When I first joined Coca-Cola HBC, my role was meant to support the Talent Acquisition team. I expected to focus on recruitment tasks, helping with hiring processes and candidate coordination. But somewhere along the way, my path shifted.

I moved into the Employer Branding team, and that’s when I started to see HR from a completely different perspective.

Discovering the Power of Employer Branding

At first, my work was hands-on and creative. I supported the team in producing videos and visual content for internal communication. I worked on initiatives like the Jubilee Program, where we celebrated and expressed gratitude to employees who had been with the company for many years. I also contributed to school visits and career fairs, helping present the company to students and early-career talent.

On the surface, these activities might seem very different from recruitment. But over time, I realized they are deeply connected. Because before someone applies, before they accept an offer, before they even consider your company… they need to feel something.

HR Is Also About Telling Stories

This experience made me realize that HR is not only about processes, policies, or hiring targets.

It’s also about how you tell your story as a company.

Every video, every post, every event carries a message:

• What kind of company are we?

• What do we value?

• Why should people join us?

• Why should employees stay?

Through content creation, I learned how to translate culture into something visible and relatable. Not just for external candidates, but also for internal employees. Because employer branding doesn’t only attract talent. It also connects people who are already inside the company.

Balancing Creativity and Understanding People

What I enjoyed the most was being able to use my creative side in HR. But creativity alone wasn’t enough. To create meaningful content, I had to:

• Understand the company’s identity and values

• Listen to what employees care about

• Recognize what makes people feel appreciated and seen

For example, in the Jubilee Program, it wasn’t just about celebrating years of service. It was about making employees feel that their time, effort, and loyalty truly mattered. And that required more than design or video skills. It required empathy.

What I Took Away

This journey changed how I see HR. It showed me that:

• You don’t just “sell” a company to candidates

• You also help employees feel proud of where they work

Employer branding sits right in the middle of those two goals. And when done well, it creates something powerful: A workplace where people not only join, but also stay, grow, and believe in the brand.

For me, this experience was more than just a role change. It was the moment I realized that HR can be both strategic and creative at the same time.

And that’s exactly where I want to grow.