Live from the Shaker Green Room at RecFest USA, Chad & Cheese corner Audra Knight, the employer branding wizard at Foundation Medicine, to spill the tea on how companies can stop being boring and actually build a brand people care about. Audra preaches the gospel of internal communications, because apparently, it’s not enough to just have a logo and a “We’re Hiring!” post on LinkedIn.
She dishes on the art of getting your employees to share their stories without bribing them (much), making your company seem like a place where people want to work—not just survive. Audra also marvels at the endless buffet of fancy branding tools out there, hinting that maybe picking the right ones is better than throwing spaghetti at the wall.
Her secret sauce? Listen and watch to find out!
PODCAST TRANSCRIPTION
Podcast Intro: Hide your kids. Lock the doors. You're listening to HR's most dangerous podcast. Chad Sowash and Joel Cheesman are here to punch the recruiting industry right where it hurts. Complete with breaking news, brash opinion, and loads of snark. Buckle up boys and girls, it's time for the Chad and Cheese Podcast.
[music]
Joel: Who are you and why are you here?
Audra Knight: So my name is Audra Knight and I lead employer branding for Foundation Medicine, which you mentioned in the Boston area. And it's a company that I'm, feel so lucky to work for. 'Cause it truly is mission driven. Like every company says they're mission driven. And I was sold that in the interview and I was thinking let's actually see what it's like. But it really is like I just did a story about two of our account executives that are in remission from cancer themselves and now they're going out and helping with cancer care and it's just, it's so inspiring.
Joel: So what is the mission specifically?
Chad: So in moving forward into 2025, what advice would you have for your peers out there?
Audra Knight: For employer branding peers?
Chad: Yeah.
Audra Knight: I think making sure you're doing more than just recruitment marketing.
Chad: Okay.
Audra Knight: 'Cause there's so much more I think you can do with your role. Especially partnering with internal communications. Like they're having all these stories about employees, make sure you're both having the stories and they're ensuring them or your stories are going internal and external. And I think we can also help with internal mobility, which is getting really important.
Chad: Yes.
Audra Knight: Because like the younger generation.
Joel: It's just surprising, right? Because it should have always been important, but now it just seems to be incredibly important.
Audra Knight: Yeah. And I think in our role we can really help with that.
Chad: Yes.
Audra Knight: Like I've built internal portals where I can help market, if you have rotations or I've seen companies that are doing like gigs and I think anyway that someone, maybe they can't be promoted every year, but they can still grow and you can help market that as an employer brand person. So not just thinking externally but thinking other ways you can also help internally. Not just advocacy too.
Chad: Yeah.
Joel: I love that you're actively communicating with internal communications and marketing. And I think a lot of organizations are challenged with, well this is TA or HR, this is marketing.
Chad: Silos.
Joel: Stay away from each other. But you haven't, talk about how that happened and how you engage on a regular basis.
Audra Knight: So that's one thing I learned like early on. 'Cause I have had struggles in the past with like marketing understanding the work I'm doing. So as soon as I got in this company I was like let's go. I'm going right to marketing, I'm going right to internal comms. External comms is somewhat separate and just becoming besties. And explaining right from the beginning like this is what I'm doing and this is how it's a win-win for both of us. So like we can partner on this advocacy tool we have, I'm gonna give you content 'cause you are always looking for more content. I'm gonna help promote your content. And just making it right from the beginning like, we are a team, let's work together. And it's just so, so useful now. Like they come to me and be like, what about a story on this? Or they, and I can go to them and we just have this, I feel really thankful but I did make sure that was a priority.
Chad: That's amazing. That's amazing. So in 2024, looking backward thus far, what has surprised you the most?
Audra Knight: I think just being here today, seeing the amount of different tools, 'cause I, when I started in employer branding, you had a dusty old ATS, and if you wanted, let's see, if you want, like a CRM, there was like four. And you're like, okay, which of these four am I gonna buy? And now it's like I don't even know where to start looking, in a good way. 'Cause you can be really picky. And I remember if you wanted an employee generated video tool that wasn't even a thing. And now I'm, they're just everywhere. There's so many different options. But tools are so important to our role. Can I give a shout out to mine 'cause they're here today. But, I have quite a few, but Clinch Talent is what I've used now first seven or eight years.
Chad: Okay.
Audra Knight: And I really can't imagine doing my role without it. Because again, the metrics I'm getting from them, I'm in the tool like every day. I'm building new webpages, the external, internal. And people are seeing that. And I have total like control of our careers website and the blogs. But I couldn't do that with a dust deal, the ATS. So I think if, I think if you have any kind of budget, put it just in the right tools and you don't have to have a massive budget, but.
Joel: You're in a very competitive space. You mentioned some of the tools. Talk about the messaging, how you differentiate. What platforms are you leveraging that are successful for you?
Audra Knight: I think the trick is knowing how you're different. And I do see, I feel like some agencies come in and then they build this beautiful like tagline and employer brand and you, it looks like every other, so that's the challenge, I think. So I think really if you have an agency like work with them, how actually are we different or I think you can do that internally, which is what I have done. And so first I'll work with like the recruiters of the different functions. Then we will build like a pitch like an EVP per function that we feel like is the sell and what actually is different. So like for mission, that is really important for software engineers because they could work anywhere where it's not mission driven. But we don't push the mission as much in our medical teams and our RD teams 'cause they are probably working in oncology space in the missions. There's some of a great mission either way.
Audra Knight: So you, so knowing that, and then after we feel like we have our pitch, we bring that to the leaders of the function or different people in the function and say, do you agree and actually have a workshop. So not just an email 'cause they're busy, they're not gonna write back and be like, but if you have a workshop and be like, go through it. Do you agree with these pitches? Are there things that we missed? And then I actually took that and built with Clinch, a whole like internal tool where employees, because also I think we talk about recruiter enablement, which is great.
Chad: Yes.
Audra Knight: But what about hiring manager enablement? Like employee enablement. So that's what I'm trying to do. And it's a tool so that any employee or any hiring manager come in there, go to their specific division, see their own EVP that we created just internally for free. And then videos that we've, from our video tool where they can just take 'em, copy and paste, post it to LinkedIn and share the content.
Chad: So in 2025, what is your major priority?
Audra Knight: Ooh, that's a good question. I think looking internally more because we are a little bit slower, like most people we're hiring just at the moment. So thinking about how I can add value, internally in other ways. And just being really specific to, on our hiring needs, the ones that we are hiring that are critical, how can I get in there, create content, whether that's a blog or a video, and then make sure that gets shared by the right people in scene.
Audra Knight: 'Cause I've seen people that create this beautiful thing and they just like post it on their company LinkedIn channel. But I'll be like, we'll do that. But then I give that to the leaders of that function and be like, copy and paste. I would love it if you personalize it, but you might be busy or not have the time. So here's just really easy. You make sure every employee that is in that network, they send this out on their LinkedIn and of course make sure it's trackable.
Joel: How do you look at diversity, equity, inclusion and how are you coordinating with marketing to make sure that message is cohesive and packaged for the community?
Audra Knight: Yeah. It's really been interesting to see how some companies are putting less effort into that. But I think either way, as an employer, brander, you have to think about your content and weaving it in. But only if that's true. Like if you honestly aren't a very diverse company. Do not be just interviewing and asking for videos for your ERNs.
Audra Knight: And then the person comes in and it's not very diverse. So just making sure it's, you are thinking about it and talking to different people in the ERNs. But it's also very authentic. So those people that are saying that they actually truly believe you're diverse and it's just got to be real. 'Cause I feel like I'm seeing some companies that are like, we're so diverse, and they're not.
Chad: And if there's anything we know about Audra, she's real. Audra Knight, thank you so much for sitting down with us. If somebody wants to connect with you or maybe, I don't know, apply for a job.
Audra Knight: Or be in the band?
Chad: Or be in the band.
Audra Knight: Yeah.
Joel: Or be in the band.
Chad: Or be in the band. Where would you send them?
Audra Knight: Yes. I think I'm the only Audra Knight on Link... Or easily searchable on LinkedIn.
Chad: The coolest name. I love, love it.
Audra Knight: Yes. Awesome.
Joel: Did I mention I was in first chair in sixth grade for saxophone, so I may be auditioning soon.
Audra Knight: Very cool. Our boys are playing piano now and percussions.
Chad: That's amazing.
Audra Knight: So I'm thinking we might have in the band, we'll have a pianist and a drummer.
Chad: Excellent.
Joel: A new Chicago. Let's do this.
Audra Knight: Awesome. Yep.
Joel: Thanks Audra.
Audra Knight: Awesome. Thanks for having me.
Joel: Enjoy the show.
Audra Knight: Awesome.
Podcast Outro: Wow. Look at you. You made it through an entire episode of the Chad and Cheese Podcast. Or maybe you cheated and fast forward it to the end. Either way, there's no doubt you wish you had that time back. Valuable time you could have used to buy a nutritious meal at Taco Bell. Enjoy a pour of your favorite whiskey or just watch big booty Latinas and bug fights on TikTok. No, you hung out with these two chuggle heads instead, now go take a shower and wash off all the guilt, but save some soap because you'll be back like an awful train wreck. You can't look away. And like Chad's favorite Western, you can't quit them either. We out.
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