Unfiltered: The Startup Employer Brand Playbook

Build an EVP & Employer Brand that attracts the right people — and repels the rest.

🧭 What is it?

Unfiltered is a startup-focused playbook for designing and communicating your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) in a way that’s real, resonant, and refreshingly transparent.

Forget polished slogans and performative perks. This is for founders and People Leaders who want to show the whole truth — and trust that the right people will opt in.

✅ Built in Notion
✅ Designed for teams 10–500
✅ Packed with templates, guidance, examples & workshop formats

📖 Why this playbook exists

Can you answer these questions honestly — and share them publicly?

• What are the top 3 reasons people love working here?
• What are the 3 biggest reasons someone shouldn’t join?
• Who thrives here — and who doesn’t?

If your answer is “not really,” you’re not alone — and this playbook is for you.

📊 4 in 10 hiring managers admit to lying to candidates. (source: ResumeBuilder)
🧭 33% of new hires leave within 90 days due to culture misfit. (source: Jobvite)

Companies are wasting time, money, and trust by mis-selling their culture. This playbook flips that script — helping you attract aligned talent, set clearer expectations, and build a brand that fits who you really are.

🌟 Built on the following Open Org beliefs:

🧲 Leverage Transparency
Your EVP is a signal. Show the whole culture, not just the shiny bits.

🧠 Think Like a Product Marketer
Your brand should help people self-select. It’s a “subscribe” decision.

🚀 Your Product Is Your EVP
Not just perks — your ways of working, your rituals, your real.

🤘 Authenticity Wins
No spin. No hiding. Better to be clear than to clean up misalignment later.

🧰 What you’ll get

• A Notion-based EVP Playbook with step-by-step execution guidance
• Pre-filled Slack/email comms templates to explain the what & why
• A facilitated workshop format to align your team and clarify your signals
• A curated list of real examples from startups doing it right
• Timeframes, outcomes, and tips for getting your EVP live
• A structured way to embed honesty into hiring and onboarding

🙌 You’ll also get:

✅ A free 30-minute coaching call to tailor this to your org
✅ Lifetime updates to the playbook

🧠 Who it’s for

• People Leaders building a compelling, honest culture narrative
• Founders tired of pretending to be something they’re not
• Talent Leads who want candidates to truly understand the ride they’re signing up for

💬 What people are saying

“For once, a guide that doesn’t treat employer brand like a shiny billboard. It’s a filter. And this helps us to think about how we use it with intent.”
— Head of People, Series A startup

“We stopped trying to be appealing to everyone. It was a game changer for our hiring process.”
— Startup Founder

🎁 Bonus resources inside

🛠️ Templates for Slack/Email
🎯 A culture-aligned messaging checklist
📹 Loom explainer video
🌍 Links to the startups we love for building in public

❓ FAQ

Can I share it with my team?
Yes — this is for internal use within your org. If you need org-wide licensing, just ask.

Do I get access to future updates?
Always. You’ll get all future versions.

Have you built any more products like this?
👉 Yes! Check them out here.

Need help?
Email adam@openorg.fyi or find us on LinkedIn