EVP for Skylum: Shaping an Employer Value Proposition Where Creativity Meets Technology

Skylum is a product-driven tech company with a 17-year history of building innovative tools for photographers worldwide. With a team of 130+ specialists across Kyiv, Warsaw, and Lisbon, the company is best known for Luminar Neo – an AI-powered photo editor used daily by millions of people across the US, Germany, and the UK to bring creative ideas to life quickly and intuitively.

In 2022, Skylum reached a turning point.

The talent market shifted, competition for engineers intensified, and previous employer communications no longer reflected who the company had become. They needed a structured, strategic foundation that clearly articulated who they are as an employer, what they stand for, and why talented people choose to grow with them.

‍“EVP is about the future – but it also brings us back to our roots, our culture, and our mission. Why we were created and what we are building. It’s also about the present: what we genuinely offer our people. We saw that our previous tactics no longer delivered the results we needed. It was time for a stronger, more systematic approach.”‍

— Tetiana Hnatiuk, Head of HR at Skylum.

Skylum turned to Kateryna Drobot to develop an Employer Value Proposition that would become the backbone of all internal and external communications.

What the company asked for

Skylum set out to:

• Strengthen its employer brand visibility within Ukraine’s highly competitive tech landscape.
  
• Simplify recruitment by clearly articulating what sets Skylum apart from other IT companies.
  
• Position Skylum as a product-minded global competitor, not just a local player.
• Build one coherent employer brand – something the company had never approached systematically before.
  

What we did

1. A three-stage research program

1.1 Business needs

• Interviews with key stakeholders: CEO, Head of HR, VP Engineering, CMO, CPO.
• Definition of critical target groups together with team leads.
• HR workshop to shape the core talent profile.

1.2. Internal perception

• Audit of existing policies, processes, and documentation.
• In-depth interviews with representatives from critical target groups.
• Company-wide employee survey.

1.3. External reality

• Benchmarking research.
• Competitive analysis of employer brands and job offerings.
• Review of Skylum’s employer brand competitiveness across markets.

2. A clear, compelling, data-driven EVP

We synthesized research insights into a structured Employer Value Proposition that reflected the company’s mission, culture, product DNA, and expectations around talent.

3. EVP test-drive and refinement

• A focus-group session with Software Engineers, Marketing Managers, and Product Managers.
• Presentation to the Corporate Brand Team.
• Joint refinement of EVP messaging with Skylum copywriters.
• A final company-wide presentation and rollout.

What we achieved

We developed a distinct EVP for Skylum and integrated it into both internal and external employer brand touchpoints.

Internal communications

• Embedded EVP into onboarding and hiring processes.
• Launched a monthly internal newsletter, Kaptsi News, built around EVP pillars.
• Created custom employer brand merchandise.

External communications

• Refreshed the careers page with the central promise “Where creativity meets technology”, a clear CTA, and all five EVP pillars.
• Launched the skylum.people Instagram account and took over the employer brand direction on LinkedIn.
• Strengthened media presence, including a feature in Vector Media:“Unleashing creativity in users. How Skylum builds Luminar Neo.”
  

A video walkthrough of the full case is available on YouTube.

Co-creation lineup

At Lineup Bureau, we believe in long-term partnerships and co-creation. This EVP came to life thanks to everyone who contributed their time, expertise, and honest feedback.

Lineup Bureau Team:

• Founder and Fractional Chief Strategist – Kateryna Drobot.

Skylum Team:

• Head of HR – Tetiana Hnatiuk
• СEO – Ivan Kutanin
• CMO – Juliana Chyzhova
• CPO – Evgen Kushnirchuk
• VP of Engineering – Anton Averich
  HR Team: Kateryna Meresii, Anastasiia Kazakova, Anna Kasatkina, Ruzanna Manasyan, Iryna Polishchuk.

And all Skylum employees who joined interviews, filled in the survey, and provided feedback along the way 🫰

Want to build a strong EVP for your company?

A meaningful EVP starts with honesty – a clear look at who you are today, what you stand for, and what makes your culture worth joining.

If you feel that your company is ready for that next step, reach out.

We’d be glad to help you build a foundation your teams can rely on.