The Power

of a Positive
Employer Brand

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Contents Introduction

Reputation impacts hiring and retention

1

Mindfulness adds enormous brand value 4

A framework for building a mindful employer brand 5

Recruiting 6

Onboarding 10

Retention 13

How Headspace for Work supports mindful employer branding 14

Start building your mindful brand 15

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M AY 2022 1

Intro
Mental wellness has become a major priority for employees in the last few years. In 2021,
work stress was one of people’s top three concerns.1

This makes creating a mindful culture — one that helps employees manage their well-being
at work — not just a perk, but a must. Employers that don’t address these concerns risk
losing both current and potential talent.

In this guide, you’ll find ideas and best practices for both creating and communicating a
mindful employer brand to help recruit, onboard, and retain employees who are seeking a
workplace that aligns with their mental well-being. We’ll help you identify where and how
to authentically promote your mindful culture so your organization is in the best position to
attract and retain talent — by prioritizing your people.

WHAT IS AN EMPLOYER BRAND? An employer brand is the internal perception of your organization as a great place to work, and your reputation among
the larger workforce. A great employer brand can help you attract great talent, empower your current employees to care for themselves, and affect the
way consumers perceive your organization.

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Reputation
It can be easy to ignore the importance of strengthening your employer brand when leadership's
focus is pulled in so many directions. But your reputation can have a major impact on your ability to

impacts hiring
recruit and retain an effective workforce — which in turn affects your bottom line.

A prolonged search for qualified candidates to fill open positions costs money and puts more

and retention stress and pressure on existing employees. High turnover rates add to recruitment costs and
can suggest cultural problems to potential applicants — causing a vicious circle of unqualified or
unsatisfactory candidates.

When you support your teams, it shows. A positive employer brand can cut recruitment costs,
reduce time and effort, and support greater efficiency. The numbers tell the story2:

50%
reduction in cost-per-hire
1-2x
faster hiring

28%
reduction in turnover
50%
more qualified applicants

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R EP U TATIO N IM PACTS HIR IN G A N D R ETEN TIO N 3

Candidates are attracted by positive workplace cultures

Nearly 70% of businesses currently struggle with hiring or retaining talent.3 This labor shortage is
causing more organizations to highlight their employer brand as a competitive tool to build and
maintain an effective workforce.

Meanwhile, job seekers are placing increasing importance on workplace culture when it comes to their
own employment planning and decision-making.

86%
would not apply to or
continue to work for an
organization with a negative
reputation among former
employees or the public4
75%
evaluate an organization’s
brand before they even apply
for a position2
92%
would consider a job change
if they were offered a
position at a company with a
great reputation5

In today’s tight labor environment, a positive employer brand is an essential element of an

organization’s recruitment strategy to attract the best talent.

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M AY 2022 4

Mindfulness Employees today are looking for more than just a steady job and a paycheck: they want a
workplace that integrates well-being holistically, from generous PTO to greater flexibility to
mindfulness programs that help them manage stress. Data shows this growing emphasis on overall

adds enormous mental well-being:

brand value Mental health benefits Stress management Wellness initiatives inside
are among the top programs are among the organizations reap happier
employer-provided top wellness offerings employees and more
benefits applicants seek.1 employers offer,6 with employee referrals.7
mindfulness and meditation
apps being some of the
most popular.1

Recognizing this shift, major corporations such as Accenture,8 Google, Nike, and Aetna9 have
incorporated mindfulness into their cultures and offerings. When prominent brands are taking the
topic seriously, that potentially poses a lot of competition for talent as others follow their lead. All
of this points to the importance of highlighting mindfulness as a fundamental component of the
employer brand.

BECOME WHAT YOU WANT TO ATTRACT A mindful employer brand requires an authentic and mindful organizational culture. Doing the work of
incorporating mindfulness into your processes and policies first is essential to the success of your branding efforts.

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M AY 2022 5

A framework
According to 86% of HR professionals, recruitment is becoming more like marketing.10 In fact,
marketing is a useful framework for creating a mindful brand. Just as marketing is incorporated

for building
throughout the customer journey, so should your mindful employer branding be infused throughout
the employee journey.

a mindful Nothing attracts great talent like a commitment to employee well-being. Make your organization’s
focus on creating a mindful culture part of your recruitment strategy, then continue to emphasize it

employer
during onboarding and as part of your retention efforts. Remember, your current workforce can be
valuable champions in your mission. After all, no one knows more about what it’s like to work at your

brand
organization than your current employees.

Read on for mindful tactics to deploy at each phase of the employee journey:

Recruiting Onboarding Retention

FIND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANGE An employer brand audit can be a helpful practice. Take a close look at your organization’s processes, messaging,
policies, and offerings related to recruitment, onboarding, and retention. This activity can help you identify where mindfulness is lacking as well as
opportunities to highlight where it is present — further strengthening your positioning as a mindful employer.

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M AY 2022 6

Recruiting
It's a commonly held belief that the way an organization treats job applicants is a preview of how it
treats employees. Recruitment offers a valuable opportunity to showcase your commitment to a
mindful culture.

Walk through your entire application process step by step, from initial online research to offer letter, to
identify where you can treat applicants more mindfully or do so more effectively.

Become a thought leader on mindfulness

In the same way that CEOs and other leaders write posts and articles about industry trends and
analysis, so should they cover mindfulness. Topics could include mindfulness initiatives at the
organization or insights into its impact on performance and productivity. Showing a willingness to
explore these ideas can itself cultivate authenticity and trust.

Channels and publications for thought leadership articles include:

The organization’s blog Personal and company LinkedIn pages

Industry and trade publications Business-focused magazines and websites

YOUR TEAM SAYS IT ALL Current employees are one of your most powerful recruitment tools when it comes to communicating and promoting a
mindful brand: their voices are three times more credible than the CEO’s when they share information about the working environment.11

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R EC RUITIN G 7

Establish a mindful web and social media presence

Integrating mindfulness into your online presence is one of the most important elements of a mindful
employer brand strategy. Your website or social media is often the first impression potential applicants
have of an organization, so you want to make sure they send a powerful message about mindfulness.

HIGHLIGHT MINDFULNESS ON YOUR SITE’S CAREER PAGE

Be as transparent and specific as possible about the nature of the offerings — such as mental health
coverage, free yoga and meditation, and mindfulness resources and training — to show applicants that
your dedication to mindfulness is reflected in your benefits package.

DEDICATE PART OF YOUR SITE TO YOUR MINDFUL CULTURE

Give job seekers a preview of what it’s like to work for your organization. Provide details about your
The percentage of each generation that reports visiting an
organization’s social media channels to assess its brand12: mindful culture and include employee testimonials.

FEATURE YOUR EMPLOYEES’ EXPERIENCES

60 68%
Post employee stories about how your organization’s mindful culture helps them feel happier and
56% healthier at work. Make these posts more engaging by including videos and photos.
40 48%
SHARE YOUR DATA

Statistics and other data about the outcomes of your mindfulness initiatives (such as high rates of
20
employee satisfaction and retainment) are powerful and convincing. Incorporate these into your
website and post them on social media.
0

MILLENNIALS GEN X-ERS BABY BOO M E R S

PRO TIP Use mindfulness hashtags to further highlight your brand and reach an even wider audience online.

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R EC RUITIN G 8

Design a mindful application process

Once you’ve made the effort to present a mindful brand online, bring that same spirit to the
recruitment process. If what your organization says about mindfulness and how it treats applicants
doesn’t match up, credibility will be lost.

JOB DESCRIPTIONS

How many times have you read a job posting with language that suggests the company wants a
bulletproof superhero with magical powers instead of a human? Voice, tone, and word choice in job
listings should align with your organization’s mindful brand.

APPLICATIONS

Make sure the process to apply for a posting is clear and user-friendly, whether you have a proprietary
system or are using a third-party or automated platform.

INTERVIEWS

The interview may be the first real-time contact with an applicant, creating another opportunity
to showcase your mindful brand. Ask thoughtful questions and welcome questions and feedback.
Between or after interviews, keep all applicants up-to-date on timelines and decisions, especially if the
process is lengthy.

86% NEGOTIATIONS AND OFFERS

of HR professionals, Approach negotiations in good faith and give candidates a reasonable time to consider the offer.
recruitment is becoming Make sure lines of communication are open and respond in a timely manner. Continue to answer any
more like marketing questions they may have.

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R EC RUITIN G 9

Think like a job applicant

Put yourself in their mindset to see where mindfulness can be integrated into your recruitment
processes. These questions can get you started:

1 Is the initial application process user-friendly?

2 Do you respond in a timely manner to job applicants, even to let them know they
aren’t being considered?

3 Does your interviewing process respect applicants’ time and other personal
and professional commitments?

4 Can job seekers easily find information about your mindfulness programs and
other related benefits?

5 What feedback have you received about your recruitment process that could point
to areas of improvement?

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M AY 2022 10

Onboarding
The first few weeks and months of employment are a crucial time, for both the new employee and
the employer. New employees feel exceptionally vulnerable. They’re learning unfamiliar processes and
working with new people every day. Without the right support, new hires may question whether they
made the right choice when they accepted the position with your organization.

This uncertainty can lead to a high turnover rate, due to the potential disconnect between the
candidate and the employer brand. Aligning your onboarding process with your mindful culture may
prevent this kind of disparity.

A mindful onboarding process helps new employees feel more comfortable and confident, which
benefits your organization. Mindful onboarding incorporates making sure employees know how, what,
where, and when to do tasks, as well as cultivating connection.

30%
of employees leave a new job
within three months13 “When employees don’t have the experience they were promised, they will likely make their
unhappiness known — in obvious and not-so-obvious ways. They may start looking for new job

69%
opportunities, or they may become actively disengaged employees, meaning they develop such a
distaste for their organization that they take deliberate steps to undermine its progress.”
Source: Gallup, (2017). State of the American Workplace
of employees say they are
more likely to remain with an
organization after an exceptional
onboarding experience14

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O N B OA R DIN G 11

Support mindful orientation

Mindfully tweaking your orientation process can help new hires feel more comfortable in their
new environment.

During the onboarding process, show your new hires where and how they can access your
mindfulness tools and programs.

Consider offering training materials and other orientation information in different formats — such
as video, text, or audio — to accommodate diverse learning styles. While much of this part of the
onboarding process may be standardized, the language and tone in these materials should still
reflect your mindful brand.

Make sure new employees have time to digest what they're learning. Back-to-back meetings and
presentations can be overwhelming. Allow time for them to process and adjust to what they’ve
learned.

Put a process in place to answer questions and encourage feedback. Mindful listening can help
make orientation a success and uncover ways to improve it.

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O N B OA R DIN G 12

Foster a sense of connection and belonging

As part of your onboarding process, help new hires build connections so that they feel welcomed and
reinforce a sense of community.

Assign new hires a mentor or a buddy. This provides them with a direct, informal resource for
questions, and reflects a mindful appreciation of their emotional and social needs.

Provide a new employee tip sheet of nearby places to get coffee or lunch, take a walk, or run
errands. This shows mindful attention to helping new employees navigate the more informal
aspects of work life.

If your organization has a mental well-being champions program, integrate it into the onboarding
process. Champions can introduce new hires to your organization’s mindfulness programs and
apps, and serve as a friendly resource for instruction and guidance.

Encourage regular check-ins between new hires and their managers during onboarding — daily
if possible. These should serve as a mindful space for new employees to communicate any
questions, challenges, and ideas, and for managers to engage in active listening to help ensure a
positive onboarding experience.

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M AY 2022 13

Retention
Mindful employer branding doesn’t end when onboarding does. It should last for the duration of each
employee’s tenure, supporting their job satisfaction and cultivating their growth and loyalty, so they
want to stay with your organization. Being mindful about proactively retaining employees can include
the following:

Provide restorative activities Solicit regular feedback Share employees’ mindfulness

and resources like lunchtime from employees about the tips and experiences in your
yoga or meditation sessions, authenticity and effectiveness organization’s communication
nature walks at break times, of your organization’s channels and team meetings.
and quiet rooms. mindfulness efforts.

Offer mindfulness training Review mindfulness offerings Reveal the impact of your
for managers, leaders, and regularly to make sure they are mindfulness program on
other employees who want to aligned with employees’ needs organizational performance in
advance in the organization. and preference. internal communications.

Solicit employee champions. Your strongest champions are enthusiastic Keep up with emerging
about mindfulness and well-being and eager to help coworkers navigate mindfulness tools and
relevant programs and tools, answer questions, lead informational resources and add them
sessions, and come up with their own ideas for greater engagement. to offerings and benefits
if appropriate.

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M AY 2022 14

How Headspace
Headspace for Work combines our popular, evidence-based mindfulness app with enterprise tools to
support healthy habits at your workplace. With a rich collection of science-backed resources to build

for Work supports

and maintain mindfulness, Headspace for Work signals a meaningful organizational commitment to
mental health and well-being.

mindful employer
branding
Accessible User-friendly Flexible Relevant
Convenient and Simple to understand Good for short Speaks to
available anytime and use sessions as well as in- diverse audiences
depth learning and situations

Enjoyable Credible Business-ready Motivating

Fun and engaging Based on thorough Made to facilitate Shows progress
experiences for research and mindfulness at the over time and
all employees best practices enterprise level rewards consistency

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M AY 2022 15

Start building your

mindful brand
Join more than 2,500 companies that have used Headspace
for Work to support a mindful workplace culture, including
Starbucks, Adobe, GE, Hyatt, and Unilever.

EXPLORE THE APP MAKE A PLAN

Visit headspace.com/work Contact us or schedule a demo

to explore the research to see how Headspace for Work
behind bringing mindfulness can transform your organization.
into the workplace.

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M AY 2022 16

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employer-brand-stats.pdf

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retention/your-best-employees-are-leaving-it-personal-practical/

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recruiting-hiring-and-retention

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options-rise.pdf

7. Borenstein, L. (2021, December 7). Here’s how top employers are weaponizing well-being. HR Executive. https://hrexecutive.com/how-weaponizing-well-being-is-creating-
a-new-breed-of-top-employers/

8. Rio, A. (2018, July 24). At Accenture, Truly human learning pays off for employees. Chief Learning Officer. https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2018/05/24/accenture-truly-
human-learning-pays-off/

9. Grabowski, S. (2021, September 18). 4 household name companies with mindfulness programs. The Mindful Steward. https://themindfulsteward.com/4-household-name-
companies-with-mindfulness-programs/

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statistics/

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Gap_2017-18_Authenticity-in-an-uncertain-world.pdf

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infographic/

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14. Hirsch, A. S. (2020, July 30). Don’t underestimate the importance of good onboarding. Society for Human Resource Management. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/
hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/dont-underestimate-the-importance-of-effective-onboarding.aspx

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