Your employer brand determines whether top candidates apply or ignore your jobs.

Strong employer brand = 50% more qualified applicants and 50% lower cost-per-hire. Weak employer brand = struggling to fill roles while competitors hire the talent you wanted.

Employer branding platforms promise to improve how candidates perceive your company. Some deliver measurable results. Others are overpriced career page builders.

Here's which platforms actually improve employer brand (and which ones are just marketing fluff).

What Employer Branding Platforms Actually Do

These aren't just career page builders. Full employer branding platforms offer:

Career site creation: Branded, mobile-friendly career pages Employee storytelling: Showcase employee testimonials and day-in-the-life content Employer review management: Monitor and respond to Glassdoor, Indeed reviews Social media integration: Share content across LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok Analytics: Track brand perception, application sources, engagement

The question: Do you need a dedicated platform, or can you build this yourself?

Phenom Employer Brand Studio: The Comprehensive Platform

Phenom offers a full talent experience platform including employer branding tools.

Pricing: Custom enterprise pricing.

What it does well:

Personalized career sites: Dynamic content based on visitor behavior and profile.

AI chatbot: Answers candidate questions 24/7, recommends jobs, captures leads.

Employee stories: Video testimonials, day-in-the-life content, team spotlights.

Social media amplification: Employee advocacy tools to share content across networks.

Analytics: Track site engagement, conversion rates, candidate sources.

What to consider:

Enterprise pricing: Expensive for small companies.

Part of larger platform: If you only want branding tools, you're paying for features you might not use.

Best for: Large companies (500+ employees) who want comprehensive talent experience platform including branding.

Skip if: You're small, have limited budget, or only need basic career site.

Sources: Phenom website, G2 reviews

SmashFly (Now part of Symphony Talent): The Marketing-Focused Option

SmashFly emphasizes recruitment marketing and employer brand activation.

Pricing: Custom pricing.

What it does well:

Campaign management: Run targeted recruitment marketing campaigns across channels.

CRM integration: Nurture passive candidates with branded content over time.

Programmatic job advertising: Automated job ad placement with brand messaging.

Content management: Centralize and distribute employer brand content.

What to consider:

Marketing-heavy approach: Best for companies with dedicated recruitment marketing teams.

Requires active management: Not set-it-and-forget-it—needs ongoing content creation and campaign management.

Best for: Companies with recruitment marketing teams running active campaigns.

Skip if: You want simple career site without ongoing campaign management.

Sources: SmashFly/Symphony Talent websites

GoodTime Employer Brand (Example of Lightweight Options)

Some companies don't need comprehensive platforms—just better career sites and storytelling tools.

Lightweight alternatives:

Career page builders:

• Hundred5
• Ongig
• Beamery Career Sites

Employee storytelling tools:

• Vlog Easy
• Hashtag Our Stories
• Social Chorus

Pros: Affordable, focused solutions without enterprise complexity Cons: Need to integrate multiple tools instead of one platform

Best for: Small to mid-size companies wanting specific improvements without full platform investment.

Do You Actually Need An Employer Branding Platform?

Many companies can build strong employer brands without dedicated platforms:

DIY approach:

• Build career site on your website (use WordPress, Webflow, or similar)
• Share employee stories on LinkedIn and Instagram
• Monitor Glassdoor reviews manually
• Create video content with simple tools (iPhone + iMovie)

Cost: Minimal (website hosting + time investment)

Pros: Full control, no platform fees Cons: Requires internal resources and coordination

When you need a platform:

• You're hiring 100+ people annually
• Multiple recruiters managing employer brand
• Need consolidated analytics across channels
• Want automation and AI features

When DIY works:

• Small company (under 100 employees)
• Limited hiring volume
• Have internal marketing support

The Bottom Line

Employer branding platforms deliver value for large companies with scale. Small companies often get better ROI from DIY efforts.

Choose platforms based on:

• Company size and hiring volume
• Internal resources (do you have marketing support?)
• Budget reality
• Specific needs (career site vs. full campaign management)

And remember: No platform creates good employer brand automatically. Great employer branding requires authentic stories, strong culture, and consistent effort.

Sources:

• Phenom Talent Experience Platform
• SmashFly/Symphony Talent solutions
• Various employer branding tool providers
• SHRM employer branding research