DON'T read this email
The psychology of top talent & a kooky EB campaign
Insight
A psychologist’s guide to what top talent wants
We caught up with Dr Eric Frazer to unravel the secrets of hiring high-performers.
Inspiration
DON’T look at this EB campaign
If you’re still reading this sentence, we may have proved that a bit of good-old-fashioned reverse psychology still does the trick.
At least, that’s what US defence technology startup Anduril was banking on with its latest recruitment campaign, “Don’t Work at Anduril.”
With an edgy graffiti style and pithy headlines – “Don’t work here. The snacks suck” and “Don’t work here. You will get free body armour” – this kooky campaign rolled out in Boston, and has since taken off on X and LinkedIn.
(Though at first, its audience just assumed it had been hacked.)
And while reverse psychology is nothing new in marketing – Remember Patagonia’s “Don’t buy this jacket” campaign or Visit OSLO’s “Is it even a city?” – the technique takes on new heights when used for recruitment by a company that makes AI-powered defence systems.
With wry humour, Anduril takes a swipe at cushy Silicon Valley tech companies with their nap pods and 4 hour work days. The message? This is not a place for people who want to coast.
As the careers website says:
It’s hard work, on hard problems, in hard mode. If that isn’t for you, then Anduril isn’t the place for you.
Of course, funky fonts and poking fun at Google can’t camouflage the fact Anduril is making military-grade weapons. What they can do is throw down the gauntlet for ambitious talent who don’t mind a bit of ethical ambiguity.
Wherever you sit on the company’s morals, this campaign had passers-by doing exactly what Anduril wanted – double takes.
Event
RecFest takeaways
This year’s event in Knebworth was a hoot – but we came home with more than just merch and a tan line.
Here two of our top takeaways from RecFest 2025.
Employer Brand Leaders are asking bigger questions
Conversations on our stand kept circling back to this: How do we shift perceptions of our brand, not just drive hires?
From reputation challenges to regional hiring needs, more leaders are treating employer brand as a strategic lever – not just a campaign. The brief is growing, and the opportunity is bigger than ever.
Creative content matters again (and that’s a good thing)
Yes, media still matters. But more brands are realising that media spend without creative storytelling is a waste of budget.
We spoke to in-house teams who are actively looking for fresh ideas, not just ad placements. It’s about combining creative and campaign thinking to reach the right people and say the right thing.
For more zesty RecFesty insights, check out 👉 this post.
Julie’s top trick
Rational and emotional
Candidates make decisions on your company with their head, hands and heart.
Head – Do they trust in the company’s vision, stability, leadership and values?
Hands – Are there opportunities to do meaningful work, advance their career and make an impact?
Heart – Will they feel supported, valued, connected and cared for?
Your job:
Use your employer brand to speak to all three desires so candidates can make the most informed decision.
Want more nifty tools like this one?
✅ To-do list
📚 READ: They thought AI tools were helping them code faster…
They made them slower across the board.
🤔 LEARN: More than half of fresh grads are struggling to get a job
Gen Z are finding it tougher than Millennials to get on the ladder.
😁 SMILE: Walmart’s social media pics are hilarious
We’ll take Charlene’s milk moustache over bland corporate stuff any day of the week.
🔢 STAT: The wrong hire could cost you up to $850,000, HR agencies estimate
Pssst. Got thoughts? Questions? Links to cat videos?
Drop us a comment. (It makes us feel popular.)