For years, employer branding and the EVP was relatively predictable. Large organisations attracted talent on their name and reputation alone. Then COVID arrived and tore up the script. Flexibility and autonomy surged to the front of every EVP. Employees seized the microphone, and organisations listened and adapted.
But we’ve entered a new phase. The ground is shifting again – and the EVP needs to shift with it.
This was the central theme of our Blue Goose Briefing thought‑leadership event, entitled: ‘The Third Age of the EVP’, where leaders from Allianz, BBC and River Partnership joined a room of HR, CPO and communications professionals to unpack what attracting and retaining talent really requires in 2026 and beyond.
What emerged was a picture of a workforce that is more fragmented, more future‑focused and more discerning than ever, and a set of organisations grappling with how to stay relevant in a volatile labour market.
Below is a summary of the key points discussed between the panel moderator Ben Watson, co-owner of Blue Goose, and industry leaders: Suzanne Scott, Chief People & Culture Officer, Allianz UK; Emily Larkin, Head of Employer Brand, BBC; and Jamie Stokes, CEO of The River Partnership.
Stability becomes the new superpower
For a long time, ‘stability’ was considered a dull word – something organisations avoided for fear of sounding static or out of touch. But in a world of layoffs, widening skills gaps and relentless disruption, predictability is no longer a weakness. For banks, insurers and other long‑established organisations, it’s a differentiator.
Candidates – especially mid‑career professionals – are recalibrating what ‘security’ means. It’s not necessarily lifelong employment; it’s the sense that an employer will invest in skills, offer pathways, and avoid throwing people into organisational chaos every few months. Suzanne emphasised that being reliable and resilient is becoming more attractive and while stability isn’t the message many HR teams led with five years ago, it may need to be now.
Employees want growth more than promises
A theme echoed across the panel was the shift from perks to progression. Employees at every level want development, clarity and real, practical career mobility.
Tenure is falling everywhere, Jamie said. Junior professionals stay, on average, under three years. Senior leaders move faster than ever. That volatility forces both sides into a more transactional, time‑bound relationship. Employees want to make each move count, and the EVP must acknowledge that reality.
Jamie sees this repeatedly when engaging candidates:
“Pathway, progression and development come up more than anything else. People want to know they’ll be better off.”
And for already successful passive candidates, he added that the brand and its story must be authentic to convince someone to move.
Flexibility and wellbeing still matter. But to candidates today, these are baseline expectations, not differentiators. Skills and progression are the currency.
The line manager is the EVP – support them
If the organisation is the architect of the EVP, then your managers are the builders. And the structure succeeds or fails on their behaviour and the employee experience they influence. Suzanne captured the dilemma that many HR leaders quietly wrestle with, in that you can put in place the best policies but you can’t control what happens day-to-day.
This is one of the most important truths in employer branding. You can craft a brilliant proposition; you can engineer the perfect careers site; you can market your culture with creativity and precision. But if the line manager doesn’t reinforce it, the EVP fails. This is why investment in frontline leadership – sometimes the most neglected cohort – may be one of the highest‑impact decisions an organisation can make in the next decade.
While at an exec level, Jamie added that boards are now asking if an executive hire will be a talent magnet in their own right. The story behind the exec and the journey they are on can attract fellowship.
Brand recognition helps – but it doesn’t solve everything
Few organisations enjoy brand recognition like the BBC. With 98–99% national awareness, it could easily rely on its heritage to pull in talent. But as Emily, Head of Employer Brand, noted, that familiarity brings its own constraints:
“Everybody knows the BBC, but that comes with set perceptions we need to challenge.”
For large, legacy organisations, the challenge isn’t visibility; it’s elasticity. They must evolve their employer brand without breaking the bond people already feel.
The BBC’s approach has been to align its EVP directly with its corporate brand values which include trust, pride and belonging – while expanding its reach to talent the organisation has never competed for before, particularly in digital and data.
Real stories matter more than polished messages
In sectors where competitors offer similar pay, flexibility and benefits, surface‑level messaging gets ignored. What lands are the real stories – leadership trajectories, team cultures, lived experiences. Jamie said:
“Real stories cut through more than brand strap-lines. People can smell inauthenticity a mile off. Authenticity is non-negotiable.”
Authenticity isn’t a nice‑to‑have in 2026; it’s structural. A candidate base shaped by user reviews, creators, radical transparency and AI‑powered research will not tolerate varnish. Honesty about what’s great – and what isn’t – has become a signal of strength.
In summary, the labour market has changed. Expectations have changed. Leadership has changed. And the EVP is entering a new era – one defined by realism, development, personalisation and stability. Those who respond thoughtfully will attract talent more effectively, retain it more meaningfully, and build cultures capable of weathering the next wave of disruption.
Thanks again to our panellists and all the guests who made this an informed and truly insightful discussion.
Throughout the discussion we also asked the audience a series of questions about EVP. Here are their responses. How would you have voted?
Which (hypothetical) organisation has the most compelling proposition?
One that is innovation, skills and learning orientated – 38%
One that is culture, autonomy and well-being prioritised – 62%
One where remuneration and package is prioritised – 0%
Which of the following promises would most influence your decision to move to a new role?
More purpose 5%
Better culture fit 27%
Flexibility and autonomy 23%
Improved pay and benefits 18%
Clearer path for skills development 27%
Which one thing do you think your organisation should dial up in a future Employer Brand?
Word cloud:
Development
Innovation
Autonomy
Flexibility
Read more about our EVP strategy work with clients here.
