Employer Branding Through Authentic Storytelling

Employer branding is no longer only about polished career pages, well-written job ads or a strong list of company benefits.

Those things still matter. But for organisations competing for great talent, the real differentiator is often far more human.

It is the stories people tell.

In a conversation with Francois de Wet on Solving the People Puzzle, Kego Ntshe, who was the Country Employer Branding Lead at Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa at the time of the conversation and is now Manager of Employer Branding at Dis-Chem, shares how authentic storytelling can help organisations attract, engage and retain talent in a more meaningful way.

Her message is simple. People do not only want to know what a role requires. They want to understand what it feels like to belong, grow and build a career inside an organisation.

That is where employer branding becomes powerful.

Kego’s Journey

Kego’s own story plays a big role in how she sees people, careers and opportunity.

She comes from Thaba Nchu, a small town in the Free State, and describes her upbringing as humble, family-centred and deeply grounded in values.

Her journey took her from the Free State to Johannesburg, where she studied Industrial Psychology before starting her career in recruitment. From there, she moved into HR business partnering and eventually into her current employer branding role at Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa.

That path shaped the way she thinks about work.

For Kego, a career opportunity does not only change one person’s life. It can impact families, communities and future generations. That belief sits at the heart of how she approaches employer branding today.

Why Employer Branding Matters

Employer branding is often treated as an attraction tool.

But for Kego, it is about much more than getting people to apply. It is about building trust, connection and long-term relationships.

Traditional recruitment has often focused on qualifications, experience and job specifications. And while those details matter, they do not tell the full story.

A candidate is more than a CV.
An organisation is more than a job advert.
And a role is more than a list of responsibilities.

Authentic storytelling helps close that gap.

It gives candidates a clearer picture of the people, culture and growth opportunities inside the business. It helps them imagine themselves as part of the organisation before they ever step through the door.

Employer Branding Beyond Job Ads

A job advert can explain what a person will do. But it does not always answer the question candidates really care about.

Why should I join this company?

This is where employer branding and storytelling work together.

Kego highlights the value of real employee stories. Not overly polished testimonials or scripted corporate videos, but genuine experiences from people who can speak about their growth, challenges and opportunities in an honest way.

Sometimes the strongest story is simply an employee sharing what the company has meant for their career.

For HR and talent acquisition teams, this creates an important opportunity. Instead of only listing KPIs, KPAs and requirements, organisations can show what it actually feels like to work there.

That shift makes hiring more human.

How Employer Branding Shapes the Candidate Journey

Employer branding does not stop once someone applies.

In many ways, the candidate journey is where the employer brand becomes real. It is one thing to say your organisation values people. It is another to show it through clear communication, regular updates and a recruitment process that makes candidates feel respected.

The recruitment process can be long, quiet and uncertain. Candidates often wait without knowing where they stand, what happens next or whether they are still being considered.

That silence can damage trust.

Kego believes candidate experience should include continuous engagement. Clear communication. Regular check-ins. Thoughtful updates. Small moments that help candidates feel informed, valued and connected to the organisation.

This does not mean every update needs to be complicated. It simply means candidates should not feel forgotten.

When people understand the process, they are more likely to stay engaged. And when they feel included in the journey, employer branding becomes more than attraction. It becomes part of the experience candidates remember.

The First 90 Days

Kego explains that the first 90 days are especially important for new employees. This is the period where people are learning the business, adjusting to expectations and figuring out where they fit.

Check-ins at 30, 60 and 90 days create space to understand how new employees are settling in, what support they need and how they are experiencing the organisation.

The focus is not only performance.

It is wellbeing. Belonging. Confidence. Transition.

Because a strong employer brand is not only about attracting people. It is about making sure the experience after they join matches the story that brought them in.

Safe Spaces

One of the most meaningful parts of the conversation is Kego’s view on vulnerability.

Starting a new role can be exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming. Especially in a fast-paced, high-performance environment.

That is why safe spaces matter.

Kego speaks about the value of psychological impact sessions, where employees can reflect on their experience, speak honestly and receive support.

These conversations help people realise that feeling overwhelmed does not mean they have failed. Sometimes it simply means they need time, guidance or a different kind of support.

For organisations, these sessions also reveal patterns. If similar challenges keep coming up, HR teams can use those insights to create focus groups, improve support structures and build a more intentional employee experience.

Employer Branding and Retention

Employer branding is not only about attraction. It also plays a role in retention.

When employees can see themselves in the organisation’s story, they are more likely to understand where they fit and where they can grow.

Career development, mentorship, coaching and succession planning all become part of that story.

Kego explains that organisations need to be intentional about helping employees see their future. People want to know that there is room to grow, that their contribution matters and that they are not only filling a role, but building a path.

That sense of possibility is what helps people stay.

The Real Takeaway

The strongest message from the conversation is that employer branding starts with being real.

Not perfect. Not overly polished. Real.

For HR leaders, recruiters and employer branding teams, this means creating opportunities for people to share genuine experiences. It means moving beyond transactional hiring processes and building moments of connection across the candidate and employee journey.

It means helping people feel part of something bigger than a job description.

In a competitive talent market, organisations that tell authentic stories can stand out for the right reasons. They build trust before the first interview. They create belonging after the first day. And they give people a reason to see a future with them.

That is the power of employer branding when it is rooted in real human experience.

Listen to the full episode of Solving the People Puzzle to hear Kego Ntshe share her perspective in her own words.

Read more articles about employer branding and attracting top talent.

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