A TALENTLESS SERIES · PRESENTED BY EMPLOYER BRAND LABS
Your careers page says one thing. Candidates hear another. We check. Out loud. With you in the room.
FREE · PUBLIC INFO ONLY · YOU SEE IT BEFORE ANYONE ELSE DOES
WHAT IT IS
Every month, one company raises its hand. James Ellis of Employer Brand Labs audits their employer brand from the outside, the way a candidate actually sees it: careers site, job posts, reviews, social. Then their TA leader joins Desiree, Ashley, and James on the show to hear the findings for the first time.
No gotchas. No confidential data. Just the honest answer to one question: would the talent you need actually apply?
“Most companies don't have a hiring problem. They have a ‘we look the same as everyone else’ problem.”
HOW IT WORKS
EXHIBIT A
Apply.
A short form. Your company, the roles you can't fill, and what keeps you up at night.
EXHIBIT B
Get picked.
One company per episode. Desiree, Ashley, and James choose together, and everyone hears back either way.
EXHIBIT C
Loop in comms.
Your comms or marketing team knows you're in and flags any concerns before research starts.
EXHIBIT D
James opens the file.
A 15-minute kickoff call, then he digs. Public information only.
EXHIBIT E
Hear it live.
About an hour on video with us. You hear the findings for the first time. Push back. That's the point.
EXHIBIT F
Leave with a Choice Receipt.
What you said. What candidates heard. The fix. We check back in about 90 days later.
WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- You lead TA and can actually act on what you hear.
- Any company size. Smaller teams often move faster, and we love that.
- A specific problem: a role you can't fill, a competitor poaching your people, or a brand that doesn't match reality.
- Curious, not defensive.
- Not in the middle of a crisis. If there are layoffs, a lawsuit, or a leadership shake-up, come back later. We mean that.
RUNS THE CASE
Desiree Goldey
Co-host, Talentless · Founder, Do Better Consulting
Talent strategist with 25+ years across business, leadership, and talent acquisition, and a 2024 Top HR Innovator. She's seen it all, and she'll tell you exactly what went wrong.
THE AUDITOR
James Ellis
Founder, Employer Brand Labs
James founded Employer Brand Labs to answer one question: why should the talent your business depends on choose you? He has built employer brands for Roku, ASICS, and Webflow, wrote the bestseller Becoming Choosable, and on stage calls himself equal parts strategist and friendly arsonist.
THE CANDIDATE'S VOICE
Ashley King
Co-host, Talentless · CEO and Founder, DEI Labs and TalentED
Forbes award-winning talent acquisition leader, Forbes HR Council member, and 2024 LinkedIn Top Voice for HR. The person in the room who names the thing nobody else will say out loud.
THE FINE PRINT
Case file, not crime scene. Here's exactly what you're saying yes to.
- Public information only. We never ask for confidential employee, candidate, or company data.
- Competitors get redacted. We name one only if you agree in writing.
- You see it first. You get one week with the edited episode to flag anything proprietary, inaccurate, or unfair. We bleep first and cut only when needed. The core findings stay in, and Talentless keeps final edit.
- Private stays private. Anything on your application stays off air unless you bring it up.
- The 90-day revisit. About 90 days after release, we may revisit your public employer brand in a follow-up episode. You're invited. It's optional, and it may run either way.
- Full disclosure. Every episode is presented by Employer Brand Labs, and we say so.
- It's free. Nobody pays to be on the show.
Will this embarrass my company?
No gotchas. Everyone on the call is on your side. James examines the evidence, never the person, and you get a week with the edit before anything publishes.
Does it cost anything?
No. It's free. Employer Brand Labs presents the series, and nobody pays to be on it.
How much time is this?
A short form to apply. A 15-minute kickoff call. About an hour to record. One week to review the edit.
Do I need legal or comms approval?
Your comms or marketing team needs to know you're in before research starts. The agreement is one page in plain English, so it's an easy read for legal too.
What if James finds something bad?
Then you hear it here first, with three people helping you fix it, instead of from the candidates who quietly never applied.
Is this a sales pitch for Employer Brand Labs?
No. Employer Brand Labs presents the series and we disclose it every episode. There are no ad reads in the middle and no pitch on air.
What's a Choice Receipt?
Your takeaway from the episode: what you said, what candidates heard, and the fix. Short enough to hand to your boss.
When does it air?
The first episode drops late January 2027. One company a month after that.
Can I just listen?
Yes. Get the first case file in your inbox the day it drops (signup below).
NOT READY TO RAISE YOUR HAND?
Get the first case file in your inbox. January.
GET THE FIRST CASE FILE →Co-created with Employer Brand Labs
Would You Apply? is a Talentless Podcast series.