As we look back on our most meaningful events of 2024, we sat down with Taylor Meadows, Head Strategist of Employer Brand at Glassdoor, and a speaker at this year’s World Employer Branding Day (WEBD) in Amsterdam.
Co-sponsored by Glassdoor and Indeed, the world’s largest employer branding conference was flush with insights and advice on everything from wellbeing to AI. A two-time WEBD presenter and 10-year industry veteran, Taylor — who was joined on stage by Indeed’s Head of Talent Intelligence, Danny Stacy — had plenty to share with us about what he said, what he heard, and what’s to come in the future of work.
Q: Why did Glassdoor and Indeed tag-team World Employer Branding Day?
A: As sister companies, our brands share a love of helping people find meaningful work. As Glassdoor grows into a community-driven platform focused on the intersection of work and life, and Indeed dives deeper into the business impact of work wellbeing, it felt like the perfect opportunity to share a complementary message with so many great minds in one room. Having gotten to know Brett Minchington well — the founder of World Employer Branding Day — we’ve come to really appreciate how closely the values of our brands align with his.
The subject of employer branding is still very new to many employers. Together, Glassdoor and Indeed aim to make it easier to share stories, engage with employees, and offer transparent insights that help job seekers make more informed decisions.
Q: What topics generated the most buzz this year?
A: The most common theme throughout the day was the focus on building an employer brand from within, which I couldn’t agree with more.
When employees become ambassadors, it’s free marketing for the brand with an undertone of authenticity that’s much more difficult to manufacture otherwise. When employees feel like their employers and leaders genuinely care about their wellbeing, growth, and quality of life, make no mistake — they are going to talk about it with their friends and followers. This “earned media” is the strongest form of branding.
“If you catch wind that a competitor is downgrading their focus on diversity and inclusion, that’s your time to strike.”
Secondly, I loved hearing how many brands continue to employ inclusive hiring practices and prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in a time when many others are shelving it. So many candidates pay close attention to these efforts and shop for psychological safety in their prospective employers. My advice: If you catch wind that a competitor is downgrading their focus on diversity and inclusion, that’s your time to strike. Go above and beyond to showcase why you’re not just embracing an inclusive workplace culture, but celebrating it.
Finally, there was a lot of talk around how AI is transforming employer branding strategies. One key takeaway that I loved was the notion that AI isn’t here to invent an employer brand, but to simplify it. Remember, the best employer brands are human at their core, and AI is simply an efficiency assistant. Let AI trim down your over-engineered taglines, messaging framework, or employee value proposition. Prioritize the values, stories and perspectives you want to showcase, but then use tools to streamline your message.
Glassdoor’s Taylor Meadows and Indeed’s Danny Stacy take the stage at World Employer Branding Day 2024 in Amsterdam.
Q: What’s your biggest takeaway for employers coming out of World Employer Branding Day 2024?
A: To really boost talent attraction and retention, filter your employer brand strategy through three lenses: the company at large, departments and teams, and individual employees.
When we brand the company as a whole, we’re thinking about things like mission, vision, values, benefits, DE&I, and social impact. But the employee experience really happens in departments and on teams through colleagues, managers, and the work itself. What stories can we tell that really get to the heart of the day-to-day?
And finally, showcase examples of individual employees who’ve experienced job satisfaction and career growth. Seeing personal development in others speaks volumes and really confirms that you, the employer, genuinely care about investing in your people and seeing them succeed. That’s often the moment someone decides to click apply.
Taylor Meadows brings a decade of tech experience to the table having served in recruitment consulting roles at Apple, LinkedIn, Indeed and now Glassdoor. With a fervent passion for helping people find meaningful work, he spends his time shaping and delivering strategies that modernize the employer branding landscape - you can find him speaking at major events like SHRM, World Employer Branding Day and Indeed FutureWorks.