We talk a lot about insight in recruitment marketing. It is often framed as the cornerstone of a strong campaign. The thinking goes that without it, the whole thing falls apart.
But take a closer look at most employer brand campaigns and it is hard to believe that anyone is actually using insight at all.
What we tend to see are polished headlines with very little substance behind them. Generic claims about culture. Aspirational messaging that could belong to any business in the sector. Sometimes a statistic or an internal quote is positioned as an insight. But it rarely is.
The problem is not a lack of creativity. It is a lack of proper thinking.
In many campaigns, there is no clear diagnosis. No meaningful tension being explored. No contradiction between perception and reality being resolved. Just a few lines of positioning, followed by a push to generate interest.
And yet, some of these campaigns still perform. Which raises a fair question: do we really need insight for recruitment marketing to be effective?
It depends entirely on how you define insight.
Real insight does not simply tell you something about your audience. It changes how you view the challenge. It reveals a tension that, once identified, can be addressed in strategy and made distinctive through creative work.
A data point is not an insight. Nor is an observation about what your competitors are saying. Nor is stating that Gen Z values purpose. These are inputs. They may be useful, but they are not the same as insight.
Proper insight forces choices. It brings focus. It challenges the business to commit to a point of view. And more often than not, it leads to consistency — in how you show up, what you say, and what you deliver over time.
That is where most employer brand work falls short. Many teams are in pursuit of a quick win. A campaign. Something to publish. Something to measure. But real effectiveness in this space does not come from speed. It comes from clarity.
It is worth remembering that candidates are not personas. They are people making real decisions. They are not sitting around waiting to be impressed by an EVP. They are looking for signs that help them make sense of what a company is really like.
So yes, creative execution matters. But execution without insight is just noise. And in a noisy market, that is not good enough.
The strongest recruitment marketing does not always require a big idea. It does not need to shout. But it does need to be built on something solid. It needs proper diagnosis. A clear view of what matters. And the confidence to meet the candidate where they are, rather than where the business would like them to be.
Perhaps the most useful thing we can do is stop chasing formats and start asking better questions.
What is the real issue here? What truth are we surfacing? What would make this brand feel different in the eyes of a discerning candidate?
Whether your approach is led by insight or by execution, effectiveness begins with understanding.
And understanding does not come from a content plan. It comes from listening, questioning, and being willing to say something that matters.
