Global Shift Toward Trust: 2025 Employer Branding Creativity Awards Highlight New Talent Trends

XISHUANGBANNA, China, Dec. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As global competition for talent intensifies, organisations are increasingly elevating employer branding from a recruitment-focused activity to a core strategic capability. Authentic storytelling, employee-experience design and trust-building have become defining components of modern organisational competitiveness.

The 2025 Employer Branding Creativity Awards concluded successfully in Xishuangbanna on December 1. Hosted by the Employer Branding Institute, and supported by BusinessWeek/Chinese Edition, Xiaoguo and Lockin China, the Awards received 1,831 submissions from 534 organisations across the technology, finance, consumer goods, manufacturing, healthcare and service sectors. Participating organisations included Mercedes-Benz, AstraZeneca China, Bosch China, L'Oréal China, Marriott International and H&M, among others.

The international jury panel comprised leading employer-branding experts including Richard Mosley, Ali Ayaz and Barbara Zych, alongside cross-disciplinary leaders from marketing, public welfare and business media. Using the Institute's "4+1" evaluation framework — Content Operation, Creative Design, Communication Strategy, User Experience plus an additional targeted criterion — the panel selected 160 outstanding entries representing 74 organisations.

Ms Ocean Fu, Founder of the Employer Branding Institute, said: "Over the past nine years, we have seen employer branding shift from storytelling to trust-building. In a workplace reshaped by AI, efficiency accelerates, yet understanding between people and organisations takes more time. Algorithms may optimise processes, but they cannot build trust. True employer branding helps employees understand and navigate change, rather than simply polishing it." She continued: "As AI restructures workflows, the value of employer branding lies in helping each employee find their place. Real brand vitality does not come from packaging, but from understanding people. We hope more organisations will move beyond efficiency-driven practices to cultivate ecosystems of trust — where employees of diverse generations and backgrounds feel genuinely seen and supported."

This year's entries highlighted several notable shifts: a growing emphasis on employee-experience design; increasing adoption of AI-enabled communication; organisational culture becoming central to employer-brand storytelling; and rising cross-department collaboration in content creation.

The newly introduced Achievement Award recognised excellence in organisational talent strategy. Honourees included teams from Lianjia, BEIJING FANUC, Bosch China, Greentown China Holdings Limited, Marriott International and Mercedes-Benz.

The organisers announced plans to expand international participation and strengthen global exchange mechanisms for the 2026 edition. Registration for the 2026 Awards will open in May 2026.

About Employer Branding Institute

The Employer Branding Institute (EBI) is a leading research institution dedicated to employer-brand strategy, research and innovation. EBI brings together global authorities including Simon Barrow, originator of the employer-brand concept, and Richard Mosley, widely regarded as the "Father of Employer Branding". The Institute serves more than 2,000 clients worldwide, including over 300 Fortune Global 500 companies.

EBI is co-branded by HRflag and Wild Theory, reinforcing its leadership in advancing employer branding and belonging practices globally.

SOURCE Employer Branding Institute