How brand-savvy HR teams slash recruitment costs

Recruitment is a big part of what HR teams do, but it’s no secret that it can be both challenging and expensive. According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), replacing an employee can cost a company anywhere from six to nine months of their salary. For highly trained positions, research shows that number can climb to as much as 213% of their salary! No matter your company’s size or industry, that’s a serious expense.

The good news? A brand-savvy HR team can help bring these costs down. By addressing the key concerns of potential employees and attracting top-tier candidates who are a great fit, they can save valuable time and money in the recruitment and onboarding process.

One of the biggest obstacles for job seekers, according to LinkedIn’s employer branding research, is not knowing what it’s like to work at a company before applying. Candidates are three times more likely to trust what current employees say about an organization over the company itself. Plus, 75% of job seekers evaluate an employer’s brand before deciding to apply, with over half checking out the company’s website and social media to learn more.

By tapping into these insights and building a strong employer brand, HR teams can turn recruitment from a costly challenge into a more streamlined and effective process.

How brand-savvy HR professionals can lower the cost of talent acquisition

Unlike traditional HR roles focused on administrative tasks, brand-savvy HR professionals combine HR expertise with branding skills like marketing, storytelling, and people engagement. They use this blend to drive better ROI on HR investments and make a real impact on their company’s bottom line. These HR teams know when to handle branding efforts internally and when to collaborate with their branding teams—a synergy I like to call “Bhranding” (Branding + HR).

One of the most effective ways brand-savvy HR teams cut recruitment costs is by applying the same engagement strategies marketers use—not to attract customers, but to create a workplace culture where employees feel excited and invested in their work. This kind of engaged culture becomes the foundation of a strong employer brand, naturally drawing top talent in the industry to the organization.

And the benefits are undeniable. The same LinkedIn research shows that a solid employer brand can reduce turnover by 28%, cut hiring costs by 50%, and attract 50% more qualified candidates. Even better, it can halve the time it takes to fill positions, saving countless hours of work. All of these improvements add up, translating into significant time and cost savings—potentially millions for larger companies.

How savvy HR teams attract top talent

Brand-savvy HR professionals don’t just stop at creating an engaged workplace culture that attracts top talent—they go a step further. Proactive HR teams use strategies that were once the domain of professional marketers to actively target potential candidates. This means building impactful career websites, creating engaging social media content, and even managing entire social media channels to showcase their company culture and work environment.

These efforts directly address a common challenge for job seekers: not knowing what it’s really like to work at a company. Take Spotify, for example. A quick search for “Life at Spotify” pulls up their dedicated career website, Instagram page, X (formerly Twitter) account, YouTube channel, and the hashtag #LifeAtSpotify—all designed to give potential candidates an inside look at what working there is like.

Understanding that candidates trust employees’ descriptions of a company more than the company’s own messaging, many organizations also encourage employees to share their experiences in their own words. Google’s Build Your Future With Google and Marriott Careers’ blog are great examples of how companies leverage employee stories to attract talent.

Some companies even take things further with full-blown marketing-style campaigns. General Electric’s “What’s the matter with Owen?” campaign repositioned the company as a destination for top talent and boosted recruitment eightfold. Similarly, Britain’s Royal Marines launched the intense “What’s Your Limit?” campaign, targeting only the toughest individuals willing to endure their grueling training. With the tagline “99.99% need not apply,” it made a bold statement and resonated with its audience.

These examples show how using storytelling, creative branding, and marketing-inspired strategies can elevate recruitment efforts, turning potential candidates into excited applicants—and eventually into highly engaged employees.

Candidates as customers

By treating candidates like customers and engaging them as effectively as marketers engage customers, brand-savvy HR professionals can play a big role in attracting and engaging highly qualified candidates, reducing the time to hire, and having a measurable impact on profitability. By treating candidates as customers who need to be “wowed” by the brand – not to buy products and services, but to “buy into” the company’s purpose and vision for the future, brand-savvy HR professionals can optimize their efforts and convert curious candidates into highly engaged employees.

If you’re looking for ways to positively impact your bottom line, consider encouraging your branding and HR teams to work together and find creative ways to attract the best and brightest of your industry to want to work at your organization. By engaging candidates with the same vigor that your marketing team engages customers, your brand-savvy HR team can help slash the costs of talent acquisition and, by extension, make a positive impact on your bottom line.