Forget Buzz. Build a Brand People Are Proud Of First.

Feedback’s a funny thing. We talk about it like it’s a scarce resource, a national treasure, a holy grail. And for some, it’s even breakfast.

That’s because feedback, like real, honest, not-sandwiched feedback, can take us from good to great. It’s the key ingredient in becoming the best that you, your team, or your work can be.

But feedback can also be really hard to stomach.

Last month, I hosted my first-ever team offsite. HubSpot’s global Employer Brand team got in a room for two days here at HubSpot HQ to get aligned, inspired, and ready to do big things in 2020. Our team’s doubled in size over the past year, we’ve started to work with new markets and teams, and we’re trying to keep up with HubSpot’s evolving narrative about why this is a great place to work.

So, during the offsite, I led a brand identity workshop. The goal was to define our employer brand voice today, and align on what we aspire for it to be. But I also wanted our team to hear some tough feedback. Why? Because I don’t think we go out of our way enough to invite skepticism into our work.

That’s why a few weeks before the offsite, I sent out an anonymous form to employees, stakeholders, and alumni globally to collect feedback on HubSpot’s employer brand. I asked what three words they’d use to describe our brand, if it reflects their experience working at HubSpot, and what they’d change if they could wave a magic wand. And, I encouraged them to be a little bit tough on us — no patty cake feedback.

While the feedback wasn’t totally new or surprising, I was surprised by how hard I took it.

HubSpot’s a very transparent company — I know what our shortcomings are and where we need to improve the employee experience. But those flaws hit home reading employees’ own words about how they show up in our brand. The descriptors “young”, “fluffy”, “predictable”, and “sameness” came up a few times. We were (rightfully) pushed on not being global-first enough. People said they wish we’d focus less on the “puppies and rainbows” and “fight the idea that this is a company for millennials” by focusing on the work we do and customer impact.

Our brand is much bigger than one person or one team, but I still felt like I let HubSpotters down. I can’t fix HubSpot’s culture or diversity problems (we have an incredible DI&B team for that), but I can do something I wish I’d done earlier: build an employer brand that HubSpotters are proud of.

When you’re trying to build buzz around a brand, tough feedback can feel like a buzzkill. The work you do is personal and so feeling like you didn’t make a particular person feel represented or seen hits hard. But it’s exactly that kind of feedback that makes the best brands better and the best teams stronger. I’m grateful people feel comfortable enough to trust us with feedback that isn’t all unicorns and rainbows.

Turns out, no one wants an employer brand that’s all office dogs and beer gardens. That’s why our new goal is to create an employer brand that not only candidates love, but employees do, too. And thanks to the feedback from our offsite, I have a pretty good idea of where we can start improving, and who to go to for help.

The best brands are aspirational and constantly evolving. I hope our team, brand, and message are, too.