The 10 best employer brands in 2025 (and what they do better than others)

In 2025, the employer brand became an essential strategic lever for attracting and retaining the best profiles on a competitive job market, in France as elsewhere in the world. It is no longer limited to human resources, but embodies the image and culture of the company, creating a distinctive identity that inspires applicants and employees while improving their rankings in the minds of young students and professionals.

Organizations that are successful in this field communicate their guidelines, culture, and career opportunities in an authentic way. They use social networks, professional platforms and digital campaigns to highlight their unique assets and maximize their impact on their target group, especially young professionals with high potential.

Examples like L'Oréal illustrate these strategies with innovative initiatives, including diversity and inclusion programs, as well as campaigns that value employee experience and development opportunities.

In this article, discover the 10 best strategies for valuing professional identity in 2025 and the key tactics to replicate their success in your organization.

Understanding the employer brand in 2025: more than an HR asset, a strategic lever

In 2025, the employer brand is becoming a strategic pillar at the heart of organizations. It goes beyond the simple framework of human resources to become an essential lever in attracting, involving and retaining profiles. At the same time, it plays a fundamental role in strengthening the reputation and competitiveness of companies on the labour market. In studies like those by Potentialpark, companies with a solid strategy are awarded high points, giving them an advantage in terms of results.

The 4 pillars of a successful employer brand

To build a solid and effective policy, it is essential to focus on four fundamental pillars.

Authenticity

Authenticity is the foundation of any successful employer brand. Transparent and honest communication, both within the company and externally, is essential. Candidates and employees are looking for businesses that are aligned with their DNA and personal aspirations.

Internal commitment

Employee engagement is essential to ensure the success of an employer brand. This includes creating a positive work environment where employees feel valued and fulfilled. Managerial policies that promote well-being and personal development reinforce the image within the company.

Initiatives such as satisfaction surveys or recognition programs contribute to strengthening this commitment and projecting a positive image of the company.

External visibility

La external visibility is a major asset for attracting new talent and establishing strategic partnerships. The public image of the company must be consistent with its employer identity and taken care of in its interactions with stakeholders.

An active presence on social networks, digital recruitment campaigns, as well as collaborations with the media and educational institutions, contribute to strengthening the company's reputation and attracting qualified young students and professionals who want to rank highly in their career choices.

Coherence of the candidate/employee experience

Coherence between the experience of candidates and that of employees is a key element for the success of a company. It is essential that the recruitment process and the integration of new employees accurately reflect the culture and values of the company.

In practice, this means that promises made to candidates during recruitment are kept once they join the organization. This consistency plays an important role in building employee trust and engagement, while promoting better talent retention.

The Top 10 employer brands in 2025

In a constantly changing economic landscape, some companies stand out for their ability to create and maintain an attractive and effective employer brand. Here's a look at the top 10 employer brands in 2025, and what makes them exceptional.

1. L'Oréal: The combination of HR personalization and AI at the service of a premium employer brand

L'Oréal is establishing itself as a reference employer brand in 2025 thanks to a strategy combining technology and the humanization of the candidate journey. The program L'Oréal FIT Culture, focused on cultural compatibility, customizes the courses from the moment of application to offer a immersive and differentiating experience.
By relying on AI in sourcing, onboarding and HR monitoring, the brand reinforces its position as ainnovative employer, while maintaining strong values of diversity and inclusion. The activation of its collaborators on LinkedIn and TikTok contributes to a strong digital presence, coherent between internal discourse and external communication, which attracts young talent and builds team loyalty.

2. Decathlon: An employer brand based on accountability and values-individual alignment

At Decathlon, the employer brand is based on a embodied accountability model by each collaborator. Recruiting is focused on passion for sport and adherence to corporate values, promoting a very strong sense of belonging from the very first stages of the process.
Freedom of action in store, combined with fluid internal mobility, reinforces the HR promise of a company that trusts. Online testimonies, immersive videos, transparency on career paths: Decathlon cultivates a authentic image, a source of loyalty as well as an attraction for younger generations in search of meaning and autonomy.

3. Doctolib: A strong societal mission as the basis of its employer brand

Doctolib structures its employer brand around its commitment to equitable access to health, which it translates into all its HR actions. Recruitment is primarily aimed at tech and product talents motivated by social impact, strengthening thealignment between company mission and individual motivations.
Internal ambassador programs, an active presence in committed ecosystems (health, inclusion, tech for good), and onboarding focused on corporate culture ensure a strong and consistent employee experience. Doctolib thus succeeds in positioning itself as a inspiring employer brand, both for candidates and for internal employees.

4. Orange: An employer brand built around a management coach and selected mobility

Orange is developing an employer brand based on local management culture, where managers adopt the posture of listening coaches. This HR model, widely used on internal and external channels, reflects a clear commitment to professional development.
With Orange Campus and well-structured mentoring systems, internal mobility is becoming a strategic lever for retaining talent. The co-construction of HR policies with the teams reinforces the sense of belonging and gives credibility to the employer brand discourse on an international scale.

5. BlaBlaCar: Coherence of tone and HR transparency as a trademark

BlaBlaCar relies on a ultra-aligned Com'RH strategy with its corporate culture. The brand tone, informal and accessible, irrigates both job offers and internal content.
Employees are invited to express themselves freely on the networks, actively participating in the social proof of the employer promise. Transparency in recruitment and HR practices reinforces theimage of a human and collaborative company, in line with the expectations of today's candidates.

6. Air Liquide: A technical, sustainable and training-oriented employer brand

Air Liquide is building a strong employer brand in the scientific and technical sectors by promoting expert careers and continuing education courses. By promoting soft skills as a lever for development in demanding jobs, the company is modernizing its image.
Present in academic circles and on LinkedIn with embodied testimonies, Air Liquide is working on a niche attractiveness, differentiating in a tense market. Its ability to offer a sustainable value proposition appeals to talents in search of stability and meaning.

7. Back Market: A committed, daring and generational employer brand

Back Market succeeds in the bet of a total alignment between activist discourse, quirky brand tone and corporate culture. Its commitment to refurbished products is reflected even in its HR practices, with communication that speaks to younger generations.
The company values cultural and generational diversity in its HR statements, while offering original and interactive formats for recruitment. Result: a embodied employer brand, which attracts profiles aligned with its DNA and reinforces internal cohesion.

8. AXA: Diversity, transparency and network ambassadors as pillars of its employer brand

AXA anchors its employer brand in a diversity strategy assumed and a strong CSR commitment. Its network of internal ambassadors, active on issues of inclusion, QWL or parenting, gives visibility to the values supported by the company.
Participation in inclusive events and the partial transparency on remuneration reinforce the credibility of its employer promise. Result: a committed and attractive image, especially among young graduates and talents who are sensitive to societal impact.

9. Saint-Gobain: An employer brand focused on transmission, mobility and sustainability

Saint-Gobain place the detection of soft skills at the heart of its recruitment process, thanks to concrete scenarios. The company values the careers of international mobility as a competitive advantage, especially in its content for talent.
By adapting its communication locally while maintaining a global coherence, Saint-Gobain cultivates a stable and modern employer brand. Its culture of transmission and sustainability attracts long-term profiles, committed to responsible innovation.

10. METRO: An employer brand that focuses on soft skills assessment to attract young talent

METRO has strengthened the attractiveness of its graduate program by focusing on a innovative and differentiating recruitment experience, thanks to the Yuzu tool. Candidates are evaluated through immersive scenarios, making it possible to accurately identify their key soft skills (leadership, collaboration, stress management, etc.).
credibility of the employer brand among young graduates, while promoting a demanding but caring HR culture. By communicating this approach, METRO is establishing itself as a company that recognizes potential beyond the CV and that invests in the success of its future leaders from the moment of recruitment.

What these 10 businesses have in common (and what you can apply)

Despite their differences, the 10 best employer brands in 2025 share common practices and strategies that contribute to their success. Here are a few key things you can incorporate into your own employer brand strategy.

They rely on evidence, not on slogans

These businesses are not content with unfounded slogans or promises. They prefer tangible evidence to illustrate their culture and their DNA. For example, they share employee testimonies, videos showing daily work, and concrete data on employee satisfaction and engagement.

This approach makes it possible to project an authentic and credible image, strengthening the confidence of candidates and current employees.

They value their employees as ambassadors

Involving employees in employer brand communication is an effective strategy. These companies encourage their employees to share their professional experience on social networks, thus becoming brand ambassadors. For example, at Saint-Gobain, several initiatives have been put in place to create a network of ambassadors, which humanizes the brand and reinforces sincere communication.

They integrate the science of human behavior to build their HR practices (soft skills, feedback, co-development...)

These companies rely on the science of human behavior to structure their HR practices. They emphasize the development of soft skills, establish regular feedback systems and promote co-development between managers and employees. For example, Saint-Gobain uses scenarios to assess the soft skills of candidates, while Orange offers training and mentoring systems to encourage the progress of its employees.

Conclusion

In a constantly changing environment, where corporate social responsibility is becoming increasingly important, it is becoming essential to value employer branding efforts. Thanks to a rigorous methodology and surveys conducted on a large panel, recruiters now have tools to better meet talent expectations. Offered through various channels, communication focused on health, balance and working life not only helps attract new hires, but also strengthens long-term commitment. In 2025, the question is no longer whether to invest in your employer brand, but how to develop a coherent, sustainable and real strategy.

‍