Employer Branding Unplugged

Fashion. Sports. Hospitality. 

On the surface, these industries sell themselves. But what happens when the ‘cool factor’ isn't enough to keep talent going through the day-to-day grind?

Mark Puncher is joined by dynamic duo (and former colleagues) Gareth Brown (Schnitz) and Gina Selak (SEN) for a conversation that cuts straight through the hype.

Gareth doesn’t mince words about the reality of working in hospitality, admitting ...

Bupa is a household name, but the reality inside this global health giant is shifting. 

As the organisation evolves into a customer-centric healthcare provider, bringing a workforce 84,000 strong on the journey, their employer brand has never been more critical.

In this episode of Employer Branding Unplugged, Mark Puncher sits down with Meagan Michaels, Head of Employer Brand and Experience at Bupa. 

Meagan reveals how Bupa’s uniqu...

This episode of Employer Branding Unplugged feels less like a podcast recording and more like a pub chat! 

Mark Puncher is joined by industry veterans and long-time friends Quila Cervelli (V/Line) and Ivan ‘Harry’ Harrison (Toll) to dismantle the clichés holding employer branding back.

The trio plays a ruthless game of “Kill, Keep, Evolve,” where Harry doesn’t hesitate to kill the workplace culture trope that “we’re all one big fam...

There’s arguably no sector that brings as many challenges, and as many rewards, as human services.

It’s a tough gig, let’s be honest. There’s no hiding that. But, as this week’s guests can attest, sharing the reality - warts and all - is critical to attracting the right people and deterring the wrong ones.

In this week's episode of Employer Branding Unplugged, Mark Puncher sits down with two heavyweights in human services HR - Kata...

In this episode of Employer Branding Unplugged, Employer Branding Australia’s Dave, Marci and Hannah explore what employer branding really means in practice: the long-term pursuit of being intentional, deliberate and consistent in how your organisation is perceived by current and future talent.

The conversation tackles one of the biggest challenges in employer branding today: differentiation. With so many career sites and EVPs so...

In this episode of Employer Branding Unplugged, host Mark Puncher chats with Daniel Connelly, Head of Employee Brand and Employee Experience at Nine Entertainment (at the time of recording). 

Daniel shares his journey of building Nine’s employer brand over the past three years, starting with no EVP, no career site and no established employer brand team.

This conversation explores why EVPs should be “uncovered” rather than invented,...

In this episode of Employer Branding Unplugged, host Mark Puncher sits down with Melissa Toa, Talent Acquisition Manager at Kimberly-Clark, who brings a wealth of experience from brands like Campos Coffee and Sephora. 

You’ll discover how Kimberly-Clark is future-proofing its talent by building new skills and capabilities around AI and technology - not to replace human connection, but to enhance it. 

We explore Mel’s previous w...

In this episode of Employer Branding Unplugged, host Mark Puncher talks with Aoife Brady, Talent Acquisition Manager at Fresh Hope Communities, a not-for-profit organisation working across aged care, retirement living, outdoor adventure and affordable housing. 

The conversation explores the unique challenges of recruiting in human services, the power of truly listening to what employees and hiring managers need, and why a service...

In this episode, host Mark Puncher sits down with Clare Robinson, Head of Internal Communications, and Melissa Norton, Talent Acquisition Manager, from Cuscal.

Clare and Mel share the story behind their transformative journey to create Cuscal's employee value proposition (EVP). They don’t sugarcoat it: gaining internal consensus was challenging, the professional risks were high, but the payoff was an EVP that “rang so inextricably ...

In this episode, the team from Employer Branding Australia sits down with Belinda Leon, Employer Brand Specialist at Bendigo Bank, to explore the deeply personal and strategic layers of employer branding. From falling into talent acquisition by chance to leading one of the sector’s most thoughtful EVP projects, Belinda shares the realities of building inclusive workplaces—without the gloss.

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