Reviews
Part of How to run employer branding reviews without guesswork
When to review employer branding buying criteria
Review employer branding requirements when data, wellbeing claims or capability needs change, then use a weighted scorecard to assess fit before demos.
What to take away
- Two things have changed the bar for employer branding buying decisions: candidate data handling under the Data Protection Act 2018, and wellbeing claims measured against HSE stress guidance.
- Run a product comparison when your data flows, claims or capability needs change, not on a fixed annual cycle.
- The Act gives candidates rights over their data, so check any platform holding applications or assessment results against your lawful basis.
- CIPD's Profession Map gives you a shared language for scoring recruitment capability, which stops comparison becoming a feature checklist.
- Score before and after each shortlist stage to show why a product moved up or down.
When a comparison is due
Data protection changes
A comparison is due when the personal data you hold on candidates changes shape. That includes a new applicant tracking feed, an AI screening step or a talent pool kept longer than planned. The Data Protection Act 2018 sets the statutory framework, and your lawful basis must survive the switch.
Is a comparison due?
Has candidate data changed shape?
run a comparison
document and review later
Ask each vendor to describe retention defaults in writing. If two suppliers answer differently for the same data type, that gap belongs in your scoring, not in an email after signing.
Wellbeing and capability claims
Comparison is also due when your careers site promises support you cannot evidence. HSE stress and mental health at work guidance describes what good management of work-related stress looks like, so a wellbeing module should map to it rather than to a wellness badge.
Capability is the second trigger. Use the CIPD Profession Map to define what your recruiters must do, then score products on whether they help people do it. This makes capability a testable requirement rather than a general claim.
How to structure the comparison
Write the brief before the demo
A demo rewards whichever vendor presents best, not whichever fits. Write the brief first: the roles you hire, the data you hold, the claims you publish. Then give every supplier the same brief and the same scoring sheet.
Before and after demo scores
Before score
- Data handling
- 6
- Wellbeing claims
- 7
- Reporting
- 5
- Integration
- 6
After score
- Data handling
- 8
- Wellbeing claims
- 5
- Reporting
- 7
- Integration
- 6
Keep the sheet to five weighted criteria. For example, a team paying £400 a month for a sourcing tool might weight data handling at 30 per cent, reporting at 25, integration at 20, support at 15 and price at 10. The weights are yours; the discipline is not.
Score before and after each stage
Record a score before the demo and again after it. Movement between the two columns is the signal. A product scoring 6 before and 8 after has answered your questions; one dropping from 7 to 5 has not. Apply the same scoring logic to each provider in the shortlist.
| Stage | Before score (out of 10) | After score (out of 10) | What moved it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data handling | 6 | 8 | Retention defaults confirmed in writing |
| Wellbeing claims | 7 | 5 | No mapping to HSE guidance |
| Reporting | 5 | 7 | Sample dashboard shown live |
| Integration | 6 | 6 | No change, still unverified |
Scores are illustrative examples, not benchmarks.
What to check before you sign
Contract terms and exit
Read the exit clause before the pricing page. Ask what happens to candidate records when the contract ends, how long exports take and who confirms deletion. A verbal answer is not an answer.
Check whether the price includes implementation, training and per-seat uplift. A headline £900 a month can become £1,300 once onboarding is added, so put both figures in one row.
Evidence and references
Ask for two references from organisations of a similar size and sector. Ask what broke in the first ninety days. Vendors expect the first question and rarely prepare for the second. Then name one accountable person and one reviewer, and publish the weighted scores to both.
Common questions
How often should we compare employer branding products?
Compare when something changes: a new data flow, a new claim, a new capability requirement. A calendar date alone is a weak trigger, and event-driven reviews tend to catch problems sooner.
Can we compare products without a formal procurement team?
Yes, provided the brief and scoring sheet exist before any demo. The method matters more than the job title of whoever runs it, and small teams often get better results because the reviewer is also the user.
What should we do if two products score the same?
Go back to the weighting, not the feature list. If the total is tied, one criterion is probably carrying too little weight. Re-score it with evidence rather than opinion.
