Not every employer branding agency delivers what it promises.

Some hand you a tagline and call it a day. 

Others flood you with generic content that could’ve been written for any company. Meanwhile, you’re still struggling to attract the right talent and wondering why your culture isn’t coming through.

A strong employer branding strategy doesn’t just “look good.” It should help you tell real stories, scale authentic messaging, and consistently engage the candidates who fit.

In this guide, we’ll break down what great employer branding services look like— where they help, where they often fall short, and what you should be asking before you sign a contract. 

We’ll also show you how tools like Puck and platforms like YouTube can power up your efforts without blowing up your bandwidth.

Let’s get into it!

What Should Be Included in Employer Branding Services?

At the bare minimum, a solid employer branding solution should help you answer this question:

Why should someone choose to work here instead of anywhere else?

But getting there takes more than a one-liner. Here’s what the best services usually cover:

1. EVP Research & Development

What it is: Your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is the foundation of your employer brand. It outlines what you uniquely offer to employees and what you expect in return.

What great looks like:

• Interviews with employees across levels (not just leadership)
  
  
• Competitive benchmarking
  
  
• Audience segmentation based on role, location, and seniority
  
  
• Clear, differentiated messaging pillars
  
  

Avoid this if: Your EVP is built in a boardroom with zero employee input.

2. Creative Concepting & Content Development

What it is: Once your EVP is defined, it needs to come to life— visually, verbally, and emotionally. This includes your brand voice, visuals, and content.

What great looks like:

• Branded job descriptions
  
  
• Career site design + messaging
  
  
• “Day in the life” content, team videos, employee spotlights
  
  
• Employer brand guidelines for consistent use

Watch out for: Agencies that only deliver glossy templates and vague taglines with no practical application.

Read More: Recruiting & Employer Branding Tips from SKIMS

3. Content Creation That Feels Real

If your employer brand is built on stock photos and polished buzzwords, candidates will see right through it. Today’s best employer branding solutions focus on real stories.

That means:

• Authentic employee videos (not just scripted testimonials)
  
  
• Capturing team rituals, remote culture, leadership philosophies
  
  
• Story formats tailored for different roles and channels

👉 Where Puck comes in:

Puck works like an embedded content team— interviewing employees, producing high-quality stories in audio, video, and written formats, and then embedding those stories into job pages, emails, and social posts. No internal video crew needed. 

How it works?

• A producer from Puck will schedule, conduct interviews, record, and produce stories featuring your team. 
• These stories will then live across your career site, social media, interview guides, and all the places where you communicate with candidates.

If you’re curious to try it out, feel free to book a demo with their product specialists.

4. Distribution Planning 

You don’t need more content. You need more distribution. 

What’s the point of crafting a beautiful careers page if no one sees it? A strong employer branding agency will help you build a plan that gets your content seen.

A good employer branding service will help you:

• Prioritize your distribution channels (LinkedIn, YouTube, email, job boards, internal referrals)
  
  
• Localize content for global or multi-regional teams
  
  
• Set up campaigns with actual KPIs (clicks, applies, conversions)
  
  

👉 Why YouTube matters:
It's where curious candidates go after visiting your job post. It’s where you can humanize your team and culture in ways your careers page never could. Think hiring manager intros, team Q&As, and behind-the-scenes clips. 

Bonus: YouTube’s SEO power is unmatched!

5. Employer Brand Training & Enablement

Good employer branding isn’t a one-off project. Your recruiters, hiring managers, and leadership team all need to know how to use the brand in their daily work.

Look for services that offer:

• Brand rollout toolkits
  
  
• Hiring manager enablement
  
  
• LinkedIn playbooks for recruiters
  
  
• Internal brand storytelling workshops

Avoid services that disappear after delivering assets, leaving your team asking, “So… now what?”

Red Flags to Watch Before You Waste $50K on the Wrong Employer Branding Partner

Here’s what often derails otherwise decent branding efforts:

• One-size-fits-all messaging
  A real EVP is tailored. If it sounds like it could apply to any company, it probably will, and it won’t stick.
• No tie to outcomes
  Your brand should be measured the same way your funnel is: engagement, apply rates, quality of hire, and retention.
• Only talking to leadership
  If the only voices in your EVP process are execs and marketing, you’re missing the reality of what it’s like to work there.‍
• No plan for distribution
  Beautiful videos and landing pages don’t mean anything if you don’t have a way to get them seen. Always ask: how will this reach candidates?

Bonus: Tools That Level Up Employer Branding Services

Even the best employer branding agency can’t do it all without smart tooling. Here’s how platforms like Puck, Canva YouTube, and more supercharge your employer brand stack:

Tools

Puck

Story creation + distribution

Producers + tech to help you capture and embed real stories without needing a content team.

YouTube

Video hosting + SEO

Gives your brand a long shelf life and helps with visibility for active and passive candidates.

Distribution AI

Content distribution

Ensures your employer brand content doesn’t get lost in a Google Drive folder and gets seen across all channels.

Canva

Quick creative

Great for giving recruiters and hiring managers branded templates they can use.

How to Choose the Right Employer Branding Partner?

Ask these questions before signing a contract:

• Who will you talk to on our team— execs and employees?
  
  
• What channels will you help us prioritize and why?
  
  
• Do you help with rollout and recruiter enablement?
  
  
• What does long-term support look like post-launch?
  
  
• How do you measure success?

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Final Thoughts

You’ve probably already put in the work. Maybe you’ve nailed your EVP. Maybe you’ve even built some strong messaging.

But here’s the question no one wants to ask out loud: Why doesn’t it feel like it’s working?

Because most branding efforts stop at the strategy. The slide deck gets shared. The careers page gets a refresh. And then…nothing really changes.

The right employer branding service doesn’t just give you a prettier version of your story. It helps you make that story move.

That’s where Puck comes in.

It helps you turn real employee stories into high-impact campaigns. It powers recruiter outreach that feels personal. It turns your careers page into a magnet for the right candidates. And it actually fits into how your team works, so it doesn’t collect dust.

If your brand is underperforming, start by showing candidates something real. Try a campaign with Puck. 

Even one story can change how your next hire sees you.

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