If your EVP speaks to everyone, it probably resonates with no one
Top talent expects more than generic messaging. They want to feel seen, understood, and valued, not just as employees, but as individuals with unique motivations, challenges, and priorities.
The evolution of EVP is about personalisation. A strong EVP messaging strategy recognises that different talent audiences within your organisation are motivated by different things, and your messaging should reflect that.
Why personalisation matters in 2026
Job seekers are savvy. Whether they’re engineers, marketers, care workers or finance professionals, they can instantly tell if your EVP messaging strategy is speaking to them or just to everyone in general.
Segmenting your EVP helps you:
- Improve the relevance of your talent attraction campaigns
- Build deeper connection with candidates
- Increase conversion and retention post-hire
And it’s not just about job function, it’s also about life stage, personality type, location, and workstyle.
In today’s challenging economy, jobs and pay are really important, and so they should be, but research shows that 65% of UK talent still won’t accept a role based on salary alone.*
A well-developed EVP messaging strategy ensures your employer value proposition resonates with the motivations that matter most to different groups of candidates.
Segmentation in action: how brands do it well
Here are a few companies leading the way in personalising their EVP:
Siemens – EVP by industry
Siemens EVP is focused on being forward thinking and innovative, giving employees the opportunity to have an impact on the future, to make a difference (a good purpose-driven EVP, albeit a fairly common claim by brands).
What’s great to see on their careers pages is how they tailor their main EVP purpose according to the industry. From Battery Manufacturing to Aerospace they ensure candidates feel the personalisation. (Btw, who knew Siemens were involved in so many areas? Wow!)
NHS Careers – EVP by job family
The NHS doesn’t have one EVP, it has multiple value stories. They use role-specific messaging for doctors, paramedics, midwives, healthcare scientists, and more. Each landing page focuses on messaging that resonates with that group (e.g. compassion, community, or career pathways).
PwC – EVP by career stage
PwC segments its EVP messaging by early careers, experienced careers, and flexible or contractor careers. Their copy talks exclusively to the candidate demonstrating a very human-led approach. They meet people where they are on their career journey and encourage them to self-select on their website to find the content more relevant to them.
What can you segment your EVP messaging strategy by?
There are lots of ways to slice your EVP, depending on your business and goals. Some of the most effective include:
- Job family (e.g. tech, ops, care, commercial)
- Generation or career stage (e.g. grads vs. experienced)
- Geography or region
- Hybrid vs. frontline roles
- Motivational persona types (e.g. security-seekers vs. growth-seekers)
Top Tip: Start with two or three key talent segments that are business-critical or hard to hire for. Test and learn.
How to personalise your EVP messaging strategy (without overcomplicating it)
Please do not start rewriting your EVP from scratch for every campaign. The best approach is to refine your EVP messaging strategy to create targeted variations.
Here’s how to get started:
- Understand your audiences: Use research, exit interviews, and engagement data to define what different groups value.
- Create content variations: Tailor job ads, social media posts, landing pages, and career site journeys.
- Use employee stories: Showcase people from each segment sharing why they stay.
- Map EVP themes to candidate and employee motivations: For example, offer purpose and mentorship to early careers; autonomy and recognition for mid-career hires.
Relevance is your EVP’s secret weapon
In 2026, personalisation is no longer a marketing luxury, it’s an absolute recruitment necessity.
A thoughtful EVP messaging strategy ensures candidates feel understood and valued before they even apply.
By showing your people that you understand what matters to them, you’re not just improving attraction and retention. You’re building trust from day one.
When it comes to EVP, relevance isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.
Here’s an important question for you
Do you think your lack of EVP messaging strategy could be quietly costing you:
- Missed hires?
- High bounce rates?
- Low brand recall?
- High attrition?
RedKnows is currently offering an Employer Brand Audit. It’s completely free, no catch I promise! We’ll look at your Employer Brand and give you our honest opinion with some actionable recommendations for you to consider.
There is a high risk of sitting back and doing nothing but no risk in having a chat and getting some expert advice for free!
Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and/or drop me a line if you want to know more: suzie@redknows.co.uk
