Employer branding has become its own cottage industry

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Unlimited PTO
Unlimited PTO is the ultimate workplace flex: We trust you to manage your time; take as much as you need. It’s a story companies love to tell—and one that employees quietly dread to live.

Without clear expectations, the shiny promise of "unlimited" becomes a minefield of self-doubt. How much is too much? What will your team think if you take that extra week off? Should you even be asking? It’s ambiguity dressed up as empowerment.

What happens in practice? Employees take less time off, not more, because the lack of structure feels risky. And so, unlimited PTO joins the growing list of perks that look better on a Careers page than in the real world.

Employer branding
full of buzzwords and beautifully edited videos showcasing dynamic workplaces with smiling teams, inspirational slogans, and perfectly curated culture moments. It’s a game of perception—catch attention, tell the right story, and hope it’s convincing enough to win talent.

But here’s the catch: when the external story doesn’t match the internal experience, the whole thing crumbles.

A company may promise "limitless growth opportunities" and "a culture that values your well-being," but if employees encounter rigid policies, micromanagement, or a toxic environment, the trust is gone. It’s much cheaper for a company to buy branded t-shirts, mugs, and office beanbags than to offer higher salaries, genuine independence, or meaningful support.

The focus on branding often prioritizes optics over substance. And while it may work to attract candidates in the short term, it sets the stage for disappointment and churn. After all, you can’t market your way out of a culture problem.

Technology and AI
AI and HR tech have taken the stage as the saviors of efficiency and fairness, promising to revolutionize everything from hiring to engagement. But adopting the latest tech just because it’s trendy rarely works out the way it’s supposed to.

Example of an AI-powered recruitment tool that analyzes candidate data to help streamline the hiring process. (
Example of an AI-powered recruitment tool that analyzes candidate data to help streamline the hiring process.
For example, AI recruitment tools are often lauded for their ability dubai email list to eliminate bias. But if the data they’re trained on is flawed, those biases get baked in, amplified, and served right back. Similarly, the most expensive HR software might offer endless features, but without a clear purpose, it quickly becomes a bloated system that no one wants to use.

The issue isn’t the tech—it’s the blind faith in it. Tools are only as good as the context they’re applied in, and when organizations chase what’s popular rather than what’s necessary, they end up with solutions in search of problems.

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The reality check
The truth is, none of us work in a vacuum. We don’t have endless hours to dive into deep research or perfectly tailor every decision. Trends exist for a reason—they’re designed to make our lives easier, offering heuristics when time, resources, and attention are stretched thin.

This is especially true in larger organizations, where personalization becomes more of a luxury than a norm. Trade-offs are inevitable, and sometimes even necessary. But not all trade-offs are created equal. What one organization can afford to generalize, another must treat with extreme care. The hard truth? Some things require starting from scratch, thinking through the purpose, the context, and the impact—not just slapping on a trendy solution because it worked for someone else.

For some areas, like PTO or employer branding, more honesty and transparency might be all it takes to bridge the gap between promise and reality. For others, like aptitude tests or performance reviews, the stakes are higher, and a one-size-fits-all approach simply won’t do. It’s about critically assessing your needs, your goals, and your resources to determine what works for you.

So, what’s the HR trend for 2025? Ironically, it’s this: not following trends for the sake of following trends. Instead, it’s about cutting through the noise, resisting the urge to copy-paste what’s popular, and taking the time to figure out what actually makes sense for your people, your culture, and your vision. It’s not flashy, but it’s real—and in a world of sameness, that’s what stands out.