We’ve all been there. You’re sitting in a hiring strategy meeting. Leadership wants fifteen roles filled yesterday. Marketing wants more brand impressions. Finance wants to know where the budget went. 

And you? You’re stuck between needing a long-term talent pipeline and needing people on the job right now. So, what do you prioritize: building the employer brand or hiring roles fast? Read on to discover the answer; it may surprise you. 

Should your recruitment media strategy focus on brand or hires?

Here’s the thing: a smart recruitment media strategy doesn’t make you choose. It works smarter, not harder, by combining short-term and long-term tactics to drive real hiring results.

Prioritizing the employer brand means playing the long game

Think of employer branding as your company’s reputation in the talent market. It’s not a quick win; it’s the slow burn. But it pays off big time when done right.

With always-on campaigns, strategic placements, and targeted storytelling, you keep your employer brand top-of-mind with passive candidates. These folks may not apply today, but when will the right role open up? They’ll already know your name.

What works:

• Always-on brand campaigns to stay visible 24/7
  
• Dynamic audience targeting to reach the right people, not just more people
  
• Passive candidate engagement to build familiarity long before the job post
  

Prioritizing the volume of hires means filling roles fast

Sometimes, speed is everything. You’ve got a short-staffed team and a deadline that won’t budge. That’s where job-specific advertising shines.

Tools like Symphony Talent’s SFX Job Amplifier get your roles in front of high-intent candidates quickly, while SFX Brand Amplifier keeps your reputation warm in the background. It’s about combining direct response with brand lift because even fast hiring needs long-term support.

What works:

• First-party data tools to personalize outreach and improve conversion
  
• Multi-channel targeting from social to streaming to DOOH (yep, even in-game ads!)
  
• Fast, focused messaging that gets the right eyeballs on the right roles
  

Don’t forget social: Your always-on storytelling engine

Social media is the one channel that powers both the employer brand and immediate hires. A mix of paid and organic social lets you share your employer's story, amplify job posts, and engage talent throughout their journey. Think colleague videos, day-in-the-life reels, and real talk in the comments (the kind of content that builds trust and drives action).

What works:

• Authentic storytelling that helps talent “meet” your brand
  
• Two-way engagement with job seekers already in your funnel (and those who aren’t yet)
  
• Audience expansion to reach people who don’t even know they’re interested in you … yet
  

So ... brand or hires?

The best answer is both. Today’s most effective recruitment media strategies blend employer brand visibility with role-specific urgency. It’s not about choosing one over the other; it’s about building a strategy that works on all fronts.

Because when you think bigger than “either/or,” you get the kind of hiring results that move your organization forward. 

Want help building a media plan that supports your brand and fills roles? Let’s talk.