In HealthTech, purpose goes beyond selling products – innovations are designed to change lives, improve a level of service and drive the health industry forward. Yet innovation alone isn’t enough. To lead the market, you need a trusted brand that communicates your values and mission, and a team who believes in your technology and can champion it.
I recently joined a roundtable of HealthTech experts, where we discussed the importance of brands communicating their message clearly and consistently – and what companies in the sector can do to create an attractive place to work. Read the full discussion to learn more.
Why is employer branding important for HealthTech?
The top 1,000 HealthTech startups in the UK were valued at £32bn in 2024 and employed around 30,000 people. While demand is high, could stifle growth and innovation, making the search for talent even more competitive. HealthTech brands need to stand out to attract the next generation of talent, which is where employer branding comes into play.
If you know what your brand stands for, you’ll improve your chances of hiring employees who can drive forward change for good. Candidates today don’t apply for roles based on salary alone – they look for shared values and initiatives such as sustainability. So if your purpose and values align, talented candidates may choose you over a larger, more established brand.
Employer branding is even more important for smaller HealthTech companies and startups, because your brand can differentiate you from the onset. You may have a life-changing product but to get it to the next level, and secure investment, you need to articulate what it stands for both internally with employees and externally. You’ll be in a better position once you scale up to recruit and retain the right talent.
Employees are your most credible brand advocates
Employees communicate your brand more than anyone else – if they don’t believe in it or technology, the impact can be huge. On the other hand, if employees are natural advocates of your brand, you can build credibility in an authentic way – critical to securing investment and driving adoption of your tech. One way to do this is through employee-generated content (EGC) on social media channels like LinkedIn, where they can share their experiences and journeys of working for your brand.
For example, . It already has a strong reputation as a technology leader but it’s also recognised as a top employer, with employees regularly sharing news about projects like artificial intelligence (AI) or sustainability initiatives.
“The strongest brands are those who know who they are and what they stand for. HealthTech companies have a built-in purpose, which is ultimately to improve patient outcomes, so they have a greater opportunity to connect with employees and customers. Clearly define your purpose, values and mission, so they can champion what you stand for.”
Leon Summers, Art Director at Warbox
Employer branding and visibility in AI search
If you position your brand too wide and broad, you risk becoming wallpaper. Traditional search engines, and large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, trust and cite brands that have consistent, clear messaging.
Strong employee branding can improve visibility and sentiment in AI search, and you can demonstrate credibility through employee reviews and case studies. When positive sentiment is coming from real people inside the company, it’s more likely to be trusted. AI also pulls in first-party data from sites like Reddit or Glassdoor, so if employees champion your brand online and across social media, you can improve brand trust.
Five tips to build a strong employer brand
Investing in your employer brand is just as important as your consumer brand. Doing it early ensures that when you’re ready to scale, recruitment and retention will be easier because you will have already established trust.
“Within HealthTech, the most important things are trust, integrity, reassurance, honesty and transparency, and if you hit those pillars and reinforce them, employees are more likely to believe what you're telling them. Clear and consistent messaging also helps with that.”
Leon Summers, Art Director at Warbox
1. Share the people behind the brand
Candidates want to hear from real employees, so ensure you have a human-centred, engaging website that reflects your team. For example, including pictures of staff on team pages and adding their personal values and experience to bios. A good user journey can also establish you as a credible brand – and add statistics such as retention rate, employee reviews and case studies to career pages.
2. Don’t cloud the brand with waffle
Most HealthTech brands know their product inside-out but they need to succinctly tell people what the brand is about, whether that’s candidates or investors. Keep your messaging clear and simple, so your employees can communicate the brand.
3. Communicate the same message outwards and inwards
If your consumer and employer brand contrasts, you could fail to bring employees in on the brand journey. Treat employees the same way you would customers to build trust, for example, share a video of the CEO introducing the brand and how the technology helps people during onboarding.
4. Bring your team together
Organise in-person events like away days that live up to your values because when employees see and experience your brand, they feel part of it. It’s also important to have motivational messages throughout workspaces to reinforce that, for example, with
5. Listen to your employees
Get feedback from your team regularly to find out . If it doesn’t align, you can reinforce key messages.
Customer case study: Tachmed
With over 20 years’ experience working in creative agencies, including creating brand identities for HealthTech companies, I’ve seen firsthand how a strong brand can drive growth.
At Warbox, we worked with medical solutions provider Tachmed to help it adopt a new brand identity as it scaled up for both consumers and employees. I knew once the brand secured investment, they would need to employ more people, and with a strong employer brand, they could hit the ground running.
We created a vision for its website and digital platforms, including language, tone of voice, fonts and imagery to reinforce who the brand is and where it’s going.
Invest in your employer brand
As a director at brand communications agency Warbox, I help businesses get the foundation of their brand right, so they’re set for growth. Strong employer branding is even more important for HealthTech companies who need investors, customers and search engines to trust them.
Find out .