Fashion fades. Trends stick (if you pick the right ones).
London Fashion Week is here again. The runways are full of bold statements, outrageous looks, and trends that will dominate TikTok for a fortnight before disappearing back into the archives. That’s the thing about fashion — some trends stick, some don’t. And when it comes to your employer brand, the same rules apply. The question isn’t “what’s hot right now?” but “what’s worth holding onto?”
The difference between a trend and a truth
Trends are tempting. They feel fresh, modern and a little bit exciting. They’re the thing everyone’s talking about at the moment. But they don’t all have staying power. In employer branding, a “trend” might be building a virtual office in the metaverse, launching a shiny TikTok campaign, or throwing in free avocado toast on Tuesdays. These ideas make a splash. But will they matter to your people in two years’ time? Probably not.
Truths, on the other hand, are the big shifts. Flexible working isn’t a fad. Neither is diversity, equity and inclusion. Nor is a culture that supports wellbeing and psychological safety. These aren’t “nice to haves” — they’re baseline expectations. And if you ignore them in favour of a trendier distraction, you’ll be building your employer brand on sand.
Why chasing trends can backfire
Employer brands live and die by credibility. If you slap a trend on top of your EVP because it’s what everyone else is doing — but it doesn’t reflect reality — people will notice. And nothing dates faster than yesterday’s hype. Think about the “we’re a family” line that dominated job ads for years. Sounds warm. Feels nice. Until employees realise that “family” actually means unpaid overtime and no boundaries. Suddenly, the shiny trend isn’t just irrelevant — it’s damaging.
Candidates are savvy. Employees even more so. They’ll spot the gap between what you say and what you do. And once you lose trust, no amount of glossy trend-chasing will bring it back.
When a trend can actually help
That’s not to say all trends are bad news. Some are brilliant testing grounds. If a new platform, idea or format helps you reach different audiences or tell your story in a fresh way, it’s worth exploring. TikTok recruitment campaigns, for example, can work brilliantly if you’re genuinely trying to reach younger audiences and you’re prepared to commit to the format. The danger comes when you use it as a one-off gimmick.
The golden rule? Trends only work if they fit with your brand DNA. They should amplify your story, not rewrite it. If you’re known for innovation, leaning into an emerging tech trend makes sense. If your whole EVP is built on stability and consistency, jumping on every flashy new thing will just feel off-brand.
How to spot what’s worth keeping
When deciding whether to adopt a trend into your employer brand, ask yourself three simple questions:
Does it reflect who we really are?
If it doesn’t align with your values and culture, it’ll fall flat.
Does it matter to the people we want to attract and keep?
Trends should solve a real need, not just look good in a press release.
Will it still matter in two years?
If the answer’s no, think twice before investing.
By filtering trends through these questions, you’ll quickly see which ones are worth weaving into your EVP and which ones should stay on the catwalk.
Building for the long-term
The strongest employer brands aren’t built on hype. They’re built on clarity, consistency and culture. They flex with the times, yes, but they don’t abandon their core identity every time something shiny comes along. Instead, they borrow from trends that fit, discard the ones that don’t, and focus on the bigger picture: creating a place where people actually want to work.
So as London Fashion Week wraps up and the headlines move on to next season’s must-haves, remember this: fashion is built on moments. Employer brands are built to last. Play with the trends, enjoy them, take inspiration from them — but only keep the ones that fit your people and your purpose. Because the best brands don’t follow trends, they set them.
