The Why Behind Employer Branding as a Growth Driver

Employer branding has evolved beyond a recruitment function - it’s now a key driver of business growth. But how do you prove its impact, secure leadership buy-in, and turn it into a scalable, revenue-driving strategy?

In our latest live session, we sat down with Grete Kivi, one of the Global Employer Branding Managers at Bolt, to uncover how Bolt has positioned employer branding as a business-critical function, and the data they use to back it up!

If you’re looking to transform your employer branding strategy into a measurable growth engine, this interview is for you. 

Keep reading for the summary with key takeaways, or watch the full interview below! 👇

From Employer Branding as ‘Fluff’ to a Strategic Business Function

Many companies still struggle with the misconception that employer branding is just about visibility. But according to Grete Kivi, that’s where businesses go wrong.

“Employer branding isn’t just about being seen - it’s about influencing hiring outcomes, shaping perception, and ensuring long-term talent pipeline success. If you can’t connect it to business goals, you won’t get leadership buy-in”

At Bolt, employer branding is directly tied to scaling operations, attracting top talent efficiently, and ensuring long-term hiring success. The key? Data-driven storytelling - aligning branding efforts with recruitment KPIs to showcase real impact.

Data-Driven Employer Branding: How to Prove Impact

So, how does Bolt measure employer branding in a way that resonates with business leaders?

• Tracking the Talent Funnel: Bolt measures impact beyond awareness - looking at engagement, consideration, and actual conversions from employer branding campaigns.
• Using Market Surveys Smartly: To understand how Bolt is perceived in different regions, Grete’s team ran external market surveys at a fraction of the cost quoted by agencies - delivering strategic insights without breaking the budget.
• Proving ROI: Instead of vague brand metrics, Bolt benchmarks employer branding success against hard data like time-to-hire, application quality, hiring conversion rates, and retention.
• Aligning With Business Growth: Employer branding at Bolt isn’t a standalone function - it’s fully integrated into growth strategies, hiring forecasts, and workforce planning.

“When we tied employer branding efforts to hiring outcomes, we saw a shift - leadership stopped seeing it as ‘fluff’ and started seeing it as a growth driver”

The Employer Branding Playbook: What Works in 2025

Based on Bolt’s success, here are the key strategies every Talent Acquisition team could learn from:

• Building Sustainable Employer Branding Strategies – Bolt ensures employer branding isn't just a short-term initiative but a long-term, data-driven strategy.
• Activating the Right Channels – Employer branding isn’t a LinkedIn-only game. By leveraging social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and local job communities, Bolt target more talent, not just active job seekers, where they already spend time.
• Employee Advocacy at Scale – Bolt has seen massive traction through employee-led content, turning employees into brand ambassadors who drive authentic engagement.
• Localised Storytelling for Global Impact – Bolt tailors employer branding campaigns to fit different markets, ensuring relevance while keeping brand consistency.
• Iterative Testing & Learning – Bolt continuously A/B tests content, tracks engagement data, and refines messaging to maximise employer branding impact.

“We don’t rely on only job boards to build our brand. We meet candidates where they are, using social-first strategies to stay ahead of hiring needs”

Securing Budget & Proving ROI to Leadership

A key challenge for many TA teams is getting leadership buy-in to scale employer branding efforts. So how does Bolt secure budget and resources?

1. Tie Employer Branding to Hiring Metrics – Show how branding efforts directly impact recruitment KPIs like Quality of Hire, retention, and application rates.
   
   
2. Speak the Language of Business – Instead of vague brand-building terms, translate employer branding into measurable hiring impact and cost savings.
   
   
3. Prove the Value Through Testing – Bolt has successfully A/B tested campaigns and initiatives to showcase hiring impact, securing larger budgets year-over-year.
   
   
4. Align Employer Branding With Business Objectives – Bolt ensures employer branding is a strategic function that supports scalability, hiring efficiency, and long-term talent acquisition goals.

 “When leadership saw employer branding was helping us hire faster and smarter, securing resources became easier”

Key Takeaways

The biggest learning from Bolt’s employer branding strategy? It’s not about volume - it’s about impact.

• Go beyond visibility - make employer branding a measurable hiring engine.
•  Use data to back up your efforts - track conversions, application quality, and business impact.
• Activate your brand across multiple channels - don’t just rely on one channel. 
• Engage talent before they apply - build employer branding strategies that drive long-term hiring success.
•  Make employer branding a business function - not just a recruitment marketing initiative.

Want to activate your employer brand on social media to boost your quality of hire? Let’s talk! 

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