The beauty industry moves faster than most.
New brands launch daily, trends evolve quickly through social media and influencers - and the pressure to innovate never sleeps.
But while most beauty brands focus on capturing customer attention, fewer put the same energy into attracting and retaining employees - a major missed opportunity.
According to McKinsey’s 2023 report on the global beauty market, the industry is set to hit $580 billion by 2027, with talent demand growing across R&D, marketing, retail, and digital experience. The companies that stand out will be the ones that treat their people like brand ambassadors, not just staff.
That’s where your employer brand comes in, it’s your company’s reputation as a place to work - and in beauty, perception is everything.
So let’s get started and lay out the steps required to build your employer brands.
Step 1 - Let Your Employees Tell Their Story
Nothing builds trust faster than hearing real stories from real people inside your business.
Vouch is a video testimonial tool designed exactly for this, it empowers you to:
- Capture authentic employee experiences
- Share videos across social media, job listings, and careers pages
- Arm recruiters with real voices that resonate with candidates
Step 2 - Define Your Employer Value Propositions (EVPs)
Your employer value proposition (EVP) is the promise you make to current and future employees.
It’s not just about salary. It’s about why your company is a great place to grow.
In the beauty industry, top candidates often choose based on:
- Brand mission and values such as sustainability and inclusivity
- Opportunities for creative work or innovation
- Internal career progression and cross-training
- Company culture and flexibility
Think about what makes your brand special to work for, and communicate that clearly everywhere candidates interact with you.
Bring your employer brand to life
- Empower employees’ storytelling
- Transform careers sites with video
- AI-driven video editing
- Publish videos anywhere
Step 3 - Be Transparent About Growth, Not Just Glamour
The beauty industry is designed to be glamorized on many levels
But once the newness of working in the industry wears off, what top talent really wants is clarity about roles, growth, and company culture.
How to be more transparent:
- Create clear job descriptions that explain real responsibilities, using video for more impact
- Create honest expectations for KPIs, performance, and career path
- Sharing stories of employee progression inside your brand
This builds trust, and helps you attract people who’ll stay and grow your brand, not transition after six months.
Step 4 - Invest in Onboarding That Feels Like Brand Experience
Your onboarding process should reflect your brand personality—and give new hires confidence in their decision.
In beauty, this is even more important because:
- Many hires are customer-facing (retail, salons, influencers)
- First impressions influence brand loyalty internally
- Onboarding is often the first structured experience with your culture
To elevate your onboarding try:
- Use video messages from leaders and team members (again, Vouch is ideal)
- Include digital training kits that reflect your visual identity
- Create welcome kits that introduce brand values and rituals
Step 5 - Showcase Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
DEI is no longer a nice-to-have in beauty, it’s expected, especially in a sector that directly serves people of every age, skin tone, gender, and background.
According to McKinsey’s 2023 Inclusive Consumer Report, inclusive brands grow 2x faster than their non-inclusive competitors.
But for employees, it’s not about slogans, it’s about:
- Representation in leadership and product development
- A safe, supportive workplace culture
- Employee resource groups and mentorship programs
So show, not just tell what you’re doing around diversity, inclusion, and belonging. This is also where Vouch can help.
Step 6 - Turn Your Employees into Influencers
Your own employees are your most trusted voices.
Encourage your employees to share:
- Behind-the-scenes content from product launches, events, or stores
- Personal employee stories about working at your brand
- Product knowledge or career tips on social media
Beauty professionals often have their own followings, so when they’re proud to associate with your brand, that’s organic, authentic employer branding.
Offer recognition or perks for those who share, but don’t script them. Authenticity wins every time.
Step 7 - Use Feedback to Refine the Employee Experience
The beauty industry is feedback-driven with customers, so why not apply that same energy internally?
Top brands listen to their people win, here’s how you can better gather feedback:
- Run anonymous employee engagement surveys such as capturing spotlight videos
- Conduct exit interviews with departing team members
- Create regular feedback channels through town halls or team meetings
- Act on what you hear, and communicate what you’re improving
According to a Qualtrics 2023 report, companies that act on employee feedback have 40% higher retention rates.
Step 8 - Create Purpose And Beauty Beyond Your Products
Today’s talent, especially younger generations, want to work for brands with purpose.
In beauty, that means:
- Sustainability initiatives such asclean ingredients, eco-friendly packaging and more
- Mental health and wellbeing support internally in your company
- Ethical supply chains and cruelty-free testing
- Charity partnerships or social impact programs
Remember, your employer brand is always stronger when people feel like they’re part of something bigger.
Top 10 Beauty Companies Globally (Direct Employers)
- L’Oréal - World’s largest cosmetics company with over 88,000 employees. Revenue: $43B. https://www.loreal.com
- Estée Lauder Companies - Owner of brands like MAC, Clinique, and La Mer. 62,000 employees. Revenue: $17.7B. https://www.elcompanies.com
- Unilever (Beauty & Personal Care Division) - Over 128,000 employees across all divisions. Revenue (beauty segment): $24B. https://www.unilever.com
- Procter & Gamble (Beauty Segment) - 107,000 employees across divisions. Beauty brands include Olay and Pantene. Revenue (beauty): $13B. https://us.pg.com
- Shiseido - Japanese beauty powerhouse with 33,000 employees. Revenue: $7.9B. https://www.shiseido.com
- Coty - Brands include CoverGirl, Rimmel, and Kylie Cosmetics. 11,000 employees. Revenue: $5.5B. https://www.coty.com
- Beiersdorf - Owner of NIVEA, Eucerin, and La Prairie. 20,000 employees. Revenue: $9.5B. https://www.beiersdorf.com
- Amorepacific - South Korean brand group behind Laneige, Innisfree. 10,000+ employees. Revenue: $4.1B. https://www.amorepacific.com
- Natura & Co - Owner of The Body Shop, Aesop, Avon. 30,000+ employees. Revenue: $7B. https://www.naturaeco.com
- LVMH (Perfumes & Cosmetics Division) - Includes Dior Beauty, Fenty Beauty. Revenue (beauty): $8.2B. https://www.lvmh.com
FAQs
What is employer branding in the beauty industry?
It’s how your company is perceived by current and potential employees. This includes your culture, values, reputation, and the experience people have while working for you.
Why is employer branding important for beauty companies?
The beauty industry is competitive, fast-changing, and public-facing. Strong employer branding helps attract creative, motivated, and skilled talent and keeps them engaged long-term.
How can small beauty companies build a strong employer brand?
Focus on storytelling with tools like Vouch, offer growth opportunities, communicate your values clearly, and build a strong, inclusive team culture.
What makes a good employer brand in beauty?
Authenticity, clear communication, support for employees, inclusivity, and alignment between internal culture and external brand image.
How does employer branding affect hiring?
A positive employer brand reduces time-to-hire, lowers recruitment costs, and attracts higher-quality candidates who align with your mission.
Can employer branding improve retention?
Yes. When employees feel valued, included, and aligned with company goals, they’re much more likely to stay and grow with your business.
How often should beauty companies update their employer branding content?
At least once a year, or anytime your business goes through major changes like a rebrand, leadership change, or company expansion.
Summary
Building a strong employer brand in the beauty industry isn’t just about perks or polished job ads. It’s about authenticity, purpose, and connection.
Start with tools like Vouch to share real employee stories, then back that up with meaningful action that shows you care about your people.
See Why Employer Branding Managers Love Vouch!
Loved by companies like Canva, Nike, Cisco, HubSpot, Amazon, and more, tools like Vouch make employer branding in your business remarkably easy.
Book a Vouch demo today and chat with an employer branding expert about your business needs.
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