HR Needs a Bigger Seat at the Employer Branding Table – New Study by HR Research Institute

The latest research report, HR.com’s State of Employer Branding 2025, by the HR Research Institute highlights a critical finding: HR professionals must take a more active role in developing and maintaining employer brand strategies. The report reveals that while 62% of HR professionals rate their employer brand as above average or excellent at enhancing their company’s reputation, far fewer are confident in its impact on HR-specific priorities like talent attraction, engagement, and retention.

Specifically, less than half indicate that their employer brand is successful in enhancing:

• Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB): 46%

• Talent attraction: 44%

• Employee engagement: 43%

• Employee retention: 42%

The findings also reveal a significant gap in intentional branding efforts. Just 28% of organizations have a comprehensive and consistently applied employer branding strategy, while 40% operate without any formal strategy in place.

Moreover, there is an imbalance in the ownership of employer brand strategy within organizations. Marketing or public relations is more likely to lead employer branding efforts (43%) than HR (25%), and this misalignment may prioritize reputation over HR-specific outcomes. A stronger collaboration between HR, marketing, and leadership teams is crucial to building a comprehensive employer brand that aligns business objectives with talent-focused goals.

Looking ahead, artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to play a bigger role in shaping employer branding strategies:

• Improved candidate targeting and sourcing (41%)

• Personalized candidate experiences (36%)

• Automated recruitment processes (34%)

• Advanced analytics for brand measurement (34%)

• AI-driven content creation (34%)

Employers will need to adopt AI with care and thoughtful consideration, ensuring its application aligns with compliance standards, legal regulations, and industry best practices.

“HR professionals are uniquely positioned to ensure the employer brand reflects authentic workplace culture and supports critical initiatives like talent attraction and employee retention,” said Debbie McGrath, Chief Instigator and CEO of HR.com. “It’s time to give HR a bigger seat at the table.”

The full research report, HR.com’s State of Employer Branding 2025, is available for free download and offers a detailed look at today’s employer brand strategies to help HR professionals understand how to improve processes to best drive success across key HR areas.

The recording of the research webcast presentation, Leveraging Employer Branding: Attracting and Retaining Top Talent in a Competitive Market, is available for viewing 24/7 on demand.

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The HR Research Institute (HRRI) helps you keep your finger on the pulse of HR! Powered by HR.com, the world’s largest HR community, the HRRI identifies key trends and best practices to help more than 2 million HR professionals and their organizations make strategic decisions with informed and insightful research findings. Among the most productive and respected HR research institutes globally, the HRRI publishes dozens of high-quality reports every year across a wide array of HR topics. HR.com’s free membership offers many benefits, including access to over 250 exclusive primary research, state-of-the-industry reports, and infographics. These resources are published based on surveys developed with the assistance of a panel of thought leaders and industry experts on the advisory boards. Visit hr.com/hrresearchinstitute to maximize your HR potential.

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