You can shout from the rooftops all you want about how brilliant your workplace is — but if none of your employees are saying the same, people will notice.

Today, your employer brand isn’t just what’s written on your ‘Careers’ page. It’s what your team says over coffee with mates, what they post (or don’t post) about on LinkedIn, and what they whisper to recruiters when they think no one’s listening.

And that’s where employee advocacy comes in.

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What Is Employee Advocacy, Anyway?

At its core, employee advocacy is when your team genuinely champions your company — sharing wins, talking positively about their experience, and becoming the unofficial (but incredibly powerful) voice of your employer brand. It’s not forced, it’s not scripted, and it’s not cringe. It’s real people sharing real experiences.

That’s what makes it effective.

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Why Does It Matter So Much?

Because people trust people.

You can run a glossy campaign with buzzwords like "collaborative culture" and "innovative environment," but if your employees aren’t backing it up, candidates won’t buy it. In fact, research shows job seekers are more likely to trust employees over the CEO when it comes to a company’s culture.

Still not convinced? Here’s what employee advocacy can actually do:

• Attract Top Talent – When people see employees publicly praising their workplace, they want in.

• Boost Retention – If your team is shouting about how much they love working for you, chances are, they’ll stick around longer.

• Increase Reach – Every time your employees share a post, it hits their personal network. That’s brand exposure you can’t buy.

• Improve Company Culture – Empowering staff to speak up creates transparency—and if they feel proud enough to share, you’re probably doing something right.

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What Employee Advocacy Isn’t

It’s not forcing people to repost every company update. It’s not handing them a script and expecting them to pretend they’re #blessed. And it’s definitely not ignoring employee wellbeing while asking them to be brand cheerleaders.

If your culture isn’t in a good place, no amount of LinkedIn posts will fix it. You’ve got to give people something worth talking about.

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How to Make It Happen (Without Making It Weird)

Start with Culture
Happy employees are naturally more likely to share their experiences. If no one’s advocating, look inward first.

Lead by Example
If senior leaders are active and genuine on LinkedIn or other platforms, it encourages others to join in.

Make Sharing Easy
Give people content they can engage with — photos from events, milestones, success stories — but leave room for personal touches. No one wants to be a robot.

Celebrate Their Voices
If someone posts something great about the company, shout about it! Re-share, thank them, or even turn it into a campaign.

Don’t Force It
If you pressure employees to post, it backfires. Give them space and let it grow organically.

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Let’s say you just rolled out a new mentoring programme. Instead of just announcing it in an internal email and calling it a day, share a story. Maybe Sarah from Finance writes about how her mentor helped her navigate a promotion. She posts it on LinkedIn, tags the company, and suddenly your entire network sees real culture in action. That’s gold dust.

Or maybe your dev team just completed a passion project during a company hackathon. Let them blog about it, share pics, or run a demo on socials. Again — real people, real pride.

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How VANRATH Helps with Employer Branding

When you partner with VANRATH exclusively, we don’t just help you hire — we help you tell your story. We work with you to identify the strengths of your culture, the values that make your team unique, and the little things (like flexibility and progression) that actually matter to candidates.

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Your employer brand doesn’t live in a brochure — it lives in your people.

So if your team wouldn’t naturally recommend your workplace to a friend, start there. Build a culture worth shouting about, support your employees in telling their stories, and trust that their voices will resonate far louder than any polished slogan ever could.

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And if you’re ready to take your employer brand up a notch? Well… you know where we are.