How to build a personal brand and HR marketing: a conversation with Nicole Tomanek
Does a personal brand hinder or help in recruitment? How is AI changing the work of content creators? And why can a series of webinars be more effective than a single event? Adrianna Wardzała talked about all this with Nicole Tomanek, author of the book "HR bez Tabu" (HR without Taboos), digital creator and HR marketing consultant, who recently decided to go fully independent.
Watch the conversation (in Polish).
Full episode of the SUURowo o marketingu podcast.
From a full-time job to her own brand
Nicole says that the moment she moved from a full-time job to creating content and running her own company full-time was a breakthrough: "People saw my peak of online recognition, and that was when I was at my unhappiest. It was a huge burden: a full-time job, my own company, a book, lectures. Today the stressors are different: negotiations with clients, strategic decisions. But at least I know I'm doing it on my own terms."
A personal brand in HR: an asset or an obstacle?
Nicole has no doubt: a personal brand is one of the biggest assets in recruitment and employer branding today.
"Programmers with blogs, recruiters active on social media - that's a portfolio that says more than a CV. Sometimes I hear that the best people don't have social media accounts. But I ask: what's wrong with being known for what you actually publish?"
This is an important lesson for brands too: employee-generated content only works when it is authentic, not "made to fit the marketing".
The biggest mistakes companies make when working with experts
From Nicole's perspective, many companies still approach collaboration with creators and industry experts the wrong way. What mistakes do they make most often? No metrics (e.g. dedicated links or clear KPIs), mixing visibility and sales goals, and expecting results "after one post".
"If a client doesn't tell me their goals, I ask myself: is it about sales or visibility? Otherwise nobody will take responsibility for the result."
AI in content creation: helper or threat?
Nicole takes a practical approach to AI: "I write myself, and I ask AI to structure and organise. When I let it come up with ideas, I had more work than if I'd done it from scratch. The most important thing is to keep your own point of view - AI won't come up with that for us."
A valuable tip: AI can be a support, but it won't replace a creator's authentic voice.
Webinars that actually work
In a time of content overload, Nicole has found a way to attract attention: "Webinar series work best. People sign up not for a single event, but for the whole series. That's a completely different level of engagement and better leads."
What irritates her most? A lack of respect for participants' time: long introductions, delays and lack of preparation. That's the quickest way to lose viewers.
3 lessons from Nicole Tomanek
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