Industry professionals argue that to build brand equity, hiring the right people is essential. I couldn’t agree more. Employees embody the brand. I think most firms, in any industry, would do well to link marketing and human resources more. For example, I would imagine many companies use their graphic designers to serve both departments, but it would serve both parties to carefully integrate their visions. Prospective employees need to understand the company’s vision and mission from day one, and what better way to gain that knowledge than to be engaged in the brand throughout the recruitment process?