Give and Get Employer Branding by Bryan Adams and Charlotte Marshall Summary

Give & Get Employer Branding explores strategies for building an authentic employer brand to attract and retain top talent. Bryan Adams emphasizes balancing organizational realities with aspirational goals, using frameworks like EVP (Employee Value Proposition) development and storytelling to create emotional connections. The book highlights repelling mismatched candidates while compelling ideal hires through transparency and purpose-driven messaging.

HR leaders, talent acquisition professionals, and executives aiming to align company culture with recruitment strategies will benefit most. Startups scaling teams and established firms struggling with retention will find actionable insights on EVP alignment, employer branding ROI, and fostering employee advocacy.

Yes—it’s praised for blending practical frameworks (e.g., EVP refinement processes) with real-world examples from companies like Apple and LinkedIn. Adams combines tactical advice with philosophical insights on workplace belonging, making it a resource for both strategy and implementation.

Key ideas include:

• EVP Optimization: Distilling core employee value propositions that reflect current realities and future aspirations.
• Talent Repulsion/Attraction: Filtering mismatched applicants while engaging high-potential candidates.
• ROI Measurement: Tracking employer branding impact through retention rates and hiring efficiency.

Adams defines it as a cohesive narrative that authentically communicates a company’s mission, values, and employee experience. It should resonate emotionally with prospective hires and align with broader business objectives, similar to how corporate brands connect with customers.

The book outlines:

• EVP Development Process: A step-by-step guide to identifying and refining employee value propositions.
• Storytelling Framework: Structuring employer narratives around impact, purpose, and belonging.
• ROI Dashboard: Metrics for quantifying employer branding success.

Yes. Adams discusses adapting employer branding for remote-first cultures, emphasizing flexibility, digital onboarding experiences, and virtual team-building as key components of modern EVPs.

Some note the strategies require significant organizational buy-in and resources, which may challenge smaller companies. Others suggest the book could delve deeper into global employer branding nuances.

Unlike generic HR guides, it focuses specifically on employer branding as a strategic lever, offering niche frameworks absent in broader talent management literature. It complements works like Work Rules! by Laszlo Bock by addressing brand-culture alignment.

• “Employer branding isn’t about perfection—it’s about authenticity.”
• “Repel the many to compel the few.”

These emphasize prioritizing quality candidate fit over mass appeal.

Startups should define their EVP early, even with limited resources, by highlighting mission, growth opportunities, and cultural values. Adams advises leveraging founder stories and employee testimonials to build credibility.

With talent prioritizing purpose and flexibility post-pandemic, the book’s focus on EVP authenticity and hybrid-work adaptation remains critical. Its strategies help companies navigate competitive hiring markets and rising employee expectations.