Recruitment today is no longer a simple support function but has become one of the most strategic functions in any scaling organization. The candidates themselves are no longer passive objects but highly selective, knowledgeable, and very aware of how employer reputation would work to their detriment or advantage regarding their long-term career goals. This trend has contextualized employer branding as an important pillar to successful recruitment.

Candidates do not only ask, "What does this job pay?" or "What are the responsibilities?

They say:

“Do I want my professional identity to get associated with this company?”

Because of this, brandingOnce kept within the marketing department, it now is central to HR and talent acquisition. For growing companies wanting to scale quickly, employer branding isn't useful; it's actually the backbone of their hiring strategy.

It follows that this extended article develops the psychological, operational, and strategic rationale that underlies branding for recruitment, and why it is critical that growing organizations treat branding as a foundational layer rather than a cosmetic one.