Author
Matthew Gilbert
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Employee voices in Employer Brand have become standard practice. Show real people. Use their words. Let them tell their stories in videos, on your career site, in testimonials. It sounds authentic. It feels modern. It checks the box.
But the real questions are what makes it authentic, and to what audience?
Organizations pursue employee voices specifically to build authenticity and trust—then undermine both by only showing the highlight reel.
When Employees Become Spokesmodels
The moment we ask employees to share stories for recruitment purposes, we cross a threshold. They become spokesmodels serving a goal. That's not inherently bad, but let's be honest about what it is.
The production side is straightforward: ask employees to be filmed or photographed, have them write down their thoughts, edit it together, publish. But the substance side requires harder questions:
If an employee was asked to make a video and they were critical, would that get published?
If an employee refused to participate because they didn't want to be a recruiting spokesmodel, what does that say about the authenticity of those who agreed?
If the only thing people share are positive stories and experiences, how can job seekers trust they can expect similar?
Most organizations haven't thought this through. They just know that "employee voices" is what you're supposed to do in modern employer branding.
The Trust Problem
When every employee video glows with positivity, job seekers aren't stupid. They know they're watching curated content. They know someone approved it. They know criticism didn't make the cut.
This doesn't build trust. It erodes it.
The irony is that organizations pursue employee voices specifically to build authenticity and trust—then undermine both by only showing the highlight reel.
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