Many companies today spend a great deal of effort carefully crafting their corporate brand identity to guide their reputation in the public. It speaks to and depicts what the company wants to be known for, what it values, and why it exists beyond making money. 

Corporate brand vs. employer brand: Understanding the difference

The corporate brand must resonate with various key stakeholders, including customers, investors, business partners and vendors, employees, the media, and the general public. That’s not an easy task, and companies often lean into focusing solely on customers when establishing their corporate brand identity. After all, their ultimate success depends on customers buying their products and services, so ensuring the corporate identity and brand promise resonate with them is critical. 

Ask yourself, “Does our corporate brand speak to current and potential employees?” Does it give them insight into what your organization is like as an employer? Does it speak to what’s in it for them by working there? Because that is what an employer brand is. It is the reputation you have as an employer.  

The role of EVP in your employer brand 

Deciding where to work is one of the most critical and personal decisions a person can make. Even if they know your corporate brand and purpose and feel positive about your company, they might not know anything about your reputation as an employer. That’s why all organizations need an Employer Value Proposition (EVP). 

An EVP defines the key characteristics and messages about you as an employer that are credible, relevant, aspirational and differentiating. It should answer why someone should choose your organization as an employer versus others and how they will thrive as an employee. A critical component of your EVP is setting expectations regarding the relationship between the employee and employer. We call it the Give and Get: it’s what the employee is expected to give or bring to the organization — their virtues, talent, time, etc. — and what they expect to get from the organization in return. 

Yes, compensation and benefits are important, but even more importantly, you need to speak to what’s in it for employees professionally and personally — the more emotive benefits of working at your company that are key to differentiating you and motivating talent to choose you. Will it help them grow and advance their career? Will they be empowered to make decisions and will their contributions be recognized? Will their well-being be a top priority for the company? Will they feel welcome, sense of community, and able to be themselves? Will they feel that they are making an impact on society? Will they be proud to say they work for the company?

Corporate marketing collaboration on EVPs & employer brands

Just as a customer value proposition defines why a customer should purchase your products or services, an EVP helps organizations attract and retain the right talent to achieve business goals. However, an EVP should never be developed in isolation. The most successful ones are those grounded in organizational values, purpose, and vision.

When we at Symphony Talent work with our clients to develop their EVPs, we always ask to include the corporate marketing team from the start. We are happy to collaborate with them and want them to be comfortable with our process and output. We work to ensure that the resulting EVP aligns with and supports the corporate brand but has the granularity organizations need to fuel their employer brand-related campaigns and communications to attract and retain the best talent — the most critical assets required to help any organization achieve its great ambitions. 

And there it is. If you've read something here that's struck a chord, or you'd like to talk more about the challenges you're facing — or just about EVP and employer branding in general — we'd love to hear from you. Speak to an expert today.



Shari Neumann is a VP of Global Brand Strategy at Symphony Talent where she partners with clients to develop their EVPs and bring them to life across the full talent funnel. Shari has over 20 years of corporate marketing experience.