In this episode of Co-Created, I sit down with my Employer Content Club co-host Chris Murdoch to debrief the Recruitment Marketing Awards (RMAs).

Fresh from a night of celebrating great work, rubbing shoulders with the EB community, and yes, a decent-sized dance floor, we dive into the conversations that matter.

We cover the real challenges facing the industry right now, explore the role of co-creating authentic content with employees, and deep dive into some of the award-winning work that's pushing boundaries.

From intimate MS Teams calls to big production moments, we discuss what it really takes to capture authenticity at scale.

Note: While we attended and discuss the Recruitment Marketing Awards in this episode, this content is not affiliated with or sponsored by the Recruitment Marketing Awards.

About Co-Created

Co-Created is a podcast and vlog series from Employer Content Club, supported by Vouch. Hosted by myself and Chris Murdoch, we're exploring how EB and TA teams can capture authentic workplace culture with their employees—proving you don't need huge budgets to create content that resonates. Shot entirely on iPhones and mics, we're keeping it real.

About Employer Content Club

Employer Content Club is a community for employer branding and talent acquisition professionals who want to create authentic content with their employees. We share practical insights, host events, and connect in-house practitioners who are doing the work.

Become a Founding Member

We're looking for founding members to join Employer Content Club!

Sign up to contribute your opinions and experience during this series, and be the first to know about upcoming Employer Content Club events: https://www.employercontent.club/co-created

Supported by VouchThis series is supported by Vouch, a platform that makes it easy to capture and share authentic employee stories through video. ➡️ https://vouchfor.com

Welcome to Employer Content Club and our Autumn Series! In this episode, we're launching our exciting Autumn Series: "Co-Created: How to Build Authentic Content with Employees."Chris Le'cand-Harwood and Chris Murdoch [co-hosts of Employer Content Club] discuss why employer content is the beating heart of effective talent attraction, and why creating community around content creation is so crucial for in-house teams.What's Coming This Autumn:📍 Episode 1: Vlogging from the Recruitment Marketing Awards - capturing insights from industry disruptors on co-creating content with employees📍 Episodes 2 & 3: In-depth conversations with organizations at different stages of their co-creation journey - from getting started to achieving success📍 November Finale: In-person London meetup and podcast recording, reflecting on the series and looking ahead to 2025Key Topics Covered:- Why employer content creation often feels like a lonely, siloed role- The challenge of "doing more with less" in employer branding- Moving beyond the "river of meh" content- Getting buy-in from stakeholders and engagement from employees- Building a culture around employee-generated content- The role of community in fostering bravery and reducing imposter syndromeThis series is supported by Vouch - the leading video-first AI content platform for talent teams, and the platform we're using to collect stories and insights from employer brand professionals throughout the season.Join the Community:Sign up to the Employer Content Club waitlist to get involved, share your voice, and be notified about upcoming events and initiatives.https://www.employercontent.club/co-createdFind out more about Vouch - the leading video-first AI content platform for talent teams https://vouchfor.com/

Just wrapped up an incredible day at IHR London Live! Here are my top takeaways from this year's event:🔗 LinkedIn Networking Power: Being active on LinkedIn before events transforms your experience - within minutes I was reconnecting with familiar faces and building on existing conversations🤖 AI vs Human Touch: While AI dominated the conversations, the real focus was on maintaining authenticity and finding those "magic moments" that humanize your employer brand🏊‍♂️ Lessons from Mark Foster: Olympic swimming champion shared powerful insights on:- Surrounding yourself with the right people for high performance- Building your tribe to push boundaries in HR- Rolling with life's punches and turning failures into learning opportunitiesThe key message? Failure isn't really failing - it's discovering what you need to do next. This applies both personally and organisationally.What resonated most with you about balancing AI efficiency with human authenticity in HR? Let me know in the comments!

AI isn’t here to take over employer branding—but it is reshaping the way teams approach it.In this episode of the Cliquify mini-series, Chris sits down with Amit Parmar, CEO of Cliquify, to explore how AI is changing the role of employer branding. From early adoption to advanced use, we unpack where the opportunities really are - and what EB leaders need to focus on next.What you’ll hear in this episode: • How AI is being used in employer branding today • The biggest mindset shift EB leaders need to make • Why analytics may matter more than content creation • What Cliquify’s new platform, Cleo, could mean for the future of EB • Three must-ask questions before adopting any AI tool💡 Whether you’re experimenting with AI or leading employer branding at scale, this conversation will give you the perspective to think differently about what comes next.👉 Get Your Free Employer Brand Intelligence Report here [worth $3,000] https://bit.ly/4n2lJFN⏪ Missed the previous episode about the evolution of Employer Branding? Watch/listen my conversation with Amit here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6d9R29fo1eQee4akcId0Kn?si=VVvn-Xg2ScaS_8zS4rFC6g

Employer branding is changing fast. It’s no longer just about creative campaigns, job posts, or a flashy career site - it’s about proving ROI, winning leadership buy-in, and connecting EB to real business impact.

In this episode, Chris sits down with Amit Parmar, CEO of Cliquify (with 20+ years in TA and EB leadership), to explore:

• How employer branding is evolving in 2025

• The real challenges practitioners face behind the scenes

• Why leadership buy-in is still the #1 barrier

• How to prove ROI with the right data and strategy

• A free tool to calculate your employer brand ROI today

👉 Grab your free Employer Brand ROI Calculator here: https://bit.ly/3VjG25C👉

Subscribe for more insights on employer branding, talent strategy, and tools to elevate your impact https://www.employercontent.marketing/

Watch/listen to the next episode about Employer Branding & AI https://open.spotify.com/episode/0AyuZRyKYwUfLRnBryi6zI?si=iQDveJ9pTKaTxDTo0MzD-A

Whether you're in talent acquisition or employer branding right now, you're probably feeling the squeeze. The lines between these disciplines are blurred, and the stakes have never been higher.

In my latest podcast episode, I sat down with Mike Bradshaw, VP of Talent at Pinpoint, who's spent 15 years in HR and TA - from Apple to being the first Head of People at multiple startups.

What makes this conversation essential for both TA professionals and employer branders is Mike's insight into how candidate experience has become the ultimate test of your employer brand promise.

His perspective is particularly valuable because he's lived on both sides: as a practitioner buying and implementing recruiting tools, and now as someone at a company thats helping organisations solve these exact challenges.

But more importantly, he understands that in 2025, your employer brand is only as strong as your candidate experience - and your candidate experience really helps wins talent.

What came out of our conversation was both sobering and hopeful. Sobering because the challenges facing TA teams in 2025 are genuinely tough. Hopeful because there are real, actionable strategies that work - even when you're doing more with less.

What You'll Learn:

✅ Why TA leaders are being squeezed harder than ever (and what's driving it)

✅ The hidden costs of poor candidate experience on your bottom line

✅ How to build employer branding that disqualifies the wrong candidates

✅ Tactical SLAs and interview hygiene that actually work

✅ Why transparency beats "selling" every time

✅ The one thing that wins candidates over better financial offers

About Mike Bradshaw:

VP of Talent at Pinpoint with 15+ years in HR/TA. Former Apple talent support, startup veteran, and practitioner-turned-vendor who's seen both sides of the hiring equation.

About Pinpoint:

ATS platform designed for complex hiring scenarios - handling everything from graduate programs to senior leadership searches across multiple geographies and role types.

🔔 Subscribe for more real talk on talent acquisition, employer branding, and candidate experience https://www.employercontent.marketing/

Connect with Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsmikebradshaw/

Learn about Pinpoint: https://www.pinpointhq.com/

Host Chris Le'cand-Harwood: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislch/

Transform your talent attraction with authentic employee-generated content.

Welcome to a special episode that combines the podcasts, Employer Content Marketing with Chris Le'cand-Harwood and Employer Bland with Chris Murdoch. Welcome to Employer Content Club, where we help people in the employer content creation profession through conversations online and in-person. Our first event in London was supported by Vouch, so we just had to get them on for an episode.We sit down with Gary Zurnamer, CEO and Co-founder of Vouch, to explore how organizations can leverage employee voices to help drive their recruitment and employer branding efforts.Key Topics Covered:• Why employee-generated content drives better hiring outcomes• How to overcome the biggest barriers to employee participation• The role of AI in content creation (without losing authenticity)• Strategic frameworks for implementing successful programs• Real-world case studies from global organizations• Actionable tips for starting your employee content journeyMain Takeaways:✅ Content pillars must align with hiring initiatives✅ Remove ALL friction from the recording process✅ Start with internal advocates and scale gradually✅ Use AI for ideation and organization, not content replacement✅ Focus on business outcomes, not just engagement metricsAbout Our Guest:Gary Zurnamer is the CEO and co-founder of Vouch, a global platform helping organizations create and share authentic employee-generated content. Vouch works with major brands including Dunelm, Warner Bros. Discovery, Flutter and GoDaddy to transform their talent attraction strategies.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction and guest background04:45 - The business case for employee content10:30 - Overcoming employee participation challenges16:45 - Real-world success stories and impact22:30 - AI's role in content strategy28:15 - Implementation roadmap and best practices34:20 - Key takeaways and final thoughtsFind Out More About Vouchhttps://vouchfor.com/Connect with Gary:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyzurnamer/Subscribe for more employer branding and talent acquisition insights!#EmployeeBranding #TalentAcquisition #EmployeeContent #HRTech #RecruitmentMarketing #EmployerBrand #VideoContent #HRStrategy #TalentAttraction #workplaceculture

Ever wonder what it takes to create employer brand content that actually wins awards?

Chris and Roger have both been judges at multiple awards and have been involved in more submissions than they can remember over their careers.

And they've had nominations and won some awards recently.

So they got together to lift the lid on what it takes to produce nomination and award worthy work.In this episode, Chris sits down with Roger Cayless from Leap Create to dissect their award-winning DE&I campaign with CGI.And then Roger interviews Chris about award-winning work with Not Going To Uni and the RAF. Along with several nominations, these campaigns featured across multiple awards such as the Recruitment Marketing Awards, the RAD Awards, and the Lens Awards.

What You'll Discover:

✅ How CGI's innovative "internal voices" campaign tackled diversity & inclusion differently

✅ The psychology behind using a Peep Show-style first-person perspective

✅ Why Not Going Uni's RAF podcast series evolved beyond traditional formats

✅ The strategy behind taking conversations from studios to sports venues for a more immersive experience

✅ Key insights from judges on what makes content award-worthy

Featured Campaigns🎯 CGI's D&I Campaign - Using internal monologue to showcase authentic inclusion

🎯 Find Your Force Podcast Series - RAF early careers recruitment content that helps people discover career potential through sport

Awards Mentioned

- Recruitment Marketing Awards

- RADs

- Lens Awards

Key Takeaways for Employer Content Creators

1. Avoid the obvious approach - don't just film people talking about their jobs

2. Build genuine trust with clients to execute bold creative ideas

3. Create "campaignable" concepts that can scale across multiple stories

4. Focus on clarity in your award entries and let passion show through

5. Use real employees, not actors, for authentic storytelling

Connect with the Guests:Roger Cayless - Leap Createhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rogercayless/

Chris Le'cand-Harwood - Employer Content Marketing

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislch/

Subscribe to the Employer Content Marketing Newsletter for content direct to your inbox: https://www.employercontent.marketing/

I spent a blazing hot day at RecFest 2025 talking to talent acquisition leaders about the one thing keeping them up at night: CHANGE.From Rory Sutherland's brilliant keynote on behavioural science and hiring "weirdos" to game-changing AI tools that are transforming interviews, here's what I discovered about the future of talent acquisition.KEY TAKEAWAYS:• Rory Sutherland's "bee theory" - why 20% of your hires should be explorers• AI note-taking is changing interviews forever• Why you need an AI strategy before your CFO gets one• How to shift from order-taker to strategic advisorTIMESTAMPS:00:00 - RecFest atmosphere and what to expect01:00 - Festival vibes and morning energy02:00 - Rory Sutherland's hiring heresy04:00 - Interview with Neil on dealing with change06:00 - AI strategy conversation07:00 - Evening festival atmosphere09:00 - Final thoughts and wrap-upThis isn't just another conference recap - it's real talk about what's actually changing in our industry and how to get ahead of it.CONNECT WITH ME:• Newsletter: https://www.employercontent.marketing/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislch/#RecFest2025 #TalentAcquisition #AIInHiring #RorySutherland #EmployerBranding #HRTech #Recruitment

Struggling to find your creative flow at work? Want to be more strategically productive instead of just busy? In this flow state episode, Chris sits down with Steven Puri, founder of The Sukha Company, who reveals how to unlock your creative potential and work with true intention.Steven has one of the most unique career journeys you'll ever hear - from software engineer at IBM to Academy Award winner for Independence Day visual effects, to Vice President of Production at DreamWorks running action franchises like Die Hard and Wolverine, and then back to tech to revolutionise how we approach creative, strategic work.Steven shares some behind-the-scenes stories from Hollywood about creativity, and reveals the film industry secrets that can transform how we work in our distributed, hybrid world.Discover the secrets to finding your creative flow, being intentionally productive, and bringing strategic thinking to your daily work. Steven shares reveal universal principles for creative, strategic productivity.Key Topics for Creative Flow & Strategic Productivity:• The neuroscience behind creative breakthroughs and intentional focus• Why giving someone two projects instead of one unlocks better strategic thinking• How to create intentional spaces for deep work and creative flow states• Solving the "cold start problem" to begin each day with creative intention• Building systems to avoid the 6 PM "where did my day go?" feeling• Real stories from Hollywood sets and what they teach us about strategic, creative workTimestamps:00:00 - The power of asking the right questions.01:00 - Steven's unique journey from IBM to Hollywood05:00 - What film taught about distributed work12:00 - The art of listening to your team16:00 - The "other thing" principle of creativity25:00 - Building The Sukha Company35:00 - Practical tips for achieving flow statesConnect with Steven:- Try The Sukha Company: [7-day free trial available] https://www.thesukha.co/- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-puri/Connect with Chris:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislch/- Subscribe for more employer branding and workplace creativity insights https://www.employercontent.marketing/

Join me as I take you behind the scenes of EB Con, one of Europe's largest employer branding conferences.

I share insights from my talk on employer content creation and feature conversations with other speakers on topics such as AI, employee advocacy, and strategy activation.

Learn how companies are evolving their employer branding approaches to attract and retain talent, the importance of employee advocacy, and even some grounded advice on integrating AI into your workflow.

There are also discussions on wellbeing, corporate strategy, and the balance between high production and zero-budget content.

It's a packed day filled with knowledge sharing, practical tips, and a glimpse into the future of employer branding.

Stick around till the end for my reflections and a look forward to enjoying some local cuisine!

Being the The EB Space's first Employer Branding Unconference was great!EB Uncut promised to be a different kind of conference for the EB community. And it lived up to it for sure.As part of my coverage of the conference, I did some Vox Pops with some of the panelists and attendees.We talk about a load of things:✅ Purpose✅ Resilience✅ Giving employees a voice through AI✅ The underrated role of onboarding in employer branding✅ To EVP or Not to EVPSubscribe to my newsletter for more content direct to your inbox:https://www.employercontent.marketing/

EB Uncut - the Employer Branding Unconference was at King's Cross on 7th May.

It's the first conference from the wonderful team [Claire de Souza and Alex Her] who founded The EB Space.

I was invited to capture some of the conversations at the conference with my fellow podcaster Chris Murdoch - host of the Employer Bland podcast].

Resilience, Diversity, Inclusion, AI, EB career advice, EB Therapy, EVP vs NoEVP debate...

There was plenty going on!Here's some of the behind the scenes, on stage conversations and off stage chats throughout the day.

Looking forward to the next one!

How do you get hiring right? Especially when you have to do more with less. Especially when AI is bringing both opportunities and challenges. If you’re in talent acquisition or employer branding then Episode 131 of Employer Content Marketing is for you. I chat with Katrina Collier, the author of “Reboot Hiring”. I first met Katrina over 10 years ago and she’s got a couple of decades in recruitment. She was at the cutting edge of social recruiting when social media hit the big time in the noughties. And she runs her her business that’s all about empowering talent acquisition and upskilling hiring managers.We discuss her new book "Reboot Hiring." Drawing from her extensive experience, Katrina offers candid and practical insights for professionals in talent acquisition and employer branding. Our discussion covers the evolving landscape of talent acquisition, including its challenges, AI's influence, and the crucial relationship between TA professionals and hiring managers. Discover strategies to overcome recruitment obstacles, build stronger partnerships with managers, and thrive in today's complex hiring environment.Find out more about Reboot Hiring 📒 https://katrinacollier.com/reboot-hiring/

Subscribe to my newsletter

https://www.employercontent.marketing/

We had our very first Employer Content Club event today! It's a community for employer content creators. A place to share experiences, offer advice and even therapy!Subscribe if you want to find out about the next event!https://www.employercontent.marketing/

I went to Bucharest to speak at EBcon - Romania’s annual conference for all things employer branding. Now in it’s 6th year.

I was talking about my upcoming guide to in-house employer content creation - subscribe for when it lands next month!https://www.employercontent.marketing/

There’s a thriving community of people passionate about employer branding in Romania.

Some organisations are just starting out and some are already well down the road.Either way there was plenty to take from a day in Bucharest.

Check out my vlog for the highlights.

And I got to chat with some of my fellow speakers during the day, so subscribe for episodes when they land in the coming

weeks.

https://www.employercontent.marketing/

It’s great to see more and more regions fly the employer branding flag.

Long may that continue!

I've joined forces with Chris Murdoch's Employer Bland podcast to cover a new event for the employer branding community.

EB Uncut - the Unconference is happening at King's Cross on Wednesday 7th May.

We're taking our podcasts to this new event created by founders of The EB Space - Claire de Souza and Alex Her.

We'll be vox popping throughout the day to capture the key conversations and get people've opinions and advice along the way.

EB Uncut isn't your typical conference.

You won't get death by PowerPoint here. No keynote talks. Just a series of panel discussions that will frame things for some key topics throughout the day.

It's a must attend event for employer branders.

And we're super happy to get involved.

Want to find out more and attend?

Get your ticket here https://theebspace.com/eb-uncut-unconference

Wondering how AI could help explain your organisations why and what? AI has a role to play - not as a replacement but as a co-pilot.So, in this episode I share my experiment with Google Notebook LM - An AI research and writing assistant. I've given them content about my business and podcast and turned it into a podcast episode. This is the first episode of Employer Content Marketing that's brought to you by two AI hosts [let's call them Pia and Ben!].As someone who helps organisations create employer content, I wanted to show you a simple way AI can support your content creation - while also giving you a better understanding of what my business actually does (because yes, I'm more than just a podcast host! 😊).The result isn't perfect, but it's a fascinating look at what's possible with AI as a support tool. Have a listen and see how you might be able to use similar approaches in your own organisation.00:00 Introduction to AI in Employer Branding00:22 Experimenting with Google Notebook for Content Creation01:29 The Challenge of Finding Quality Content01:51 Deep Dive into Employer Content Marketing03:10 Understanding Employer Content Marketing04:21 Content Marketing Pod LTD's Approach04:46 Services Offered by Content Marketing Pod LTD05:52 Employee-Powered Content as a Revenue Generator06:46 Partnership Models and Strategies08:21 Testimonials and Awards10:43 Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts🔗 LEARN MORE:Website: https://www.contentmarketingpod.com

Intranets often get a bad rap! And rightly so.

Too often they are places where information and communication goes to die.

In this episode, I chat with Ben Leach - Consulting Director and Co-Founder of Information EXP.

We dive into the true potential of intranets.

Ben discusses his extensive experience with SharePoint and intranet projects, highlighting the pivotal role an intranet can play in organisational communication, employee engagement, and overall productivity when implemented effectively.

The discussion also covers best practices for creating successful intranets, including clear purpose, strategic content management, and the importance of authentic engagement from leadership.

We also address common pitfalls and provide practical advice for companies looking to revamp or build their intranet to ensure it truly serves its intended purpose.

You can get the episode on YouTube [or subscribe for episodes direct to your inbox] here: https://www.employercontent.marketing/

How do you set up employer branding for success in your organisation?

We chatted to Victor Rubin again to cover this important topic.

Getting it right will ultimately help grow the influence of employer branding and elevate its business importance.