A business leader’s personal behaviour, reputation and profile have always been important, but what if these aspects could be the deciding factor in whether an employee accepts a job or chooses to stay?
The role of employer brand is in the spotlight and there is growing evidence that leaders, such as CEOs and MDs, are playing a major part in determining how well their employer brand resonates.
TL;DR
- 61% of employees say the public profile of a company’s CEO would influence their decision on whether to accept a job offer (or stay with an employer)
- 26% of employees say leadership behaviour or public controversy have caused them to leave or seriously consider leaving an employer
- 19% of Gen Z say trust in leadership would be the number one factor when recommending an employer to others
Why leaders need to embody and celebrate their company’s culture
New research shows that modern employees look beyond corporate websites and social media accounts with a hunger to discover more about the personalities behind the brand.
A survey commissioned by Midnight showed they are making big decisions based on perceived employer reputation and look closely at leaders to gauge whether corporate claims about culture and values are genuine.
The statistics include:
- 82% of employees say it’s important that an employer shares their values
- 61% say the public profile of a company’s CEO would influence whether they applied for a role or stayed in it
- 21% said it would do so significantly
- Only 6% said a CEO’s public profile does not influence their decisions at all
Take a deeper dive into our research here.
It’s the biggest indication yet that CEOs and leaders who are willing to reach out beyond the walls of their corporate headquarters to demonstrate and communicate company culture – and to prove their commitment to it – have an advantage in the recruitment and retention market.
How does poor leadership profiling impact retention?
Evidence shows that businesses are likely to lose talent, in what is already a difficult recruitment market in many sectors, if their leader isn’t seen to live up to brand values.
When employees were asked for the biggest reasons that have caused them to leave or seriously consider leaving an employer, the top four were enlightening:
- Poor management, 41%
- Poor work-life balance, 41%
- Lack of career progression, 31%
- Leadership behaviour or public controversy, 26%
A quarter of employees namechecking leadership behaviour or public controversy on that list should be a warning to those who fail to embody their company’s values – or fail to communicate them.
Employees are constantly looking for proof of strong leadership.
Staying silent in a world in which people are desperately searching for evidence of positive values and culture is simply not possible.
Millennials and Gen Zen Z are more focused on leadership profile
The views of younger generations in the workplace underline the direction of travel, demonstrating greater interest in leadership profile and reputation.
What asked what would most likely make them recommend an employer to others, the vote from Gen Z was significant:
- 27% said positive company culture
- 19% said trust in leadership
- 19% said pay and benefits
These answers marks a major shift to a long-held opinion that remuneration trumps just about everything when it comes to choosing who to work for. In fact, Millennials (74%) and Gen Z (64%) are at least twice as influenced by a CEO’s public profile when it comes to choosing to join or stay at a company than Baby Boomers (32%).
What most influences perception of a senior leader’s reputation and where do employees go to find it?
The message here to leaders is clear: Your personal profile matters – don’t neglect it.
Senior leaders are busy and often overstretched; it’s easy to put personal profile and reputation management to the bottom of the pile. But, increasingly, employees are basing their opinion of a brand’s reputation on how its CEO talks and behaves.
In our survey, employees used the following to gauge a leader’s reputation:
- 31% Public statements or views expressed by leaders
- 24% Coverage in national or business news
- 24% Speaking at conferences or industry events
- 19% Coverage in industry trade media
- 17% Activity on LinkedIn
- 16% Podcasts or long-form interviews
And here’s where they go to find proof:
- 48% How current employees talk about the company
- 29% Company website/careers pages
- 29% Public behaviour or statements by senior leaders
- 29% Reviews on platforms such as Glassdoor
- 22% Media coverage in trade, national or business press
- 21% Awards and accreditations
Example of poor leadership impacting employer brand reputation
Working for an employer with a purpose, and for leaders who live those values, is hugely important to modern employees. And they are constantly looking for proof.
Sometimes it is actions that create doubt, for instance if leaders are seen to treat employees badly, make bad decisions, break the law or misbehave in public.
But just as often it is the words they use that most shape public opinion, for better or worse.
When Peter Hebblehwaite of P&O Ferries sacked almost 800 employees in 2022 without consultation, and replaced them with agency staff, it was his actions that put him in the line of public fire.
Not least because some of those employees only learned of their fate by video message.
But when he subsequently and unapologetically told MPs in a select committee meeting that he would make the same decision again, showing no empathy for those affected, it led to him being dubbed ‘Britain’s most hated boss’.
The reputational damage for P&O and its owner DP World was significant and Hebblethwaite eventually resigned in 2025. Read more here.
It’s a strong example of the damage caused when poor culture and poor communication collide in a perfect storm.
Reputation stands for little if the leader of a business doesn’t live up to it
We’ve seen that with Elon Musk after Tesla suffered an 800 billion dent in its stock market value in 2025 following a backlash against his political role in the Trump administration.
It even led to US Tesla facilities facing protests and vandalism in what was dubbed as a “Tesla Takedown”.
It’s a lesson that people expect CEOs to mirror their values – and react negatively when they don’t.
The same applied to James Watt, the former CEO of BrewDog, who played a prominent role in the rapid rise of the edgy Punk IPA brand.
But it all fell apart when accusations of a toxic workplace culture and inappropriate behaviour were aired in a BBC Disclosures programme in 2022. By 2025 he had resigned and the business was in administration and on the verge of being sold. Read more here.
How media training can support leadership profile
With business leaders increasingly expected to be visible online and to have a public persona, the need for media training is growing.
After all, if you are going to speak in public, it’s crucial to understand how media interviews work and to get the message right.
The internet is littered with examples of what happens when interviews go wrong. One of the biggest pierces of advice is not to speak to journalists ‘off the record’.
But when Dame Alison Rose, the former CEO of NatWest, confirmed to BBC journalist Simon Jack that Nigel Farage was a Coutts customer in a discussion around his account, the consequences were big.
The story was already front-page news after Coutts, owned by NatWest, had closed Farage’s account without explanation. When it emerged that Farage’s politics may have played a part in the decision, the levels rose.
So, when Rose admitted she was ‘the source’ quoted by the BBC, her downfall was inevitable. After admitting a ‘serious error of judgement’ she resigned.
NatWest’s share price fell almost 4% at the news, wiping £850m off its market value as a result.
Being unprepared for a media interview or treating it as an opportunity to rant about personal views, can be equally dangerous.
When Raymond Moore stepped down as the CEO and tournament director of the Indian Wells tennis tournament back in 2016, it was down to making sexist comments that were impossible to defend.
Accusing female tennis players of ‘riding on the coattails of men’, he told reporters: “They are very, very lucky. If I was a lady player, I’d go down every night on my knees and thank God that Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal were born, because they have carried this sport. They really have.” Read more here.
Moore barely lasted 24 hours before he resigned, with tennis legend Serena Williams amongst those to rightly criticise his comments, which damaged the brand and undermined the culture of the tournament (let alone demeaning the millions of women who play and watch tennis).
Find out more about Midnight’s media training offer here.
How leaders can prove their employer brand values are genuine
Treat employer reputation like customer reputation – the same level of focus, the same level of investment. It requires time and commitment to build both your corporate and personal brand; but it’s crucial to recruitment, retention and reputation.
Improve and prove your culture. Tell stories and prove them with real examples. It’s not enough to SAY you value people. Prove it. Be visible as a business and as a leader, both online and offline – and see LinkedIn as the platform to show who you really are.
Live your values as a leader: Documents and policies aren’t enough – show it in how you hire, promote and communicate.
Find out if your employer brand is helping or hurting your hiring
Take the 2-minute scorecard here.
Or get in touch to see how we help business leaders grow their profile and get their messaging right.
Read more insights from our research here:
- 82% of employees want employers who share their values. Does your employer brand measure up?
- One in five candidates reject jobs over employer reputation
- Employer brand: Why tech companies are struggling to attract talent (and what to do about it)
- Recruitment is getting tougher for insurance firms: but is employer brand the underlying issue?
- Poor employer brand reputation is costing accountancy firms – in a big way
