Progressive companies leading the way in employer branding

Among 14 other global jury members, I recently had the honour of participating in the International EMBRAS Annual Awards, evaluating an impressive array of local and global employer brands across sectors like FMCG, oil, retail, banking, mining and fintech. These submissions focused on the CIS countries, Europe and Central Asia.

This experience was not only a privilege, but a valuable learning journey. It offered me a window into the depth of commitment and innovation companies are putting into building their employer brands. What struck me most was how they implemented such effective solutions to their challenges and the impact they achieved.

Their stories resonated with me, particularly in how similar they are to those I have witnessed in South Africa, Africa and globally.

Developing future leaders: the talent challenge

The demand for specialised talent to fill leadership roles remains high. Many are struggling to create effective leadership pipelines. This is further complicated by organisational transformations, where gaps in leadership skills delay the development of future leaders.

In certain sectors, high employee turnover, especially in production roles, makes it difficult to retain talent and ensure smooth onboarding. Additionally, gender inequality continues to drive high turnover among female employees, who often face limited career advancement opportunities and support. Many companies are also struggling with low manager engagement, leading to misalignment between leadership goals and broader business objectives.

Solutions for overcoming the talent challenge

Here are just some of the interventions that organisations are implementing to address these challenges:

• Implementing automated mentoring systems for real-time tracking of employee development, reducing reliance on manual training processes.
• Introducing structured talent pools with succession planning, including individual development plans and mentorship programmes to ensure high-potential employees are groomed for leadership roles.
• Adopting competency-based training and personalised development tracks to equip employees with the skills necessary to step into leadership positions during organisational transformations.
• Launching employee rotation programmes to foster cross-departmental learning and collaboration, providing growth opportunities that increase engagement.
• Introducing women-focused leadership programmes offering mentorship, career growth support and anti-discrimination policies to promote women into leadership roles.

Attracting top talent: the employer brand challenge

Companies are grappling with the persistent challenge of not only attracting the best people, but young talent. Limited opportunities for graduates, coupled with a lack of practical experience, have made it difficult to appeal to emerging professionals.

Another key challenge is low brand awareness or recognition in competitive sectors, especially when it comes to scarce skills like cybersecurity and IT. The shortage of these specialists, combined with skill gaps preventing internal candidates from filling vacancies, continues to be a struggle.

• Additionally, high competition for skilled employees and frequent talent shortages have made it difficult for companies to retain top talent, particularly in sectors undergoing rapid change. Many organisations are also recognising the need to evolve their EVP to align with business shifts, and some are taking steps to become more self-sufficient by reducing outsourcing, particularly in tech roles, to ensure long-term sustainability.
  
  Approaches to strengthening employer branding
  
  To address these challenges, companies are implementing targeted strategies beyond traditional brand awareness at universities. While launching internship programmes and adapting the global EVP to local needs are common approaches, organisation are also:
• Launching internship programmes that provide hands-on experience and mentorship, engaging students in real-world projects alongside structured onboarding processes. Some companies have even gone as far as creating mentorship centres/schools.
• Allocating funding to education grants and partnering with tech academies to offer specialised training and certification, especially in high-demand fields like cybersecurity and IT.
• Introducing structured mentorship programmes with financial incentives, personalised training and real-time feedback for new employees, ensuring smoother transitions and better integration into company culture.

Strengthening communication and engagement

In the evolving workplace, companies are facing a growing set of challenges in maintaining effective communication and boosting employee engagement. Labour market competition and engagement gaps among younger employees, particularly in remote regions, have made it harder to attract and retain talent. For many organisations, fragmented communication, especially during periods of rapid growth, has led to a lack of transparency and cooperation among employees.

Leadership development is often hindered by the absence of clear communication channels for aspiring young leaders, limiting engagement and opportunities for growth. Cross-departmental barriers, particularly between production, sales and distribution teams, further contribute to operational inefficiencies and create a disconnect between employees and top management.

Cultural norms that discourage open feedback and organisational silence have made it difficult for employees to communicate with leadership, reducing transparency and stifling important conversations. To compound these issues, technological gaps and inadequate feedback systems further weaken internal communication and erode shared corporate values.

Ways to improve communication and engagement

Organisations are implementing various strategies through:

• Creating digital platforms to foster communication and engagement among younger employees, offering professional development tracks and ambassador programmes.
• Launching internal communication systems with pulse surveys, feedback channels and structured chat systems to improve transparency and collaboration.
• Establishing young leaders’ communities, and providing leadership programmes, mentorship and team-building workshops to develop young leaders and increase engagement.
• Implementing CEO-led dialogue sessions and manager training to encourage open dialogue and enhance transparency.
• Setting up cross-departmental forums and digital tools for real-time feedback, alongside quarterly town halls to bridge communication gaps between teams and management.
• Implementing virtual assistants for onboarding and automated feedback systems to reduce mentor workloads and improve retention during the adaptation phase.
• Reinforcing corporate values through events and contests and introducing communication bots to strengthen engagement.

Driving ESG (environmental, social and governance) and good deeds

Through evaluating the Good Deeds and ESG categories, I noted how organisations are integrating social responsibility and sustainability into their operations, while promoting inclusivity and addressing environmental concerns.

A major challenge was the shortage of qualified specialists, particularly in IT, compounded by social inequality limiting access to training. Additionally, organisations took action to address stray animal crises and blood donor shortages, driven by employees’ strong desire to engage in volunteer work.

Rapid workforce growth also created a need for social, psychological and legal support, especially for vulnerable employees like single mothers and individuals with disabilities. Inclusive hiring practices – and in one case, adapting workplaces for employees with disabilities – became a top priority.

Environmental sustainability, particularly in regions impacted by environmental degradation, is just one example of how organisations are pushing to integrate ESG principles into their strategies. Companies are fostering a culture where employees are empowered to participate in ESG values, aligning external sustainability efforts with internal cultural shifts.

Solutions on driving ESG and social impact

Companies are implementing the following commendable initiatives:

• IT education programmes in partnership with universities, targeting underrepresented groups such as low-income youth, students and employees to address the digital skills gap.
• Structured corporate volunteering programmes, offering employees opportunities to engage in social integration activities and youth mentorship, helping them align with the company’s ESG values.
• Social, psychological and legal support programmes for vulnerable employees, including efforts to create jobs for people with disabilities and adapt workplaces to their specific needs.
• Inclusive hiring practices, such as adaptive interviews, mentorship programmes and providing sign language interpretation to integrate employees with disabilities into the workforce.
• Environmental degradation through large-scale tree-planting initiatives and partnerships with retail chains to support reforestation projects.

To wrap up, what stood out for me in evaluating these awards is how companies are responding to the changing talent landscape, particularly the 18- to 30-year-old generation. They’re strengthening their ‘always-on’ engagement strategies through IT solutions like bots, Telegram and virtual assistants. At the same time, they’re redefining their employer brand and EVP offerings, with a strong focus on the employee experience – especially in onboarding – through real-time mentorship and career development initiatives.

Both employers and employees recognise the need for continuous learning and upskilling to stay ahead in the fast-evolving landscape of generative AI, IT automation and other emerging technologies.