The Chad & Cheese Podcast Becoming Choosable: The Future of Employer Branding w/ James Ellis
Feb 24, 2026
James Ellis, founder of Employer Brand Labs and author of Becoming Choosable, explains why being choosable beats being merely attractive. He critiques Super Bowl-style fluff and connects employer branding to real business growth. Conversations cover the NFL’s branding challenges, ATS-driven hiring pitfalls, social media and employee advocacy, and how clarity and specificity win talent.
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Employer Brand As A Business Weapon
- Employer brand should be framed as a business growth tool, not fluffy marketing, to get leadership buy-in.
- James Ellis calls it a Trojan horse: teach TA to say “we are losing deals because we cannot hire great people.”
Being Choosable Beats Being Attractive
- Becoming choosable means making your company clearly different so candidates can choose you, not default-apply everywhere.
- Ellis: want two killer applicants, not a thousand mediocre ones; clarity on offer drives fit.
Make It Easy For Candidates To Differentiate Themselves
- Stand out by signaling specific values and outcomes so candidates can write unique, differentiated applications.
- James explains AI ranks patterns; candidates who say something different about fit will float to the top.
