Why an authentic employer brand is a powerful talent retention tool

Most organisations don’t set out to mislead people. But when what’s promised to potential hires doesn’t match what they actually experience, it can leave new joiners can feeling let down.

That’s why authenticity matters. A bold, well-branded employee value proposition (EVP) might help you attract talent. But it’s your employer brand – how that promise is consistently lived and felt day to day – that helps ensure people stay.

An EVP is the promise you make to employees and candidates about what it’s like to work with you – and the value they’ll get in return. It only works if it matches reality.

The recruitment process went smoothly. The interviews felt aligned. But just a few months in, and you find out your new hire is already moving on. Sound familiar?

You’re not alone. In fact, ThriveMap found that 48% of employees have left a role because the reality didn’t match how it was communicated to them. That gap isn’t usually intentional – it’s often a sign that the business has changed, but the employer brand hasn’t kept up.

And when lived experience doesn’t match the promise, employee engagement drops – and the talent you worked hard to hire becomes hard to retain.

Your EVP is the promise. Your employer brand is how that promise is expressed and experienced – both inside and outside the organisation.

A strong employer brand is grounded in real employee experience

This is where the EVP and employer brand need to work together. It’s about making sure your EVP reflects the reality of working in your organisation – from recruitment through to development and beyond. For example, if your EVP promises flexibility, that needs to be genuinely felt and truly reflected in the everyday company culture – not just written in policy.

When the message matches what’s experienced, it builds trust, shows care and progress, and gives people the confidence that they’re in the right place.

This is where communication really comes into play. An EVP isn’t a one-off statement. It needs to be reflected through the moments that matter in the employee experience:

• Job adverts and interviews
• Onboarding and welcome materials
• Internal storytelling and recognition
• Team meetings and leadership updates
• Change announcements and exit conversations

Employer brand can’t be a one-off project

We’d never treat a customer brand as a one-off campaign – so why do we still do it with employer brands? While customer messaging is constantly refined to reflect changing expectations, EVP and employer brand work is too often treated as a one-time project or initiative.

But people change. Cultures evolve. New leadership comes in. If your employer brand doesn’t keep pace with shifts in your culture and employee experience, it stops doing its job effectively.

So, how do you keep things aligned? Here are three practical ways to keep your EVP and employer brand stay believable:

1. Activate what’s already true

If your EVP still reflects who you are, bring it to life. Use communications to tell real stories, involve your people in the narrative and make it visible to incoming talent.

2. Use insights to close the gap

Ask employees what they’re hearing, feeling and experiencing. Use insights from listening sessions, engagement surveys and exit interviews to spot where the message and reality don’t align.

3. Rebuild if you need to

If your business has changed significantly, it might be time to revisit your EVP. Co-creating a new one with your people makes it stronger – and ensures your employer brand reflects what you’re offering and what’s real.

Bringing your employer brand to life – and keeping it alive

Communication connects people to your culture, your brand and their experience from day one. And that communication needs to make sense for your employees – storytelling people relate to, language that lands and messaging that reflects who you really are.

That’s where we come in.

We use our THRIVE methodology to help organisations build fairer, healthier and happier workplaces through improved communication. One of our six pillars is Talent – focused on how people connect with your EVP, engage with your employer brand and experience your culture at every stage of the employee journey.

Want to dig a little deeper?

Try our Talent Diagnostic – a quick tool for HR, comms and leadership teams to discover how well your EVP and employee experience are aligned, and how that’s impacting your ability to retain talent. Take the diagnostic.

Retention starts with a promise you can keep

A strong EVP gives new employees something to believe in. A clear, consistent employer brand helps them see it in action. When the two are aligned – and grounded in authenticity – employees don’t just stay. They grow, contribute and thrive.

Exceptional workplace cultures aren’t built on buzzwords – they’re built on communication that connects.

We help teams:

• Explore the reality of the employee experience through research, listening and insight
• Shape and sharpen EVPs to reflect the culture people are experiencing
• Build employer brand campaigns that attract and retain the right talent
• Keep them alive through storytelling, leadership comms and everyday touchpoints

Here are three ways to work with us:

Activator – Have a story you need to tell? We help simplify complex ideas, shape strong narratives and build campaigns that bring everyone with you. Book a call to discuss your brief.

Pathfinder – Struggling for budget but need direction? Join our community of passionate changemakers and access free guides, tools and events. Sign up to join Work Wonders here.

Co-creator – Already have an in-house team or agency but need fresh thinking? Tap into our advisory services to bring in external perspective and energy. Let’s talk about your challenges, book a call here.