength occurs when the values are visible in the behavior, not just listed on the careers site.

Reevaluating candidate communication practices across the hiring journey

Most rejection emails are written entirely from the employer’s point of view: we’ve decided to move forward with someone else, thank you for your interest, best of luck. All reasonable things to say. But they don’t acknowledge the journey on the other side of the email.

By the time a rejection arrives, a candidate may have: 

• Updated their resume and portfolio
• Rearranged work and personal meetings 
• Prepared for multiple interview rounds 
• Researched the company and envisioned a future in the role 

While the company may simply be closing the requisition, the candidate may be closing a future they had started to picture for themselves.

Recognizing that does not require a five-paragraph apology or a recruiter personally writing hundreds of emails. It requires a little more thought about the emotional moment the communication is entering.

The importance of employer branding in recruitment touchpoints

Like the rejection email, there are many often-overlooked opportunities for an employer brand: in moments that are inherently disappointing, uncertain or uncomfortable.

Most applicants will never become employees, but every candidate leaves with an impression of what your company is like. This highlights the true importance of employer branding in recruitment. Make the most of this underestimated moment. A passed-over candidate who has a positive experience may: 

• Reapply for future open roles
• Refer top talent in their network 
• Remain or become a customer
• Tell others about the experience. 

That is a pretty remarkable outcome for an email whose message is essentially “no.”

The bigger question for employer brand teams is whether we are putting enough attention into the moments where people are most likely to feel disappointed, uncertain or vulnerable. A company can say it is human, empathetic and people-first all day long. Those values become much more believable when they show up in the moments that are harder to get right.

Kudos to the Thumbtack Recruiting Team for the reminder: every touchpoint is part of the brand, especially the uncomfortable ones.