by Elysia Hegarty, Future of Work Institute (Cpl Group), and President of Future Work.World Ireland
When I was around 10, my dad would take me horse riding. I competed in showjumping and did pretty well winning a lot of the competitions I entered. My horse, Benson, was wonderful. Timid and grumpy with most people, but not with me. We had a bond, trust and we worked as a team.
One day, at a competition, my dad overheard a parent mutter: “Of course she’s winning, she’s got the better horse.” Without missing a beat, my dad suggested I swap horses with her daughter for the next round. We did. And I still won….
It wasn’t because I had the “better horse” or that I was a better rider, it was the partnership, the preparation, and the fit between Benson and I that made the difference.
When organisations think about attraction, they often fall into the “better horse” trap assuming it’s all about having the flashiest salary, the slickest office, or the longest list of perks. While these things might draw people in initially, they’re not what wins loyalty, commitment or performance. The reality is that candidates, especially top talent, are often looking for alignment. They want a role and an organisation that fits them in a way that allows them to perform at their best.
Value Beats Flash
Too many organisations are fixated on the wrong race. They benchmark salaries against competitors, obsess over glossy career sites and pile on perks no one really asked for. But if you’re only training to be “better than the next guy” you’re still in a race you may never win because top talent isn’t choosing the better horse they’re choosing the best fit.
Benson and I were a team because we understood each other’s strengths and limitations. I knew his fears, he knew my cues and a compelling People Value Proposition (PVP) works the same way.
It’s about knowing the type of people you want to attract, not just those who look good on paper. Ask yourself what is your ideal candidate profile? It might surprise you when you look deep that they have shared values, experiences and bring an innovative way of thinking rather than a degree from University X.
It’s about offering what they value most, not just what you assume they do. Many clients I work with fall into this trap, thinking that if they offer better salary and benefits they will get top talent. And to a degree that will attract people, but more often we are seeing that candidates look for more value such as flexibility, purpose driven work and leadership that aligns.
A Gartner survey found that 65% of candidates walk away after a poor interview experience even if the pay was competitive. It’s not about who’s offering the fattest package anymore, it’s about who offers a genuine experience.
And if you don’t consider the value? You end up in the endless loop I see too often: throw money at perks, add another initiative to the agenda, lose people anyway, scramble to replace them, rinse and repeat. All the while, your culture weakens and your competitors quietly build loyalty by offering something you can never buy: experiences.
Build a PVP That Wins
- Start with Insight, Not Assumption: Like a good coach studies both rider and horse, invest in understanding your target talents real motivators such as wellbeing, work life integration, flexibility, purpose, or recognition.
- Show the Partnership, Not Just the Perks: Recruitment attraction campaigns should go beyond listing benefits and showcase how people in your organisation are supported, trusted, and developed.
- Prove It in Practice: Like I’ve said in previous blogs – your outsides must match your insides. Just as swapping horses proved my skill, back up your PVP with consistent experiences. Candidates and employees will quickly see if the reality matches the narrative and they will be more likely to jump onboard.
Swapping horses proved something important: preparation and partnership travel with you. In the same way, a strong PVP doesn’t collapse when someone compares you to a competitor. It holds up because it’s rooted in truth not gloss.
Attraction gets people in the door, engagement and retention keep them there. That means your PVP should be designed as a full course, not just the first jump. Too many organisations ride like attraction is the finish line. If your PVP isn’t built for the whole course and includes attraction ,engagement and retention you’ll always be swapping horses mid race. The organisations who win are not trying to be the best horse in the ring, they’re being the best partner.
About the author
As Associate Director at the Future of Work Institute (Cpl Group), an award-winning consultancy and President of Future Work.World Ireland, Elysia helps leaders reimagine how people and organisations thrive together. With 20+ years’ experience across HR, wellness, and employee experience, she partners with organisations to design inclusive, human-centred strategies, diagnostics that uncover what really drives engagement, workshops and talks that spark change. She is passionate about designing work that works for neurodiverse leaders, working parents and the people behind the job title with wellness at its core.
