A sit down with Tsz

We sat down with one of our co-founders, Tsz Wu, to discuss his journey into employer branding, where he thinks the landscape is heading, and his time as Chair of Judges for the RAD awards this year. 

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‍So how did you get into employer branding? 

I fell into employer branding by accident, to be completely honest. I studied design at the Glasgow School of Art, and wanted to work in web design. So I interviewed for roles in web production at the ’trendy’ Soho studios. They were disorganised and grotty but wanted to play on the Soho status. 

I then decided to send my portfolio to Barkers, the world's oldest advertisement institution. I interviewed for the employer brand section, and it was organised and professional; I walked upstairs into a crazy room which was like a 70s private disco room, all mirrored, and eccentric. As I was an art student, I knew I belonged here - it was an open-plan, creative environment. My first impression of employer branding was that it was a lot more personable - you could talk to clients directly, and you had the leverage to change institutions, which really resonated with me and the work I wanted to do.

I was then poached to work for Work Communications, a part of the business that was set up with great people from other agencies who were impressive creatives and deep thinkers - I picked up a lot of skills there.

My final step before starting Pink Squid was to head the Web & Digital Department at TMP Worldwide, where I met Manj, who was the Creative Director at the time and is now a co-founder at Pink Squid. I worked closely with clients and leanred the ins and outs of running an angency. At that point, I knew I was ready to start my own, and here we are!

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And how did you find being Chair of Judges at the RADS?

Being a Chair of Judges was agonising...! I'm opinionated, I have biased views and hard preferences. So to prepare for the role I spent 3 weeks at a yoga farm building up my inner peace to find a neutral ying-yang calmness. 

When thinking about the judging, I was honestly expecting AI to take over this year, but it didn’t quite steal the spotlight, and it was cool to see campaigns focusing more on genuine human connection rather than tech.

Post-COVID, it’s all about in-person experiences — more face-to-face events and tangible connections. The shift toward human touch is a refreshing change after so much digital interaction.

I felt incredibly proud to represent Pink Squid. My goal was simple: make sure every Squidder stood tall. It was about the team, not just me.

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‍So what’s next for Pink Squid?

Looking ahead, the future of Pink Squid is all about growth — both for our business and our people. At Pink Squid, many of our team members started out as juniors or even interns, and over time, they've worked their way up to senior roles. We’re committed to building a sustainable, thriving company where talent can continue to flourish. 

By investing in our team, and fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to rise through the ranks, we’ll ensure that Pink Squid remains a place where creativity, collaboration, and personal development are at the heart of everything we do. We’re excited for what’s to come, and the journey ahead.