What truly defines a strong employer brand? And how do we turn employees into genuine brand ambassadors? In the latest episode of our Atlas Copco Group People Podcast, Cecilia Sandberg, SVP & Chief Human Resources Officer, and Dorna Eriksson Shafiei, VP Talent & Learning, explore the real impact of employer branding in today’s competitive talent landscape.

 “Employer branding isn’t about slogans or glossy campaigns - it’s the lived reality of our people,” says Dorna. Authenticity is key: research shows employees trust each other’s stories far more than corporate messaging. When our values are reflected in everyday experiences, we create a culture where people feel proud to share their journey.

 "I like to think of it as a mirror: your employer brand should reflect who you really are, not who you wish you were. And when those two align—your promises and your reality—that’s when you have something really powerful to share." Dorna continues. 

 “There is one key dimension that matters when you want to turn employees into true brand ambassadors, and that is alignment. If our values are truly embedded in how we attract, recruit, promote, and reward people, then employees don’t have to be ‘trained’ to be ambassadors. They just live it”, ads Cecilia.

 The episode dives into practical ways to build a brand that attracts and retains top talent. Pay and benefits matter, of course. But what really tips the balance today are things like meaningful work, flexibility, growth opportunities, and inclusion.

At Atlas Copco Group,

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we empower people to thrive through trust,

inclusion, and a growth mindset.

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Our culture of innovation is a result

of having passionate people on board.

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Curious minds

with a heart for transformation.

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Committed and encouraged to grow

and reach their full potential.

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The People Podcast is one channel

where we get to explore

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and deep dive into topics

within people and culture.

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For those of you who listened

to our previous episodes, welcome back!

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We release new episodes

on a quarterly basis,

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and the program

today is actually our 21st release.

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I’m Cecilia Sandberg,

head of HR for the Atlas Copco Group.

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Joining me today is Dorna Eriksson Shafiei,

VP talent and learning for the Group.

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In today's episode,

we're diving into employer branding

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and why it matters more than ever

what really defines a strong employer

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brand and how do we turn our employees

into true brand ambassadors?

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So tune in and join us.

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Welcome to Dorna.

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Thank you.

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So today's episode is extra special.

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We are actually closing a chapter,

and this will be

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the last episode with you

as my fantastic co-host.

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Oh, it feels surreal to say that out loud.

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After five years and 20 episodes,

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I'm both very proud and a little emotional.

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This podcast has been such

a rewarding journey.

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And what a journey it's been, right?

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Together we have explored everything

from human centric AI

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to leadership,

to the future of learning.

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But more than that,

you brought your energy and your curiosity

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and your passion for people

to every single conversation.

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Thank you so much for that.

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Oh thank you Cecilia.

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It's been a real privilege.

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And when we started People Podcast,

the idea was pretty simple.

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Let's create an authentic space

to talk about work, culture

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and leadership in real conversations

grounded in research.

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And I think that's

what kept it alive for so long.

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Definitely, in many ways this podcast

is a piece of our employer brand.

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Right.

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It shows who we are, what we care about

and how we think about people and culture.

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And actually it connects beautifully

to today's topic.

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Right?

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And feels fitting that we use this

milestone episode

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to talk about why

employer branding matters more than ever.

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What really defines it,

and maybe most importantly,

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how we can make it real without falling

into the trap of glossy marketing fluff.

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So are you ready Dorna? Always ready.

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Yes, and I must say, I love this topic

because if you ask

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any senior leader,

what keeps you awake at night?

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One of the most common answers is talent.

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Finding it, keeping it, and making

sure people feel proud to work for you.

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And that's exactly what a strong employer

brand does.

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Yeah.

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And research is crystal

clear on this topic.

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According to LinkedIn, 75% of job seekers

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consider an employer's

brand before even applying for a job.

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In Companies with strong employer

brands cut their cost per hire in half.

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I mean, that's huge. Yes, it is indeed.

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And it's not just about attracting talent

either.

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So Glassdoor data shows that a strong

employer brand also drives retention.

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People are more likely to stay

when they feel that the company's values

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match their own.

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And in today's world of job mobility,

that's a game changer.

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For sure.

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So let's unpack it a little.

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In your view,

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what actually defines a strong employer

brand and what can we learn from research?

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Well, for one strong employer

brand is not slogans or fancy videos.

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It is the lived reality of employees.

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So it's what people say about working here

when they are talking

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to friends and family.

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Not what's written on our website.

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No, not for sure. Yeah.

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And that authenticity is key, right? Yes.

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So Gartner research shows that employees

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trust other employees

three times more than corporate messaging.

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So if your people aren't

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experiencing the culture

you promote, the whole thing collapses.

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And I like to think of it as a mirror.

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Your employer brand should reflect who

you really are, not who you wish you were.

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And when those two align your promises

and your reality,

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that's when you have something

really powerful to share.

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Nice.

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And I think it's multi-dimensional

as well. Right?

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Pay and benefits matter, of course.

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But what really tips the balance today

are things like meaningful work

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flexibility,

growth opportunities, and inclusion.

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People want to know, will

I feel valued here?

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Will I grow here and will I belong here?

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Yes, indeed.

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And I guess here's the tricky part.

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How do we share then

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our culture in an authentic way?

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Avoiding the buzzword bingo

that makes people quickly tune out.

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What are your thoughts here, Cecilia?

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Well, I'm a true believer in stories.

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Real stories from real people.

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Instead of saying we're innovative,

share the story of an engineer

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who turned an idea into solutions

that provide a real value to the customer.

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I think that's believable and authentic.

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Yeah, I totally agree.

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Real stories cost nothing.

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And they typically resonate very deeply.

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And it's not just external storytelling

either.

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Employees notice when leadership repeats

the same polished lines internally.

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But when you share a bit

more of a messy human story,

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including failures and learnings,

it builds credibility.

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It does indeed.

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And there's also a balance

between aspiration and honesty.

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Right? External candidates

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as much as your current employees

know that no company is perfect.

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When we admit that we are still learning,

it makes the things we're proud of

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so much more trustworthy.

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Yeah, indeed.

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And that's where brand meets culture.

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It's not about painting a perfect picture.

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It's about showing your real,

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evolving culture

and inviting people to be part of that.

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I agree.

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So let's get a bit more practical, maybe.

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How do we turn our employees

into true brand ambassadors to carry

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that authentic voice of who we are

and what we stand for?

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Yeah, that's a good question.

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So first we have to make it easy.

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Research shows

that employees posts on LinkedIn

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get eight times

more engagement than corporate posts.

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But people won't share

unless they feel proud and supported.

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So we need to give them both the tools

and the trust.

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Yes. And recognition is powerful.

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When leaders acknowledge people's

contributions, whether it's spotlighting

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someone's project

or celebrating milestones.

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Employees naturally want to share

that pride externally.

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Exactly.

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And let's not forget the power

of learning and development.

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When employees feel

the company is investing in their growth,

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we become advocates almost by default.

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We want others to know

this is a place where I can thrive.

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A perfect example of this is our yearly

never stop learning festival.

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A group wide celebration of our vibrant

learning culture, with big and small

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learning events happening

across the business and across countries,

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which our employees

love to post on social media.

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An internal event for our employees

that have proven to be actually

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an excellent employer

branding opportunity due to its genuine

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and authentic way of showing

how we as a group celebrate learning.

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I think that's a great example indeed.

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I would add

one more dimension that matters.

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So when you want to turn employees

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into true brand ambassadors,

and I think that's alignment.

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If our values are truly embedded

in how we attract, recruit, promote

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and reward people, then employees don't

have to be trained to be ambassadors.

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They just live it.

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And that is making it simple.

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Yes. Very true. Simplicity is key.

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And employer

branding is not a campaign, it's culture.

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And when culture is dynamic and relevant,

a lot of the branding

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takes care of itself.

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So why don't we share a bit

of our own recent work in this space?

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Dorna.

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We have recently launched our new employer

value proposition

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as a result of introducing our Group

brand, Atlas Copco Group,

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as our umbrella

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I think this created a unique employee

branding opportunity.

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At the same time, we have also multiple

sub brands in local markets

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and sometimes much stronger and more known

than the Atlas Copco Group brand.

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So the challenge was

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how do we balance the group brand

with consistency and local relevance?

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Dorna, maybe you want to elaborate a bit

on how we approached this.

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Sure, absolutely.

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So we saw the Group brand as a way

to build shared credibility and scale,

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while still keeping room

for local authenticity.

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The key was to define a clear Group

employee value

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proposition, our purpose, values,

and cultural behaviors.

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As the non-negotiable anchor.

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From there, we empower each sub brand

to bring that to life in their own way

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so they can stay relevant

in their markets.

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So by communicating both levels,

the Group story

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on global channels

and the local flavor on brand channels,

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we show candidates and employees

how they fit into a bigger picture.

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And with that shared identity,

we also make it easier for people

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to see career paths across the Group,

which really strengthens retention.

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Indeed, one common question

we have received

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and that's most

like is also on our listeners mind, maybe

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how do we measure success or our employer

branding efforts?

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Great and important question.

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First of all, employer

branding is not a one off campaign.

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It's a long term commitment that requires

strategic planning and investment.

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And that said, there are several metrics

one can use to measure

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the effectiveness of employer

branding efforts over time.

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So these include the number of job

applicants received,

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the quality of the applicants,

time to hire, employee

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retention rates, and employee engagement

scores.

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So, as I already mentioned, our employees

are our best source of feedback

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and can provide valuable insights into

what's working and what needs improvement.

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So leveraging employee survey feedback

across the talent lifecycle,

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including onboarding and off

boarding surveys

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and acting on the feedback,

will help create a positive work

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environment and also further

strengthen our employer brand.

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Good points.

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So maybe to wrap it up.

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A strong employer brand is authentic,

story driven and lived every day.

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It matters more than ever

because the right talent

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is the ultimate differentiator

for any business.

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Without it,

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no products and solutions and no customers

to drive revenue and growth, right.

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Indeed.

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And the most effective brand ambassadors

aren't

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the people in communications, marketing,

or HR.

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It's every employee

who feels proud of where they work

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and when they use their voice

to tell the world about it.

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That's where magic happens.

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Well said.

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But before we close Dorna,

as this is your last

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People Podcast episode, any final reflections

you'd like to share with our listeners?

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Oh yes. Thank you Cecilia.

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For me, this podcast has always been more

than a channel

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to discuss people and culture, topics

and trends.

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It's been about honest conversations,

reminding me

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that culture is built one story at a time.

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And employer

branding in many ways is exactly that.

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Sharing those stories

authentically and openly.

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And if this podcast has helped

even a little in showing who we are

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and what we care about as a group, then

I feel we've done something meaningful.

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So thank you for giving me

the opportunity.

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Thank you Dorna.

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And to our listeners, remember,

your employee value

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proposition

is your brand's silent recruiter.

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Make it authentic and people centered.

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And thank you for joining us again today.

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And take care. Until next time.