VMJPod

In this episode of the VideoMy Pod, host David Macciocca chats with James Ellis (author of five books and one of the world's most recognised employer brand authorities) for a wide-ranging, no-holds-barred conversation on what employer brand really is, why most organisations are getting it wrong, and what it actually takes to build something worth talking about.James brings his signature combination of wit, provocation and deep strategic thinking to some of the most important questions in the field: How do you pitch employer brand to a sceptical CEO or CFO? What does it mean to be "choosable"? Why is employee advocacy the most underrated tool in the playbook? And where the heck should employer brand actually sit in an organisation? He also shares his honest (and occasionally biased) takes on TA, marketing and internal comms, before wrapping up with a rapid-fire agree/disagree round that doesn't pull any punches.For anyone working in employer brand, recruitment marketing, or talent acquisition who wants to think differently about their work – and maybe pick a fight or two along the way – this one is essential listening.Key Topics:02:00 – The 60-second elevator pitch that reframes employer brand for sceptical CEOs07:00 – How to talk to a CFO: value exchange, A-players and why salary premiums are a losing game12:00 – What "choosable" actually means and why most companies sound exactly the same17:00 – The #1 wasted opportunity on every career site (and why it makes James "murderously mad")21:00 – Why employee advocacy is the cheapest, most impactful tool almost nobody uses properly26:00 – The art of saying no and how to build systems that let you say yes more often31:00 – Where should employer brand live: TA, marketing, or internal comms?37:00 – The pros, cons and honest job security ranking of each reporting structure41:00 – If you had a million dollars: what James would actually spend it on43:00 – Rapid fire: EVPs are dead. Career sites are irrelevant. AI will make all content look the same. Agree or disagree?If you want to learn more about activating your employer brand strategy and EVP then you can check out podcast.videomyjob.com for a library of industry perspectives and how-to's.Now, if you’re ready to level up your activation strategy then you need an employee story video platform and that’s what we do! Go to videomyjob.com/demo to book a walkthrough with one of our video specialists.Lastly, we’d love for you to help us spread the word about the VMJPod to attract new experts and practitioners to share their activation strategies, so please take a screenshot and post it on LinkedIn, don’t forget to tag us at VideoMy, we are so grateful when you do that! 

In this episode of the VideoMy Pod's Employer Brand Series, recorded live in Singapore, hosts David Macciocca and Emma Lang chat with Wak Solis, Regional Talent Acquisition Director – Technology & Transformation for Deloitte SEA, to explore something rarely covered in the series: how a senior TA leader thinks about employer brand — and what it takes to build a genuine, data-driven partnership between recruitment and employer brand teams.Drawing on 20+ years across banking, professional services, and BPO, Wak shares why she sees talent acquisition as a growth and advisory function rather than a seat-filling operation. She unpacks how to get business stakeholders to invest in employer brand, why quality of hire is the metric that matters most, and how recruiters can become trusted consultants to the business, even when hiring isn't top of mind. She also makes the case for continuous candidate feedback loops, market segmentation in talent strategy, and why shadowing between TA and employer brand teams is one of the most underutilised tools available.For employer brand practitioners trying to build stronger TA partnerships, secure budget, or speak the language of business stakeholders, this episode offers a rare and valuable perspective from the other side of the table.Key Topics:02:00 – Wak's background and why she sees TA as a personal and professional mission05:30 – How COVID shifted the power balance between candidates and employers09:00 – Why candidate experience is employer brand's most important battleground13:00 – Getting hiring managers to see themselves as talent sellers, not just selectors17:00 – Segmenting your EB strategy: campus, experienced hire and C-suite need different approaches20:30 – How to build the business case for employer brand investment using data24:00 – Quality of hire: measuring performance and retention, not just time-to-fill28:00 – Building a TA analytics capability from the ground up31:00 – The feedback loop TA teams should be running but usually aren't33:00 – Using independent focus groups to surface the real candidate voice34:00 – Why agility and shared responsibility are the keys to TA success in 2025 and beyondIf you want to learn more about activating your employer brand strategy and EVP then you can check out podcast.videomyjob.com for a library of industry perspectives and how-to's.Now, if you’re ready to level up your activation strategy then you need an employee story video platform and that’s what we do! Go to videomyjob.com/demo to book a walkthrough with one of our video specialists.Lastly, we’d love for you to help us spread the word about the VMJPod to attract new experts and practitioners to share their activation strategies, so please take a screenshot and post it on LinkedIn, don’t forget to tag us at VideoMy, we are so grateful when you do that! 

In this episode of the VideoMy Pod's Employer Brand Series, recorded live in Singapore, hosts David Macciocca and Emma Lang sit down with Anne Caron – People Strategy Advisor, Founder, Author and former Google HR leader. Anne explores what it really means to build an authentic employer brand, from the inside out, and from the very top of the organisation down.Drawing on 10 years at Google (where she helped grow the company from 5,000 to 65,000 employees) and a decade since working with CEOs and founders of companies between 10 and 50 people, Anne brings a uniquely broad perspective. She shares why 90% of company culture comes from the CEO, why policies built on fear undermine trust, and why the most powerful employer brand tool available to any organisation, regardless of size or budget, is simply creating experiences worth talking about. She also gets into the "cookie effect," the magic of all-hands moments, and why preparing your best people for roles elsewhere might be the smartest brand move you can make.For employer brand practitioners, HR leaders and founders trying to close the gap between what they say and what employees actually feel, this episode is a masterclass in building from a foundation of authenticity, trust and intentional experience design.Key Topics:02:00 – Anne's journey: from placing Google on the map as an employer to advising startup founders07:00 – Why 90% of company culture flows from the CEO, and what to do about it11:00 – The Founder Charter: articulating identity, values, and philosophy before anything else15:30 – Mission, vision and values as the three anchors for all people strategy decisions19:00 – The "cookie effect": creating shareworthy candidate and employee experiences24:00 – Why trust, not policies, is the real foundation of employee advocacy28:30 – Training employees on personal branding as a win-win for them and the organisation33:00 – Policies built on fear vs. cultures built on trust: the Netflix "grownup adults" philosophy37:00 – How to unlock camera-shy or hesitant leaders to tell their authentic story41:00 – All-hands meetings, magic moments and getting people to speak on the mic44:30 – Boomerangs, retention at all costs and why a good goodbye is good employer brand47:00 – IKEA, Airbnb, and the creative moments that make people talkIf you want to learn more about activating your employer brand strategy and EVP then you can check out podcast.videomyjob.com for a library of industry perspectives and how-to's.Now, if you’re ready to level up your activation strategy then you need an employee story video platform and that’s what we do! Go to videomyjob.com/demo to book a walkthrough with one of our video specialists.Lastly, we’d love for you to help us spread the word about the VMJPod to attract new experts and practitioners to share their activation strategies, so please take a screenshot and post it on LinkedIn, don’t forget to tag us at VideoMy, we are so grateful when you do that! 

In this episode of the VideoMy Pod's Employer Brand Series, recorded live in Singapore, hosts David Macciocca and Emma Lang chat with Samantha Chong, APAC Recruitment Marketing Manager at GSK, to get into the nuts and bolts of building employee ambassador programs – what works, what fails and how to grow something meaningful from almost nothing.Drawing on her experience building advocacy initiatives across APAC for some of the world's most recognised brands, Samantha shares how she started with a small group of recruiters and a one-pager before gradually building a structured, six-month program with clear expectations, governance frameworks, and measurable outcomes. She gets into how to spot natural ambassadors, what actually motivates people to participate, how to balance brand standards with authentic storytelling, and why trying to measure ROI, while genuinely hard, is still worth the effort.For employer brand and recruitment marketing practitioners who are just starting out with an advocacy program, or looking to take a scrappy initiative to the next level, this episode is full of practical, hard-won advice from someone who's built it from the ground up.Key Topics:02:00 – Why Samantha started with recruiters as her first ambassadors05:30 – The benefits of starting scrappy and learning as you go09:00 – How early wins create internal buy-in and stakeholder interest13:00 – Finding natural ambassadors: hashtag searches, social listening and organic posts17:00 – What's in it for them: recognition, swag, leaderboards and community21:00 – Building a structured six-month cohort program with clear expectations25:00 – Measuring ROI: from screenshot collection to source-of-hire data29:00 – Balancing authentic storytelling with brand governance and approvals33:00 – How to preemptively answer the questions that slow ambassadors down35:30 – Lessons from China: when going a little rogue actually pays off37:00 – Three final tips: don't force it, don't overscript it, and pitch the "what's in it for them"If you want to learn more about activating your employer brand strategy and EVP then you can check out podcast.videomyjob.com for a library of industry perspectives and how-to's.Now, if you’re ready to level up your activation strategy then you need an employee story video platform and that’s what we do! Go to videomyjob.com/demo to book a walkthrough with one of our video specialists.Lastly, we’d love for you to help us spread the word about the VMJPod to attract new experts and practitioners to share their activation strategies, so please take a screenshot and post it on LinkedIn, don’t forget to tag us at VideoMy, we are so grateful when you do that! 

In this episode of the VideoMy Pod's Employer Brand Series, recorded live in Singapore, hosts David Macciocca and Emma Lang sit down with Jamie Anne Ysrael, Regional Internal Communications and Culture Leader, to explore what happens when employer brand sits within internal comms rather than talent acquisition — and why that shift changes everything.Drawing on a career that spans product marketing, digital, PR, and people experience across tech and social media platforms in APAC, Jamie Anne shares how aligning culture, leadership messaging, and internal communications creates a stronger, more consistent employer brand. One that resonates just as powerfully on the inside as it does externally. She also gets into the practicalities of activating employees as advocates, working with leaders of all personality types, and the creative ways she keeps people engaged across a fast-moving, multi-channel environment.For employer brand and internal comms practitioners who want to close the gap between what's promised externally and what's actually experienced internally, Jamie Anne's perspective is both refreshing and immediately actionable.Key Topics:02:00 – Jamie Anne's journey from tech marketing to internal comms and culture05:00 – Why sitting within internal comms (not TA) gives employer brand a strategic edge08:30 – Starting with leadership to define culture direction and future EVP12:00 – How internal channels have evolved beyond email and town halls16:00 – Measuring employee action, not just views and likes19:00 – Bridging the gap between internal messaging and external employer brand22:00 – Getting employees to create and share content: recognition, prizes, and competitions25:30 – Working with leaders to produce authentic content — even the camera-shy ones28:00 – How internal comms should proactively reach out to employer brand teams29:30 – Closing the expectation gap so new hires experience what was promisedIf you want to learn more about activating your employer brand strategy and EVP then you can check out podcast.videomyjob.com for a library of industry perspectives and how-to's.Now, if you’re ready to level up your activation strategy then you need an employee story video platform and that’s what we do! Go to videomyjob.com/demo to book a walkthrough with one of our video specialists.Lastly, we’d love for you to help us spread the word about the VMJPod to attract new experts and practitioners to share their activation strategies, so please take a screenshot and post it on LinkedIn, don’t forget to tag us at VideoMy, we are so grateful when you do that! 

In this episode of the VideoMy Pod's Employer Brand Series — recorded live in Singapore — hosts David Macciocca and Emma Lang sit down with Glynnis, APAC Employer Brand Lead for Google, to unpack one of the most powerful yet under-utilised tools in recruitment marketing: activating employees to tell their authentic stories at scale.Drawing on years of experience sitting at the intersection of marketing, communications, and talent acquisition, Glynnis shares how Google approaches employee advocacy. From identifying the right storytellers and building a repeatable content process, to measuring real recruitment impact and tying recognition back to performance reviews. She also discusses how Google is actively moving its employer narrative away from legacy perks and toward the meaningful, innovative work its people do every day.For employer brand practitioners looking to build or scale an employee advocacy program that's both authentic and measurable, this episode is a masterclass in turning great people into even greater brand ambassadors.Key Topics:02:00 – Why employees are 6x more trusted than corporate brand channels06:00 – The two biggest barriers stopping employees from sharing their stories10:00 – How to identify and recruit the right employee storytellers15:00 – Leveraging recruiters, HRBPs, and hiring managers as talent scouts19:00 – Building a repeatable, low-lift content process for employees24:00 – Understanding approval frameworks and content policies before you launch28:00 – Recognition, performance reviews, and what really motivates participation32:00 – Tailoring the experience for digitally savvy vs. less social-active employees36:00 – Amplifying stories internally and externally at the same time39:00 – Tying advocacy to recruitment metrics: time to hire, pass-through rates, referrals41:30 – Moving Google's employer narrative from perks to purpose and meaningful workIf you want to learn more about activating your employer brand strategy and EVP then you can check out podcast.videomyjob.com for a library of industry perspectives and how-to's.Now, if you’re ready to level up your activation strategy then you need an employee story video platform and that’s what we do! Go to videomyjob.com/demo to book a walkthrough with one of our video specialists.Lastly, we’d love for you to help us spread the word about the VMJPod to attract new experts and practitioners to share their activation strategies, so please take a screenshot and post it on LinkedIn, don’t forget to tag us at VideoMy, we are so grateful when you do that! 

In this episode of the VideoMy Pod's Employer Brand Series — recorded live in Singapore — hosts David Macciocca and Emma Lang sit down with Jenny Roberts, a seasoned employer brand consultant with nearly 20 years of experience across agency and in-house roles, to tackle one of the most common challenges in the region: being handed a global EVP and expected to just roll it out.Drawing on experience across both a global in-house role at BP and agency experience at TMP, Jenny unpacks why a one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn't work across Asia's diverse markets, and what practitioners can do instead. From transcreation and platform localisation to recruiter toolkits and employee-generated content, this episode is packed with practical, hard-won advice for anyone navigating the gap between global strategy and local reality.For employer brand practitioners working across multiple markets, or anyone trying to get buy-in from global stakeholders who don't yet understand why localisation matters, Jenny's perspective is both strategic and immediately actionable.Key Topics:02:00 – Jenny's background: from print media planning to global employer brand05:30 – Why rolling out a global EVP without localisation loses relevance fast09:00 – Transcreation vs. translation — keeping sentiment without losing meaning13:00 – How to keep global consistency while giving local markets flexibility17:30 – Using focus groups and research to build the business case for localisation22:00 – Platform localisation: why WeChat, not LinkedIn, wins in China27:00 – Aligning employer brand with internal comms and values work31:30 – Building recruiter toolkits to protect brand consistency at the local level35:00 – Employee-generated content and why it outperforms polished corporate posts39:00 – How Asia's growth markets are finally getting the EB attention they deserve41:30 – Tips for starting out: educate stakeholders, run focus groups, build case studiesIf you want to learn more about activating your employer brand strategy and EVP then you can check out podcast.videomyjob.com for a library of industry perspectives and how-to's.Now, if you’re ready to level up your activation strategy then you need an employee story video platform and that’s what we do! Go to videomyjob.com/demo to book a walkthrough with one of our video specialists.Lastly, we’d love for you to help us spread the word about the VMJPod to attract new experts and practitioners to share their activation strategies, so please take a screenshot and post it on LinkedIn, don’t forget to tag us at VideoMy, we are so grateful when you do that! 

Recorded live in Singapore, hosts David Macciocca and Emma Lang sit down with Natasha Wahap, Employer Branding Lead for L'Oréal's SAMA zone (South Asia Pacific, Middle East & North Africa), to explore what it really means to stay agile in an ever-changing employer brand world.Drawing on 13 years in employer branding across companies including Grab and L'Oréal, Natasha shares how her team operates across a vast and diverse region — from New Zealand to Morocco — using L'Oréal's "freedom within the frame" philosophy to localise a global EVP without losing consistency or speed. She also gets into the power of building cross-functional relationships, navigating TikTok and emerging platforms, and how to balance consumer brand polish with authentic, people-first storytelling.For employer brand practitioners working within large global organisations or trying to do more with less, Natasha's perspective is a masterclass in building smart, scalable frameworks that still leave room for creativity.Key Topics:02:00 – Natasha's background and leading EB across the SAMA zone05:30 – What "freedom within the frame" means at L'Oréal09:00 – Building cross-functional relationships outside of HR13:30 – Aligning with corporate affairs and media teams to stay ahead of trends17:00 – Using data and analytics to measure employer brand impact21:00 – Navigating TikTok and LinkedIn, and knowing which platforms to prioritise26:00 – Balancing authenticity with the polish of a global consumer brand30:30 – How L'Oréal handles local content adaptations without losing brand consistency35:00 – AI, content frameworks, and L'Oréal's stance on generated imagery38:30 – Advice for practitioners who want to build their own local EB framework41:30 – Three practical tips: find your tribe, get a global sponsor, and always pilot firstIf you want to learn more about activating your employer brand strategy and EVP then you can check out podcast.videomyjob.com for a library of industry perspectives and how-to's.Now, if you’re ready to level up your activation strategy then you need an employee story video platform and that’s what we do! Go to videomyjob.com/demo to book a walkthrough with one of our video specialists.Lastly, we’d love for you to help us spread the word about the VMJPod to attract new experts and practitioners to share their activation strategies, so please take a screenshot and post it on LinkedIn, don’t forget to tag us at VideoMy, we are so grateful when you do that! 

In this episode of the VMJPod's Employer Brand Series — recorded live in Singapore — hosts David Macciocca and Emma Lang sit down with Martin Warren, former Head of Talent Sourcing at Grab, to unpack how activating hiring managers can dramatically transform your recruitment and sourcing results.Drawing on 25+ years in recruitment and seven years building and running the sourcing function at one of Southeast Asia's most iconic tech companies, Martin shares how his team achieved reply rates of up to 80% by flipping the script on traditional outreach — putting hiring managers front and centre rather than relying solely on recruiters. He also explores how to build a scalable sourcing engine, engage passive talent, and create the internal buy-in needed to make it all stick.For recruiters, employer brand practitioners, and talent acquisition leaders looking for practical ways to unlock new sourcing channels and get more from their hiring managers, this episode is full of real-world lessons from a high-growth, high-speed environment.Key Topics:02:00 – Martin's background and building the sourcing function at Grab05:30 – Why speed was the driving force behind Grab's sourcing strategy08:00 – Sending outreach from hiring managers: how it works and why it delivers12:00 – Going from 25% to 80% reply rates — the numbers behind the approach15:30 – Making passive candidates feel special and seen20:00 – Building a business case and getting hiring manager buy-in26:00 – Coaching hiring managers to sell the role and handle candidate questions31:00 – How employer brand content supports passive talent pipelines36:00 – The talent advisory mindset: screening in, not out40:00 – Targeting A and B-grade talent with consistent, authentic messaging42:30 – Where to start if you don't have a dedicated sourcing teamIf you want to learn more about activating your employer brand strategy and EVP then you can check out podcast.videomyjob.com for a library of industry perspectives and how-to's.Now, if you’re ready to level up your activation strategy then you need an employee story video platform and that’s what we do! Go to videomyjob.com/demo to book a walkthrough with one of our video specialists.Lastly, we’d love for you to help us spread the word about the VMJPod to attract new experts and practitioners to share their activation strategies, so please take a screenshot and post it on LinkedIn, don’t forget to tag us at VideoMy, we are so grateful when you do that!