Your EVP Won’t Save a Bad Recruitment Strategy

Here’s what will.

Off the back of our recent blog on Build vs Buy strategies, let’s take a closer look at what it means to have a people strategy that leverages acquiring or ‘buying’ talent. Attracting great talent isn’t as simple as putting up a job ad and hoping the right person comes along. It’s a deliberate, hands-on process. If you want high performers, you need to go out and get them, with the right approach, the right offer, and the right follow-through.

Many organisations assume a strong Employee Value Proposition (EVP) alone is enough to attract top talent. It’s a myth. A great EVP is important, but it won’t automatically secure high performers. If your recruitment strategy hinges solely on your EVP, you’re missing the bigger picture.

Just because your company has a respected brand, a big market cap, or a ‘Best Places to Work’ award doesn’t mean top talent will flock to you. The question is: Will great people take a bad job in your great company? The short answer? No. Talent acquisition now operates in a world of mass customisation. You need a tailored strategy for every role you recruit.

To secure top talent, follow these three rules:

1. Take Your Roles Directly to Great Candidates

Many organisations rely on reactive recruitment—advertising a job, waiting for applications, then hiring the best applicant. But job boards only reach active candidates, often those who are unhappy or unemployed. High performers move quickly, typically through their networks, so relying on chance isn’t a strategy—it’s a gamble.

The vast majority of potential hires are passive candidates, happily engaged in their current roles. They’re not scrolling job ads, but they’re open to hearing about opportunities if they promise a better situation. That means you have to bring the opportunity to them.

This requires recruiters who can actively reach out, engage passive candidates, and maintain robust talent pools. Effective recruitment is about proactively targeting the right people—not just hoping they apply.

2. Make Sure Your Roles Appeal to Great Candidates

When you approach passive candidates, you need compelling answers to questions like:

• What career progression opportunities exist beyond this role?
• What kind of leadership style does my manager have?
• What autonomy and decision-making power will I have?
• What challenges come with this position?
• How well is the organisation executing its strategy?

To grab attention, craft position descriptions that sell the role effectively. Ask yourself: Would this job excite a high performer?

Of course, rarely will you find a perfect match. So before starting the hiring process, align on which qualifications are non-negotiable and where you can compromise—whether it’s salary flexibility, remote work options, or specific experience. Getting clarity early speeds up decisions later.

Every person in the hiring process should be ready to sell the role. Interviews aren’t just about assessing candidates; they’re about making the opportunity attractive.

Structure conversations like this:

1. Show how the role fits into the organisation’s strategic goals.
2. Ask insightful questions that let candidates demonstrate their strengths.
3. Position the role as a career-building move.

Candidates will research hiring managers before the interview, so they need to be prepared—keeping their LinkedIn profiles sharp, setting aside enough time (at least 90 minutes per interview), and presenting the opportunity in an authentic yet compelling way.

3. Run a Great Process

One of the biggest pitfalls in recruitment is the gap between final interviews and extending an offer. If you’ve shortlisted two to four candidates and each has three interviews, that’s 6–12 conversations that need to happen quickly. The more interview slots you pre-schedule, the smoother the process runs.

Delays in communication or decision-making can cause engaged candidates to disengage. If things stall, candidates are more likely to stay put where they’re comfortable, rather than risk a move. Keeping momentum is critical—slow hiring processes drive talent away.

The Takeaway

A broad EVP isn’t enough anymore. Recruiting today is about taking the right roles directly to the right people, ensuring those opportunities appeal to high performers, and running a tight, effective process to secure top talent.

Want to spend less time on external recruitment and more time developing existing staff? Let’s talk.

• Bio
• LinkedIn

Glen Petersen

CEO at Generator Talent

With more than 35 years in business, working in large global businesses and consulting, Glen has a wise head set firmly on experienced shoulders – a good thing to have as Generator Talent’s founder and CEO. He is in demand by clients who value his pragmatic advice and ability to positively influence people and improve business outcomes.