The set of alternatives candidates compare you to—your “job decision set,” not your product market category.

In employer branding, “category” means the mental bucket candidates place you in and the alternatives they compare you against. It’s not your customer category; it’s your talent category: employers that offer similar roles, pay bands, career paths, work styles, or location/remote options. Category determines what’s table stakes (expected claims) and what differentiates. If you mis-define the category, you’ll benchmark the wrong competitors and build messaging that doesn’t help candidates decide. Becoming choosable starts with category clarity: who are we truly up against for the talent we need most?