It’s ownable, role-relevant, and provable—plus it clearly signals fit (and misfit).

Differentiated EVPs win because they’re (1) ownable (not easily copyable), (2) relevant to the roles you need most, (3) credible with proof, and (4) specific about tradeoffs. “Great culture” is me-too; “small teams shipping weekly with high autonomy and a tight feedback loop” is differentiated. The best EVPs also create self-selection: the right candidates lean in because it matches how they like to work, and the wrong candidates opt out—saving time and improving quality of hire.