Managing employer brand across markets spanning from New Zealand to Morocco sounds impossible. Add in the pressure of representing a global beauty brand while staying authentic, and you've got a recipe for paralysis. Yet Natasha Wahap, who leads employer branding for L'Oréal's SAMA zone (South Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa), has cracked the code.
After 13 years in employer branding – "before employer branding was even a thing" – she's mastered the art of global consistency with local agility through a deceptively simple framework.
Recorded live in Singapore, Natasha sat down with hosts David Macciocca and Emma Lang sit down to explore what it really means to stay agile in an ever-changing employer brand world.
"We have this concept in L'Oréal called freedom within the frame. And I love that about our company," Natasha explains.
The frame provides milestones, agenda, and objectives. But within it? Local teams have flexibility to adapt to market nuances.
"We have a global EVP that is super clear, but we also think a lot about our recruitment needs in our markets. Where are the gaps and adjust accordingly and have these beautiful local adaptations."
This isn't just corporate speak. At the beginning of each year, Natasha's team makes a plan with a critical caveat: "Note it is going to change." That acknowledgment, that plans will evolve, gives teams permission to stay adaptive rather than rigidly executing against outdated strategies.
One of Natasha's most valuable insights? Her "biggest partners in crime" aren't in talent acquisition at all. They're in corporate affairs, engagement, media, and advocacy teams.
"They actually have a great pulse in terms of what's going on," she notes, including a crisis and issues director who helps her make real-time calls like pulling campaigns that no longer fit the moment.
This proximity to external perspectives fundamentally shapes employer brand. "Those days are gone where you just put a video out and post it on LinkedIn," Natasha warns. "You have to be really smart with how you utilise the tools you already have in the organisation."
By aligning with teams that manage programmatic marketing, media buying, and advocacy, Natasha's team scales capabilities while continuously upskilling. "You're the expert in people but they're the expert in the tools."
The secret to building these relationships? "Finding a common objective and shared KPIs," Natasha explains. When teams have aligned goals, conversations become easier, win-win situations emerge and there's room to experiment.
The irony isn't lost on anyone: how do you show authentic, imperfect employee stories when your consumer brand is about glamour and polish? Natasha pushes back on the premise. "In L'Oréal, it's not perfection that we're after. A lot of people think when you're in a beauty company it has to be perfect, your nails has to be done, your lipstick has to be on. But we really celebrate beauty on an individual basis. Everyone is unique – we call it beauty for all."
L'Oréal's commitment goes beyond words. The company created an AI framework explicitly prohibiting AI-generated human images. "There is absolutely no way we're going to ever generate humans through AI in any of the stuff that we sell," Natasha emphasises.
This anchoring in authenticity gives employer brand teams permission to show real people in real moments. TikTok testimonials? "Easy to shoot, as long as the message is consistent." The global team can have editorial-style content while local markets show someone straight to camera with a mic in hand talking about why they enjoy coming to work.
For teams wanting to create similar agility without L'Oréal's resources, Natasha offers three concrete steps:
Make friends outside your ecosystem. "In employer branding most of the time you're alone. You're neither a marketing headcount or a HR headcount." Find your tribe – Natasha's includes media advocacy, content teams, and employee engagement.
Get strong global sponsors. "Have someone that can really mentor you through building a framework that makes sense for them, that makes sense for you, that makes sense for your team."
Always test with pilots. "Don't go in with your guidelines like 'guys, this is how we're going to do it.' Test on two different types of markets. One that's more mature, one that's more digital native." Ground-up movements create advocates who champion the framework within their own ecosystems.
As Natasha's experience proves, agility doesn't mean chaos. It means building the right frame, finding the right partners, and giving teams permission to adapt beautifully to their local realities.