Published in CHRO SA on 26 March 2025
Employer branding is often reduced to catchy slogans and polished posts, but listening remains the most powerful element. Celeste Sirin, CEO of Employer Brand Africa, details the significant impact of truly hearing employees.
Lately, I’ve been reminded time and again that listening isn’t just a soft skill—it’s a powerful business advantage. It’s in these subtle, human conversations—about culture, values, and behaviors—that real strategic and operational shifts start to take shape.
“Hello, is it me you’re looking for?” Lionel Richie may have sung those words with heartache in mind, but in the context of leadership today, they’ve taken on a different meaning. Companies and leaders alike should ask themselves: “Is it us employees are looking for, to truly listen?”
Recently I’ve been immersed in deep meaningful conversations that span generations, cultures, roles and industries. From emerging Gen Z and Millennials to seasoned professionals, employees have shared the realities of their working lives – each carrying their own story, perspective, and contribution.
What stood out for me was not only the collective, diverse voiced insights, but the richness that rises to the surface when people are given the time, space and safety to speak. Ask the right questions, listen with intent, and what you uncover isn’t just sentiment – its substance.
Time if a gift – but it’s what you do with it that counts
In the rush of leadership, we often carve out time for performance reviews, reports, strategic workshops, and planning sessions. But we miss the gold sitting quietly beneath the surface: the heartbeat of the organisation, the unrealised idea, the process improvement, the scalable insight – the kind of thinking that could be business changing. All of it is percolating within our people, waiting to be heard.
Listening is the foundation of authentic employer branding
Building an Employer Brand Promise and Value Proposition isn’t about clever wording—it’s about uncovering what’s real. And that starts with listening.
Engagement surveys give you the what. Your people give you the why.
That’s where the gold is – the truth behind the data. Not assumptions. Not perceptions. But the lived experience. You don’t find it in dashboards. You find it in conversations. In open dialogue. In the stories people share when they feel safe enough to be honest.
No AI or automation can replace that. It takes human connection – and a listening ear – to uncover what truly matters.
But here’s where it often falls apart: we gather the feedback… and then do nothing with it.
When listening stops at the survey: The trust gap
Surveys are useful – they help you gather the what. But the biggest failure in running them is forgetting why you asked in the first place.
Nothing erodes trust faster than asking for feedback and doing nothing with it. Employees take time to participate—often despite survey fatigue—because they believe their input might lead to something better. When it doesn’t, disappointment sets in. And over time, so does disengagement, motivation, and productivity.
A survey without follow-through is not listening. It’s a broken promise. And when people stop believing you’ll act, they stop speaking up altogether.
If you give people a platform to voice their opinions – and you listen attentively, then act – you show them their input matters. But if you don’t, they won’t just feel unheard. They’ll say you never listen. And that’s when trust and credibility start to slip away.
Listen to your valued dispersed workforce
Having recently spoken at an HR Directors’ conference on delivering EVP promises to Gen Z and emerging talent in remote environments, one truth stood out clearly: you can’t fulfil your employer brand if you’re only listening to the people in the office.
Remote, mobile, and dispersed employees are often unintentionally overlooked – not deliberately, but by default. And yet, they are part of the collective. They show up with purpose, deserve to feel a sense of belonging, and yearn to contribute and make an impact – just like anyone else. Out of sight should never mean out of mind. If we fail to create intentional listening moments for them, we risk excluding valuable voices from the very culture we’re trying to shape. Listening to the full workforce isn’t just inclusive. It’s essential.
Listen to the people closest to the work
It’s no surprise that the most valuable insights often come from those on the frontline – the people serving your customers every day. They spot the gaps, feel the friction, and come up with some of the most impactful ideas and improvements. Are you listening to them? Because this is where the magic happens – operationally, this is where the next great business intervention is born.
But the magic doesn’t only live on the frontline. It’s also in the people in the trenches, and behind the scenes. Your internal support teams – the ones keeping the wheels turning – enable the frontliners to deliver smarter and more efficiently. They may not face the customer, but they’re just as vital in serving the business. Their insights can sharpen strategy, improve systems, and unlock performance at scale.
As much as strategy is needed, you can’t build it in isolation. You need the voices of those doing the work – because that’s where the real story is unfolding.
Listen, is it me you’re looking for?
Your people are the heartbeat of your business—across levels, functions, locations, and demographics. They drive engagement, spark ideas, and fuel the next business improvement or intervention. But you won’t find those insights on a dashboard or through AI and automation.
You’ll find them in conversation. In safe spaces. In pauses. And in the moments where you give the gift of your time.
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