When Recognition Becomes an Identity

Words are never neutral in the workplace. They carry representations, expectations, and sometimes silent demands. The growing use of the word “talent” in recruitment illustrates this perfectly. Calling someone talented used to mean recognizing a specific ability or competence. Today, organizations increasingly speak as though individuals are talents. This subtle linguistic shift can transform a compliment into an identity that employees feel compelled to embody permanently. Instead of simply asking someone to perform their job professionally, the organization implicitly encourages them to live up to an image of excellence at all times.

This creates a form of psychological pressure at work, particularly when the label is introduced during recruitment or onboarding. A young graduate, software developer, accountant, or administrative employee who is told they belong to the company’s “talent” pool is not merely receiving recognition. They may also perceive an implicit expectation: if the organization considers them exceptional, they must constantly prove that they deserve this status. Mistakes, difficulties, uncertainty, or ordinary professional setbacks can then feel incompatible with the identity of being a “talent.” Recognition can therefore become an invisible performance requirement.

The Talent Label and the Pressure to Perform

The issue becomes particularly significant for employees at the beginning of their careers. Young professionals often enter organizations with a strong desire to succeed, but also with idealized expectations shaped by modern HR communication and employer branding. Recruitment campaigns may present employment as a transformative personal experience rather than as the exercise of a specific profession. Candidates are encouraged to see themselves as exceptional individuals joining an exceptional organization, rather than as professionals who will acquire experience, solve problems, make mistakes, and progressively develop their skills.

The article challenges this tendency by returning to a much simpler understanding of work. An accountant works with accounting files. A developer develops software. An administrative employee handles administrative tasks. A maintenance worker maintains facilities. There is nothing inherently unremarkable about these activities. Their value comes from the contribution they make to the organization and to its customers. The problem arises when modern management practices suggest that performing an ordinary but useful job is no longer enough — employees must also feel exceptional while doing it. By constantly embellishing professional identities, organizations may unintentionally weaken rather than strengthen employee self-esteem.

Authentic Employer Branding as a Retention Strategy

The article ultimately questions whether organizations should focus less on making employment appear extraordinary and more on describing it honestly. Employee retention does not necessarily depend on promising exceptional experiences. It can instead be strengthened by creating credible expectations around the actual work, responsibilities, professional development opportunities, and constraints associated with a role. An organization that openly explains what a position involves may appear less spectacular during recruitment, but it is more likely to establish a relationship based on trust.

This leads to a broader definition of authentic employer branding. The purpose of employer branding should not be to seduce candidates at any cost, but to create a sustainable relationship between the organization and its employees. Authenticity means recognizing professional skills without turning them into permanent identities, valuing ordinary work without disguising it, and accepting that employees can be competent, committed, and valuable while still making mistakes. Ultimately, organizations recruit people to build working relationships with them — not to maintain them indefinitely inside a fictional image of excellence.

Key Takeaways

• The word “talent” can create psychological pressure: transforming a professional into a “talent” may turn recognition into a permanent expectation of excellence.
• Professional identity should not become a performance requirement: employees should be allowed to make mistakes and experience difficulties without feeling that they have betrayed an organizational label.
• The recruitment promise must reflect workplace reality: excessive employer branding can create unrealistic expectations about everyday professional life.
• Employee engagement depends partly on credibility: when the reality of a position matches the expectations created during recruitment, trust and retention are more sustainable.
• Authentic employer branding is about truth, not seduction: organizations can build stronger relationships by recognizing skills, respecting professions, and communicating honestly about work

This English-language summary was generated by artificial intelligence based on an original article written in French by Laurent Boghossian, comedian, keynote speaker and leadership expert. The original French article, “Recruter au-delà des pièges du marketing RH (Le Vocabulaire RH – Partie 2/3)”, can be read here: Read the original French article