What Makes Candidates Choose One Company Over Another?

If you’ve ever lost a great candidate to a competitor, chances are it wasn’t just about salary. It was about your EVP — your Employee Value Proposition.

Your EVP is the promise you make (and keep) to your people. It’s the sum of your culture, benefits, career opportunities, and the “deal” employees experience every day.

Why EVP Matters for Attraction

Today’s candidates shop for jobs the same way they shop for products. They compare offers, scroll reviews, and talk to friends.

A clear, compelling EVP helps you cut through the noise. Without one, you risk sounding like every other employer promising “flexibility and career opportunities.”

And when that happens, the best candidates walk straight past your brand.

5 Common EVP Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)

Most EVPs don’t fail because the idea is bad. They fail because the execution is lazy. Here are the five biggest mistakes we see:

1. Blending instead of standing out
Too many employers copy competitors. The result? Everyone promises “flexibility, opportunity, and growth.” If your EVP sounds like theirs, you disappear. A strong EVP highlights your unique edge.

2. Using generic HR buzzwords
Candidates don’t care about “dynamic environments” or “competitive remuneration.” They care about what life actually feels like inside your business. Scrap the jargon. Speak human.

3. No content strategy
Your EVP doesn’t live on a PowerPoint slide. It needs to show up in the market. Too often, Marketing controls the channels and HR never gets a look in. Without regular stories, posts, and updates, your EVP is invisible.

4. Not using employees as ambassadors
The best proof of your EVP is your people. Yet many companies never let employees tell their own stories. Candidate trust soars when they see real voices, not corporate copy.

5. No proof points
You can say you support wellbeing, growth, or diversity — but unless you show numbers, examples, or outcomes, it’s just talk. Proof turns promises into credibility.

Building Your EVP

The strongest EVPs answer three simple questions:

1. Why should candidates join us?
2. Why should they stay?
3. What do we offer that competitors can’t?

It’s not about inventing something shiny. It’s about clarifying the truth of your culture and telling it in a way that cuts through.

When we worked with the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC), their EVP focused on creating a genuine sense of belonging and a pathway for people to make a tangible impact through education. This wasn’t glossy marketing — it was surfacing the truth of their culture and telling it clearly.

And what happens when EVP is done right? You have alignment and performance.

Renae (our client at nib) summed it up perfectly: "We now have a strong, performance-driven EVP narrative that aligns with where we’re headed as an organisation." 

Quick EVP Wins

If you’re not ready for a full EVP project yet, here are some steps you can take tomorrow:

• Audit your careers page: Does it clearly show your EVP? Or is it just a generic list of perks?
• Collect employee stories: Real voices beat corporate copy every time.
• Benchmark against competitors: Where do you stand out, and where do you blend in? (We run free EVP Benchmark Reports for exactly this reason.)

What Next?

If you’re losing candidates or struggling to stand out, it’s time to revisit your EVP.

👉 Reach out for a free EVP Benchmark Report and see how you compare to others in your industry.

Because when candidates choose, they’re not just choosing a salary. They’re choosing your EVP.