NH237 Consulting and WDAD Communications - Research on the future intentions and challenges facing the UK’s employers

Optimism The opportunities for the Employer Branding profession have never been greater and neither have the challenges 5 Perhaps the most obvious reflection on the answers to the 20 questions our participants answered is one of positivity. Areas such as employer branding would have felt somewhat precarious in the immediate aftermath of March 2020, when the full implications of the first lockdown became clear. However, a year on and professionals within the space appear nearly giddily optimistic. Over the next 12 months, I anticipate the amount we spend on Employer Branding will: 49% of our group anticipated seeing more year-on-year investment in their employer branding and 44% felt such an amount would remain the same. Given the weakness of the labour market for a good part of the last year - admittedly not in all sectors - it might have been all too easy for organisations to seek savings in areas such as talent acquisition and people messaging. This does not appear to be the picture emerging. Although there is a sense that those people filling in this survey are potentially more likely to feel positive about the next year, it does feel as though employer branding is not now as financially vulnerable to short-term cost cutting exercises as might have been the case in previous economic downturns. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Will increase significantly Will increase slightly Will remain the same Will reduce slightly Will reduce significantly