Interview with Denise Gredler, Founder & CEO, BestCompaniesAZ
This interview is with Denise Gredler, Founder & CEO, BestCompaniesAZ.
To kick us off, how do you describe your role as Founder & CEO of BestCompaniesAZ and the value your management consulting brings to Arizona employers’ brand and talent outcomes?
As Founder & CEO of BestCompaniesAZ, my role is to help employers elevate and amplify the great work they’re already doing by promoting their organization to a highly engaged audience. For more than 25 years, I’ve partnered with Arizona leaders to showcase their culture, leadership, and community outreach through a platform that provides consistent visibility—helping them attract talent, build customer confidence, and strengthen their reputation in a competitive market.
We often operate as an extension of our clients’ HR, Talent Acquisition, Marketing, and PR teams—aligning internal culture with external brand messaging. Our work is hands-on and focused on results. We help organizations identify their strengths, pursue credible workplace recognition, and consistently share their story so people clearly understand who they are and what they stand for.
One of our biggest differentiators is that we don’t just provide consulting—we bring a proven platform and a quality audience. Over the past 25 years, we’ve built a strong following through our website, social channels, and e-news communications that consistently reach professionals and decision-makers across Arizona. Our clients benefit from that visibility immediately. They’re not starting from scratch—they’re tapping into an established network and organic audience that already looks to us as a trusted source for information about employers and careers.
The result is stronger talent pipelines, deeper customer relationships, and greater visibility in the market. When organizations lead with their values and invest in their people, their brand becomes a magnet—not just for employees, but for customers, partners, and future opportunities.
At the end of the day, my role is to champion employers and help them connect their culture and brand to the growth and success they’re working to achieve.
Looking back, what pivotal experiences shaped your path into employer branding and talent strategy and influenced how you lead BestCompaniesAZ today?
Early in my career, when I served as VP of HR for an Arizona-based company, I had the opportunity to help build the culture from the inside out. That organization went on to earn national recognition—achieving rankings of No. 12 and No. 16 on Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list in consecutive years, becoming the first company in Arizona ever recognized on that prestigious list. That experience showed me firsthand that culture isn’t just an internal priority—it’s a powerful differentiator that drives performance, reputation, and long-term growth.
When I founded BestCompaniesAZ, it was rooted in that realization. I saw many organizations doing the right things for their people but not telling their story in a way that built trust with talent, customers, and the community. I also recognized that when employers clearly communicate their culture and values, they attract people who align with their mission and strengthen relationships with the communities they serve. That insight shaped my path into employer branding and talent strategy.
Today, I lead with that same mindset—helping employers align their culture, leadership, and story so that what they promise externally truly reflects what employees experience internally. When that alignment is strong, organizations build credibility, strengthen their brand, and create workplaces and communities where people want to stay, grow, and contribute.
Bringing that to the local market, what proven playbook have you used to turn third‑party recognition in Arizona into a steady pipeline of qualified, values‑aligned candidates?
We've built our approach around credibility and consistency. Third-party recognition—whether it's Top Workplaces, Most Admired Companies, or other respected awards—creates immediate trust because it's earned, not claimed. It helps validate an organization's culture, leadership, and commitment to their people.
But the playbook doesn't stop with the recognition itself. We help companies activate that recognition across multiple channels so their story stays visible and relevant in the community year-round, not just during hiring cycles. That includes consistent storytelling, community visibility, and ongoing engagement with the audiences they want to reach.
When candidates see consistent examples of culture, leadership, and community impact, they begin to self-select. That's when you move from attracting high volume to alignment, and that's what creates a sustainable pipeline of the right talent.
To keep efforts accountable, which early signals across your ATS, CRM, and career‑site data have been most predictive of quality‑of‑hire in your programs?
As a third-party platform, we don’t manage our clients’ ATS or CRM systems—we focus on showcasing their careers and culture to attract the right audience and drive qualified candidates to their hiring platforms. Our clients track downstream results, and many share data with us that help confirm where we’re making the greatest impact.
One of the most consistent early indicators is the quality of the referral source. Clients often tell us they can quickly recognize candidates who discovered them through our platform because those individuals arrive more informed about the organization and more intentional about their interest. That early alignment typically translates into stronger engagement during the hiring process and better retention after hire.
We also monitor engagement signals on our own platform—such as repeat visits to employer profiles, clicks through to career pages, and interaction with employee stories. Those behaviors show that candidates are taking time to understand the organization before applying, which is often a strong predictor of long-term fit.
From a performance standpoint, several clients have shared that our platform consistently ranks among their top referral sources—sometimes outperforming national job boards and media channels in driving traffic to their career sites. In one case, a client reported that our efforts generated dozens of offers in a single year, with more than half of those candidates ultimately hired and retained.
Ultimately, accountability for us means driving informed interest, not just volume. When candidates engage with an employer’s story early, the data typically show stronger alignment, higher retention, and employees who stay and grow with the organization.
Continuing with storytelling, what LinkedIn content format—especially around community impact, arts/culture, or the Arizona outdoors—has driven the biggest lift with passive candidates?
We've seen the biggest lift from posts that show employees and leaders in action—real moments that reflect the organization’s culture and values. Whether it's volunteering, participating in local events, supporting the arts, or enjoying the Arizona lifestyle, those images and stories give passive candidates a clear sense of what it feels like to be part of the organization.
From a format standpoint, short videos and photo-driven posts consistently perform best. They're simple, authentic, and easy to engage with. Posts that feature employees themselves—rather than polished marketing messages—tend to generate stronger interaction and longer engagement because they feel genuine.
We also see a strong response when companies highlight everyday experiences, not just major initiatives. A team volunteering together, celebrating a milestone, or participating in an outdoor event often resonates more than a formal announcement because it shows the human side of the organization.
Passive candidates are often observing long before they apply. When organizations consistently share authentic moments that reflect their culture and values, they build familiarity and credibility over time—and that steady visibility is what turns awareness into interest and, ultimately, into applications.
To make that sustainable, what single practice has helped you spark authentic employee advocacy at scale without it feeling scripted?
The single practice we see that makes the biggest difference is consistent, visible leadership communication. When leaders regularly share updates, recognize employees, and stay connected to what’s happening across the organization, it builds trust and pride.
From there, advocacy happens naturally. Employees are more willing to share their experiences, support company initiatives, and talk about where they work because they feel informed and valued—not because they were asked to post something.
What makes this sustainable is keeping communication simple and authentic. Leaders who show up regularly, highlight team successes, and model the organization’s values create an environment where employees want to share their stories. That kind of advocacy doesn’t come from a campaign—it grows from a culture people are proud to represent.
Shifting to the EVP, how do you advise Arizona employers to balance salary trends with differentiated benefits and wellness to win critical talent in a competitive market?
Salary will always be important, especially in a competitive market. But what we
re seeing across Arizona is that candidates are evaluating the full experience, not just the paycheck. They want to understand how an employer supports their well-being, growth, and ability to balance work and life.
I advise employers to stay competitive on salary but place equal focus on clearly communicating the benefits and workplace experience that set them apart: flexibility, accessible leadership, wellness resources, career development, and a culture that supports employees as people, not just workers. Those factors are often the deciding factor when candidates are choosing between similar offers.
The organizations that win critical talent are the ones that present a balanced Employee Value Proposition: competitive pay paired with a culture people trust, leaders who are visible and engaged, and benefits that support employees both professionally and personally. When that balance is clear and consistently communicated, employers are better positioned to attract and retain the talent they need to grow.
On the leadership side in startup cultures, what weekly manager ritual have you coached that measurably improves engagement, performance, and retention?
One of the most effective weekly practices I’ve seen—especially in startup and high-growth environments—is a consistent manager check-in with their team. It’s not a long meeting; it’s just a regular touchpoint to listen, recognize progress, and remove roadblocks.
When managers take time each week to connect with their employees, it builds trust and keeps communication strong. Small issues get addressed early, employees feel supported, and leaders stay close to what’s really happening on the front lines.
We also encourage leaders to make recognition part of their weekly routine—acknowledging wins, celebrating team contributions, and reinforcing company values. It doesn’t have to be formal. A quick thank-you or public recognition in a team meeting can make a meaningful difference.
Over time, that simple habit of listening, communicating, and recognizing people consistently leads to stronger engagement, better performance, and higher retention.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise. Is there anything else you'd like to add?
In today’s competitive talent market, culture and leadership matter more than ever. Candidates are paying attention to how organizations show up—not just in their job postings, but in their communication, their actions, and the way they support their people every day.
Arizona has a strong business community and a collaborative spirit. Employers who invest in their people and lead with purpose will continue to stand out. When leaders remain visible, communicate consistently, and create opportunities for employees to feel connected to meaningful work, they build workplaces where people want to stay and grow.
At the end of the day, attracting and retaining great talent isn’t about a single program or initiative. It’s about building trust over time and demonstrating, through consistent actions, that people truly matter.