Why Employer Branding Fails Without Performance Metrics

Your organization has invested heavily in building an employer brand. Applications start pouring in, but later you realize retention hasn’t improved, quality-of-hire is inconsistent, and candidate experience scores are abysmal. Despite the effort and resources, the return is disappointing, and leadership begins to question the value.    

Measuring employer branding through performance metrics helps organizations answer critical questions: Are we attracting the right talent? Do new hires stay longer and perform better because of our value proposition? KPIs such as application-to-hire ratio, time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, quality-of-hire, and employee retention rates create a direct link between branding and talent outcomes.  

This article will talk about the importance of performance metrics in employer branding.  

Performance Branding vs Employer Branding: What’s the Difference?  

Here is the difference between the two of them.  

1. Core Objective

Performance Branding: Focuses on measurable business outcomes such as lead generation, pipeline growth, and revenue impact. It ties investments directly to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).  

Example: A SaaS company tracks MQLs generated from a brand awareness campaign and links them to sales conversion rates.  

Employer Branding: Focusing on establishing a reputation as an ideal workplace to attract and retain talent.  

Example: A consulting firm launches a campaign highlighting employee stories and workplace culture to position itself as a top choice.  

2. Primary Audience

Performance Branding: Targets customers, prospects, and decision-makers who influence revenue outcomes. 

Employer Branding: Targets employees, job seekers, and the talent pool. 

3. Success Measurement

Performance Branding: Relies on KPIs like cost-per-lead, pipeline velocity, customer acquisition cost (CAC), and ROI.  

Employer Branding: Uses KPIs such as time-to-hire, quality-of-hire, employee retention rates, and candidate satisfaction scores.  

4. Strategic Role

Performance Branding: Demonstrates results for the C-suite, showing how investment drives revenue growth and market share. 

Employer Branding: Strengthens resilience through talent attraction, engagement, and retention.  

5. Risks of Not Measuring

Performance Branding: Without KPIs, marketing spend appears as a cost rather than a growth driver, leading to reduced budgets.  

Employer Branding: Without metrics, employer campaigns risk being dismissed, undermining talent strategy.  

How to Build a Performance-Driven Employer Branding Strategy  

Here are the steps to build a performance-based employee branding.  

1. Align Employer Brand with Business Goals

Employer branding should be tied directly to talent acquisition and retention objectives. 

Example: A cloud solutions provider struggling with an engineering talent shortage aligns its employer branding with scaling product innovation by targeting developers.   

2. Define Clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Establish measurable outcomes such as time-to-fill, quality-of-hire, employee referral rates, and retention.  

Example: A cybersecurity firm sets a KPI to reduce time-to-fill senior roles while improving candidate quality scores.  

3. Integrate Data and Performance Metrics from the Start

Collect data on application volumes, candidate experience scores, and attrition rates. Use these as benchmarks for measuring success.  

Example: A consulting company leverages ATS analytics to track application-to-hire ratios and candidate satisfaction post-interview.    

4. Craft a Targeted Employer Value Proposition (EVP)

Focus on what resonates with the critical talent segments that impact business performance. 

Example: A logistics technology company highlights career progression and exposure to cutting-edge AI as part of its EVP for data scientists.   

5. Leverage Multi-Channel Engagement 

Use LinkedIn campaigns, employee advocacy, and digital storytelling, each mapped to KPIs like reach, engagement, and conversion-to-application. 

Example: A SaaS firm runs LinkedIn thought-leadership campaigns targeting product managers, tracking candidate conversion.  

6. Monitor, Optimize, and Report 

Treat employer branding like a marketing funnel. Monitor metrics and refine tactics based on insights.   

Example: An enterprise IT company tracks offer acceptance rates quarterly and introduces real-time dashboards.  

Employer Branding KPIs to Look Out For  

Below are the essential KPIs to monitor for employee branding.  

1. Application-to-Hire Ratio

What it measures: The efficiency of your hiring funnel and how many applications convert into successful hires.  

Why it matters: A high ratio signals strong employer branding, attracting the right-fit talent. A low ratio suggests misalignment in your EVP.  

Example: A SaaS company streamlines its careers page messaging and sees its application-to-hire ratio improve.  

2. Time-to-Fill

What it measures: The average number of days it takes to close an open role. 

Why it matters: Shorter time-to-fill reduces disruption and accelerates productivity. 

Example: A cybersecurity firm uses targeted employer branding campaigns to pre-engage talent pools, cutting time-to-fill.  

3. Cost-per-Hire

What it measures: Total cost of hiring divided by the number of hires. 

Why it matters: Strong employee branding reduces reliance on external agencies, lowering costs. 

Example: A logistics technology company invests in employee advocacy campaigns. The result: fewer hires sourced from third-party recruiters.  

4. Quality-of-Hire

What it measures: Post-hire performance and productivity of new employees.  

Why it matters: Attracting candidates is not enough; they must also deliver impact. 

Example: A consulting firm introduces structured assessment criteria and ties quality-of-hire to performance reviews at six months.  

5. Employee Retention and First-Year Attrition

What it measures: Retention rates and the percentage of new hires leaving within the first year. 

Why it matters: High attrition erodes ROI on hiring and signals a misaligned employer brand. 

Example: A cloud solutions provider sees attrition drop after aligning its EVP around career growth opportunities. 

7. Employer Brand Awareness 

What it measures: External recognition as an employer, often tracked through brand surveys or platforms like LinkedIn Talent Insights. 

Why it matters: Awareness fuels the talent pipeline; perception ensures credibility. 

Example: A manufacturing firm runs thought-leadership campaigns on LinkedIn, tracking brand lift surveys as a performance metric.  

8. Employee Referral Rate

What it measures: The percentage of hires coming through employee referrals. 

Why it matters: Strong internal advocacy reflects a healthy employer brand and reduces hiring costs. 

Example: A FinTech company strengthens its EVP internally, leading to an increase in referral hires.  

Conclusion  

Treat employer branding with the same rigor as customer branding. Build measurable goals, track KPIs consistently, and align them with organizational priorities. If your employer branding efforts lack a performance framework, now is the time to act. Start by defining the right KPIs, aligning them with business objectives, and establishing a measurement system. The organizations that win will tell a compelling story and prove the impact.  

Paramita Patra