Funny? Absolutely. But beneath the humour lies a serious truth: employer brand equity is now a career currency. As HR leaders, that should make us ask how we are leveraging this in our organisations.

Of course, reward is a powerful attractor – however the most powerful asset in today’s talent market isn’t just compensation or perks; it’s brand. But it goes a bit deeper – not just the external employer brand, but the internal, unwritten, psychological contract that binds people to purpose, culture, and identity.

The new psychological contract is brand-driven

Gone are the days a job was a transaction of time for money. Today, the employee-employer relationship is shaped by expectation, meaning, and belonging. People join companies for who they are as much as for what they do.

• Will I grow here?

• Will I be seen and heard?

• Does this brand reflect my values and aspirations?

These aren’t questions answered by job descriptions. They’re answered by the stories we tell and the culture we live.

This is branding in its deepest sense, creating emotional resonance and aligning personal identity with organizational purpose. I would like to think that in our senior HR roles, we are no longer architects of process. We are architects of promise.

Think like a marketer, build like an engineer

If brand is a promise, then HR is the builder of the experience that keeps it. And that means embracing marketing principles:

• Audience first: Know your talent segments. What do Gen Z expect from leadership? What keeps Gen X engaged?

• Design the journey: Just like a customer journey, your employee journey, from attraction to advocacy, must be intentionally mapped, shaped, and measured.

• Craft compelling narratives: Your EVP (Employee Value Proposition) must speak to hearts, not just heads. Purpose, flexibility, learning, and contribution are now strategic differentiators.

Total rewards are now emotional, not just financial

Modern total reward strategies must align with this brand-led psychological contract. Yes, pay matters. But so do autonomy, mastery, purpose, social responsibility, lifestyle flexibility, and being part of something meaningful.

A powerful employer brand today is one that helps people build their own brand. They’re not just employees – they’re ambassadors, and they expect your brand to elevate theirs.

Culture as a competitive advantage

It’s easy to copy your product. Impossible to copy your culture. That’s why HR’s role in shaping culture is so critical, and so strategic.

Culture is no longer just “the way we do things.” It’s your brand promise. And when the psychological contract is breached; when values aren’t lived, or when voices aren’t heard, culture erodes, and talent leaves.

The future is human. And personal

History is full of companies that failed not because the market changed, but because they didn’t. Businesses don’t change. People do.

From Kodak to Nokia, and from BlackBerry to Blockbuster, we’ve seen it time and again: change management is human management. And great HR leadership is about enabling people to let go of what was – and lean into what could be.

Final thought: Brand is a living contract

A brand is not your logo. It’s the stories people tell about working for you.

Because in the end, the best business strategy is still a human one.

• Media

Dominic Keogh-Peters

Dominic Keogh-Peters, Group CHRO of Galadari Brothers, is a CIPD Fellow, author, and HR thought leader with global experience, recognized for driving transformation and developing future HR talent across regions.