Manufacturing asks a lot of people. Safety is not optional, shifts are real and the work is physical. That makes it the perfect test for an honest EVP. As always, this is a celebration, not a teardown. Every point of praise is tied to something you can read on the brands’ own careers pages today. I scored each EVP with the Happydance EVP grading framework, built on the two books behind our approach, Give & Get Employer Branding and Sell The Truth. Both start with the question every candidate is really asking: “Do I have what it takes to thrive at your organization?”
Each EVP is scored from 1 to 5 on eight criteria taken directly from Give & Get Employer Branding and Sell The Truth, for a total out of 40: the Give and Get, the whole truth (harsh realities named plainly), story proof, employee voice, distinctiveness, audience fit, alignment and proof. Ties are broken by the Give and Get, then the whole truth, then story proof.
I only scored what is public. Every quote below was copied from the brand’s own pages on 30 October 2026, and each entry links to its source. A lower score on one criterion is a note about what was visible on the pages I reviewed, not a judgement on the culture behind it.
1
Cummins
33/40
The EVP as published: “Power to build the future together”, with the promise that “At Cummins, we believe your passion is your power.”
Cummins builds its EVP from its own product. A company that makes power promises candidates power of their own: “At Cummins, we believe your passion is your power.” Then it backs the line with programmes most employers never mention, including a returnship for people who have taken a break from work.
The Give and Get
The Give is real work from the start: interns and co-op students “take on real projects”, and apprentices “train alongside expert technicians”. The Get is spelled out too: “annual merit and profit sharing”, tuition reimbursement “which may even include full education funding”, and “at least four hours annually to volunteer and give back.”
The story proof
Ravikiran’s story is the whole truth told with warmth. He stepped away from work to help his family settle in a new country, and Cummins treats that as part of his story, not a gap in it: “I appreciated that the program focused on the skills and experience candidates bring rather than viewing a career break as a disadvantage.” His verdict: “I would describe the RePower Program as a bridge that helps experienced professionals get back into the workforce with confidence”. John D. adds a story of conflict and change, from technician to Area General Manager after a detour into the Marine Corps: “I think Cummins is one of the best companies I have worked for or I wouldn't have come back three times”. And the Meyer family shows proof across time: “four generations of the Meyer family have contributed to the company”.
What we can all learn
Treat a career break as experience, not a gap. When your stories show people returning, coming back three times or staying for four generations, the Get stops being a claim and becomes a pattern.
How to get more from the careers website
The richest stories, Ravikiran’s, John’s and the Meyer family’s, live in the newsroom. Link them from the careers homepage, next to the returnship and apprenticeship sections, so candidates meet the people before they meet the programmes.
Boeing lets its people say what the work really asks of them, in their own words and with real weight. Will Santeo, a senior aircraft modification technician, does not soften it: “We have up to 300 people's lives in our hands”. That is the whole truth of aerospace, told by the person who carries it, and it makes the invitation to “do work that changes the world” feel earned.
The Give and Get
The Give is responsibility and integrity. Will joined because “Boeing needs quality people that ‘give a damn’”, and explains: “I just decided right then and there, [Boeing] needed people with integrity”. The Get is pride you can take home: “When I go home, I tell my kids, ‘I made an old plane new again,’” And it is growth. Rayni Sivley joined as a junior financial analyst and moved into project management on a missile defence programme.
The story proof
Boeing’s stories have the conflict and change that make them believable. Will’s commute “over the San Bernardino Mountains can be long”, and he says why it is worth it. Rayni’s headline is a harsh reality with a promise attached: “It may not be easy, but it will pay off”. Dr Catherine Sinclair goes further still, sharing her experience as a domestic abuse survivor so colleagues feel able to speak: “We can reduce the stigma by encouraging people who feel comfortable speaking up, to do so, which can help our colleagues, and may even save lives”.
What we can all learn
Let your people name the weight of the work. In a safety-critical business, an honest line about responsibility is the strongest recruitment message you have.
How to get more from the careers website
The Team Boeing stories are some of the strongest in the sector. Bring two or three of them, starting with Will’s, onto the careers homepage beside the career areas, so the people carry the promise from the first click.
Ford makes its EVP about the whole person and then shows it through what people do with the time Ford gives them. “At Ford, we help you grow, support your ideas, and give you the time and tools to serve our communities.” The stories prove it with outcomes, not adjectives.
The Give and Get
The Give is real problems: “Our culture is shaped by people collaborating to solve real problems and build what matters.” The Get is backing for the whole you, from growth to well-being, and work you can point at. Interns get “No coffee runs, just real projects and real teams invested in their growth.” And Maribel Cortez, an inspector at Kansas City Assembly Plant, describes a Get money cannot buy: “Every time we see a Ford car, they say 'mom made that' or 'that's mom's company.’”
The story proof
Ford’s people stories come with measurable change. Shanikia, a software engineer volunteering at a food bank, “designed a mobile conveyor belt system that doubled their food distribution rate”. Will and his Finance volunteers “make a roughly $1M impact” each year helping local families with their taxes. Tonishia “has volunteered over 20 years with the Ford Volunteer Corps.” Each one shows the skills people use at work making a difference outside it.
What we can all learn
Prove a culture claim with an outcome. A doubled distribution rate or a child saying “mom made that” says more about pride in the work than any value statement.
How to get more from the careers website
Give the people stories a home of their own. A single stories page, linked from the homepage and sorted by team, would let candidates find the Shanikias and Maribels in their own part of the business.
Caterpillar puts the individual inside a very big machine and refuses to let them disappear: “We are a global team of over 109,000 people with over 109,000 individual stories to tell.” Then it tells them. It is a lovely answer to the fear that a big company means being a small part.
The Give and Get
The Give is shared effort: “Every single Caterpillar employee moves our company forward. Piece by piece, part by part, person by person.” The Get is a career that matters because you matter, with “limitless opportunities for employees to continually improve and develop.”
The story proof
Caterpillar’s story headlines are change in a single line. Millie “dreamed of becoming an engineer like her father, but life led her to teaching.” With “unwavering support from her Caterpillar team, she found her way back to engineering.” Susana went “FROM RECEPTIONIST TO MANAGING A TEAM OF 60.” Nidhi’s story begins “After a career break”. Each one starts with a detour, which is exactly why they are believable.
What we can all learn
Start the story with the detour. Teacher to engineer, receptionist to leader of sixty: the conflict in the first line is what makes the change in the last line land.
How to get more from the careers website
The Meet Team Caterpillar page is full of strong story summaries. Pull a short first-person line from each onto the page itself, so candidates hear Millie and Susana in their own words before they click through.
General Motors writes its behaviours as promises it can be held to. “We do the right thing, even when it's hard.” “We celebrate when we get it right and learn when we don't.” “Candor leads to better outcomes.” Each one admits that work is not always smooth, which is the whole truth expressed as culture.
The Give and Get
The Give is candour and courage: “We have the courage to respectfully challenge each other and give feedback grounded in facts -- no matter the level.” The Get is scale and growth. Jeremiah, a design engineer, traces his own path: “I started as a calibration test engineer, then moved into our Immersive Lab”, and Navya, a data analyst, says: “I really feel like I am seen as an individual and that my work has an impact at GM.”
The story proof
Sarah G., an Engineering Group Leader, describes innovation with real personality: “I like to say that we don't have a box to think within - we kind of create it.” Matt Mareck, a Chassis Team Leader, gives the advice of someone who has climbed: “Learn as much as you can for advancement; it will only make you a stronger leader.” The stories are short, but they are specific and in the employees’ own voices.
What we can all learn
Write your values as behaviours with an honest clause. “Even when it's hard” and “learn when we don't” are small words that do a lot of trust-building.
How to get more from the careers website
The careers website makes GM’s values easy to find, with a Culture page that sets out each behaviour in full, employee testimonials on growth, and a hiring FAQ that answers when candidates should expect to hear back.
P&G has one of the most distinctive ideas in the sector and uses it everywhere: Day 1. “P&G’s Day 1 starts with you doing something that matters”. Every function page repeats it, from “Build brands that make life better, from Day 1” to “Ensuring irresistible superiority, from Day 1”. It is a promise you can test in your first week.
The Give and Get
This is a beautifully balanced Give and Get. The Give: “you’ll be trusted to dive right in, take the lead, use your initiative”. The reason: “We hire based on the potential we see in people”. The Get: “world-class training to help you become a leader in your field”, and a feeling as much as a role: “welcomed, valued, purposeful, challenged, heard, and inspired.”
The story proof
The values carry the whole truth, “Integrity: Doing the right thing is the only thing”, and the hiring FAQ answers the question most employers avoid: “Why was my application not selected to move forward?” Named employee stories are the missing piece on the pages I reviewed, which is why P&G scores lower on story proof.
What we can all learn
Find the one idea only you can own and repeat it until candidates can say it back. Day 1 is a whole EVP in two words.
How to get more from the careers website
Put people on Day 1. Short first-person stories of someone’s actual first day, first project and first brand decision, linked from each function page, would prove the promise in the voice of people who lived it.
RTX lets its people explain why defence work feels personal. A Senior Technical Fellow supporting Raytheon’s Advanced Technology business says: “Both my father and my grandfather were in the armed services, so knowing that even though I wasn’t, I’m also contributing to our defense has really been something that I’ve taken pride in.” It is a quiet, honest line, and it carries the mission better than any slogan.
The Give and Get
The Give is hard problems: “help solve some of the world’s most complex challenges”. The Get is practical and named by an employee. Jonathan Rice, Senior Manager, Test Solutions: “Raytheon offers many opportunities to maintain a healthy work life balance. These opportunities include parental leave, paid time off, flex time, as well as alternate work schedules, such as a 9/80.”
The story proof
The voices are short but real, and they cover both halves of the deal: pride in the mission and a life outside it. The values add the culture underneath: “safety, trust, respect, accountability, collaboration and innovation.”
What we can all learn
Let an employee name the specific benefit. Jonathan’s “9/80” is more convincing than any general promise of flexibility.
How to get more from the careers website
The employee quotes are strong. Give them fuller stories, linked from the quotes, so candidates can follow how the Senior Technical Fellow and Jonathan built their careers at RTX.
Toyota publishes the Toyota Way as a working culture, not a poster, and some of its lines are refreshingly direct: “We welcome competition, without ego.” “No work is solitary. No job is a one-person endeavor.” These are values you could actually test in an interview.
The Give and Get
The Give is a mindset: “we ask questions to discover the mechanics behind phenomena”, and “we take ownership to sharpen the skills of ourselves and each other”. The Get is respect for the whole person: “We’re committed to supporting our team members by meeting their needs as people, not just employees”.
The story proof
The careers blog is where the stories live, from “From Intern to Full-time Team Member” to profiles of named team members such as Sheryll Camino and Inia Franklin. The hiring process is also explained plainly, step by step: “If your skills and experiences look like a match, a recruiter will reach out to set up a screening call.”
What we can all learn
Write values as habits people can recognise. “Without ego” and “not just employees” are short, honest phrases that candidates remember.
How to get more from the careers website
Connect the Toyota Way to the people. Pair each value on the culture page with a team member story from the blog, so Genchi Genbutsu and Kaizen come to life through someone who practises them.
Lockheed Martin opens its culture page with a story library, not a slogan: “These employee stories highlight the culture, growth and high-impact innovation you'll experience as part of our global team.” Some of the titles are brave in their own right, such as “Disrupt Yourself Before Someone Else Does”.
The Give and Get
The Give is the mission and the standard it sets. The Get is growth and belonging. Hayley, a Manufacturing Engineer in Missiles and Fire Control, says: “Here, I am a part of a work environment where I am surrounded by a network of brave, driven women. This network of women has helped equip me to become a better leader and person.”
The story proof
The story titles promise change: “From the Presidential Helicopter to the AI Factory” and “Built to Serve: A Gen Z Engineer’s Multi-Faceted Commitment”. And the careers homepage makes a small but important promise to candidates: “Navigate the hiring process with clear expectations.”
What we can all learn
Give your story library a headline that promises change. “Disrupt Yourself Before Someone Else Does” makes you want to read the story behind it.
How to get more from the careers website
Bring the team testimonials forward. Hayley’s quote is one of five; showing all five on the careers homepage would let candidates hear from Nadeem, Angel, Channing and Rose without hunting for them.
Emerson says plainly that failure is allowed: “We encourage employees to think big, ask the hard questions, and challenge conventional thinking” without the fear of failing. Then it hands the microphone to Marija Stipetic-Lovaas, who explains culture better than most HR teams: “While successful culture can look and feel like magic, culture is built on a set of relationships and practices. It is something we do.”
The Give and Get
The Give is curiosity: “Relentlessly curious. A passion for problem-solving.” The Get is a voice. Marija again: “I work in a culture that allows me to have a voice and hears that voice.” That is the Give and Get in a single sentence: you speak up, and you are heard.
The story proof
Marija’s quote is the start of a story rather than a full one. The page introduces “some of those thinkers, doers, and connectors”, and the opportunity is to tell more of their journeys.
What we can all learn
“It is something we do” is a perfect line for any EVP. Culture is a practice, and the best careers websites show the practice in action.
How to get more from the careers website
Expand “Let’s meet some of those thinkers, doers, and connectors” into a full set of stories, each with a first-person account of a time someone asked a hard question and was heard.
What we can all learn from the best EVPs in US manufacturing and automotive
Side by side, these ten share five lessons.
1
Name the weight of the work. Boeing lets a technician say he has up to 300 lives in his hands. General Motors promises to do the right thing even when it is hard. In safety-critical work, the whole truth is the strongest recruitment message there is.
2
Treat the detour as part of the story. Cummins welcomes people back after a career break. Caterpillar’s stories start with a teacher who became an engineer and a receptionist who now leads sixty people. Helping candidates see where they will thrive starts here.
3
Prove the culture with an outcome. Ford’s people doubled a food bank’s distribution rate. Cummins has four generations of one family. Outcomes make claims believable.
4
Let your people tell it in their own words. Boeing, Cummins, Ford and Caterpillar prove their promises with first-person employee stories where the employee is the hero. As I wrote in Sell The Truth, “These are not testimonials. They are social proof at human scale.”
5
Own one idea. P&G’s Day 1, Caterpillar’s 109,000 stories and Toyota’s competition without ego are ideas only they could say.
If you want to see how your own EVP measures up, run it through the free Employer Brand and EVP Grader on the Employer Brand Atlas, the Happydance community for employer brand people. And if you would like a fresh pair of eyes on your careers website, our careers website audit is a good place to start.
Frequently asked questions
What is an EVP in manufacturing?
An employer value proposition (EVP) is the deal between an employer and its people. Give & Get Employer Branding frames it as a value exchange: what your people give, and what they get in return. In manufacturing the Give often includes shift work, physical work and strict safety standards, so the best EVPs name it honestly and show the pride, pay and progression that come with it.
What are the best employee value proposition examples in manufacturing?
In our 2026 list, Cummins, Boeing and Ford lead. The best EVP examples in manufacturing state the Give and the Get together, name the responsibility of the work, and prove their promises with first-person employee stories and real outcomes.
Which company has the best EVP in US manufacturing and automotive in 2026?
In our 2026 review of US manufacturing and automotive careers websites, Cummins scored highest (33 out of 40), ahead of Boeing (32) and Ford (31).
How can I improve my own EVP?
State what you ask of people as clearly as what you offer, then prove each claim with a real employee story. The free EVP grader on the Employer Brand Atlas gives you a quick read on where to start.
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