You Can’t Attract Everyone, So Stop Trying
Every company wants strong talent. Every leader says they want people who fit the culture. But few companies have clearly defined what that means to them. Sometimes, the reason is because they built a talent brand to please everyone.
A strong talent brand should be designed to identify and attract the people who thrive in your environment. It reflects your company’s personality and values in a way that speaks to the people who belong there.
When we work with employers, we start by defining who actually succeeds inside their organization. This is where clarity begins. Once you understand what type of person does well on your team, you can build a hiring and branding strategy around that identity.
Defining your talent brand
A talent brand is the public identity of your company as an employer. It is the message that tells candidates what it feels like to work for you. It shapes how people perceive your leadership, your expectations, and your culture.
The talent brand should be visible in job descriptions, social media content, interviews, and internal communication. It is not a slogan or a campaign. It is a reflection of daily life inside the company.
The strongest talent brands communicate real experiences. They show the type of behavior that gets rewarded. They show the type of collaboration that happens naturally. They show the type of people who are valued and the type of challenges they can expect.
Why clarity matters
Clarity starts with knowing who already succeeds inside your company. Study your top performers and identify what they share in common. Look at their habits, motivations, and expectations of leadership. Document those traits and translate them into simple characteristics that define success in your environment. This becomes the foundation of your talent brand.
A clear brand attracts the right people and protects against the wrong hires. When candidates understand your environment, they can decide whether it fits their strengths. This self-selection saves time, increases engagement, and improves retention.
Clarity also builds trust with current employees. People want to work for companies that understand who they are. When leaders demonstrate self-awareness, it strengthens credibility and loyalty.
When your brand is defined, every decision becomes easier. Hiring, policy, and communication all align with the same identity. Over time, this consistency becomes your reputation.
Scaling your message
Smaller companies can define a single company-wide talent brand. When the organization is under one roof or guided by one leadership team, the same message can apply to everyone. A single identity helps create alignment. It tells candidates that they are joining a cohesive team with shared expectations.
Larger organizations need to build clarity within each department. As companies grow, different teams naturally develop their own subcultures. A single company message cannot describe every department accurately. Marketing, Sales, Recruiting, and Operations all have different environments.
Department-level clarity keeps the hiring process honest. It helps candidates understand not only what the company stands for, but what kind of team they are joining. A clear departmental identity creates alignment between managers and recruiters. It ensures that everyone is hiring for the same type of person.
Creating your archetypes
Every company has patterns of success. Some employees perform well because they are highly competitive. Others excel because they are collaborative. Some people thrive with structure. Others need freedom. These are natural archetypes.
We often help clients define their ideal archetypes before hiring. The process starts by identifying the categories of professionals who succeed within their organization. The list below is a simple example of how to start thinking about it. There are many more possible archetypes, and each company should build its own set.
1. The Emerging Professional
This person is early in their career. They value coaching, structure, and measurable growth. They respond well to leaders who set clear expectations and provide consistent feedback.
2. The Connector
This person thrives in a team environment. They value relationships, communication, and shared goals. They bring stability to culture and create collaboration across departments.
3. The Independent Operator
This person values autonomy and accountability. They perform best with clear goals and minimal supervision. They take ownership of their results and prefer to manage their own time.
4. The Purpose-Driven Professional
This person seeks meaning in their work. They care about mission, ethics, and community. They are loyal to companies that value people and demonstrate integrity in decision-making.
5. The Performance Player
This person is driven by achievement. They are highly competitive, data-focused, and motivated by recognition. They want measurable goals, transparent scorecards, and visible rewards.
6. The Legacy Leader
This person leads through example and consistency. They focus on long-term success and developing others. They are dependable, wise, and steady under pressure.
These six categories are only examples. There are hundreds of other possible combinations. The key is to identify which profiles thrive in your company and build your hiring process around them.
Applying your archetypes
Once you know the archetypes that define success, integrate them into every part of your hiring process. Use them to guide the language in your job descriptions. Use them to shape your interview questions. Use them to train managers and recruiters on what to look for.
Describe your environment in practical, human terms. Replace vague phrases like “fast-paced” or “team-oriented” with specific ones that reflect your culture. Write about how people actually work, communicate, and succeed.
When candidates read your descriptions, they should feel one of two things. Either “this sounds like me,” or “this clearly isn’t for me.” Both reactions are useful. The right people will apply with confidence. The wrong people will move on.
Communicating with consistency
Consistency builds credibility. Once you define your brand, communicate it the same way across all channels. The message in your job post should match the tone of your interviews. The tone in your interviews should match the experience of working inside the company.
Train your team to speak about the company with a unified message. When leaders, recruiters, and employees describe the culture in similar ways, candidates start to believe it. Repetition creates trust.
Use the same clarity internally. Employees should be reminded regularly of what makes your company successful. Recognition programs, performance metrics, and internal communication should all reinforce the same identity.
Leading with purpose
Building a strong talent brand is a leadership responsibility. It requires honesty, focus, and self-awareness. Leaders must decide what kind of company they are running and what kind of people they want to attract, because you cannot attract everyone… and you are not supposed to.
