Dig deep when crafting your organisational message. The employee value proposition is your brand’s calling card.
It’s all about the money… or is it? In an increasingly competitive global marketplace where the best regularly change jobs, it’s more important than ever to identify and communicate your organisation’s unique set of offerings and values to attract top job candidates and retain employees.
If you want your staff to go the extra mile, you have to offer them more than great pay and benefits. When it comes to recruitment, top candidates are often also looking for career development and work that is fulfilling and stimulating. Plenty of organisations spend time and money crafting a consumer value proposition, but forget about what’s in it for their staff. That’s where an employee value proposition (EVP) comes in. It’s a statement that outlines the key reasons people are proud to work for you, and it will help you attract and retain quality staff.
EVPs differ from one organisation to another, and across industries. The key is to articulate the essence of your brand and the values that drive your organisation. Be careful not to oversell or misrepresent staff benefits and conditions; that’s a surefire way to lock in high staff turnover and discontent. And make sure that policies relating to things such as time in lieu, travel and training are clear and applied consistently.
Writing an EVP is not an exact science, but the following points will help you craft an effective and powerful workplace tool.
What’s your goal?
Identify why your organisation needs an EVP. Is staff turnover and absenteeism high compared with industry standards? Why do your employees like working for you? Why are some of them leaving? What do recruitment providers say attracts candidates to roles and what do your customers value most about your employees? An effective EVP will reflect all stakeholder points of view.
Drafting an EVP
Involve employees from different teams and job levels to help write your EVP. Make sure the end result matches your organisation’s vision and strategy. For example, there is no point offering flexible working hours – even if your staff want them – if your business can’t sustain them. The EVP must be grounded in reality and not be an exercise in false advertising.
Communicate
Even the best EVP is pointless unless it is well communicated to staff and job candidates, both verbally and in written form. It is important to use the right platforms to target different audiences. Make sure your message is consistent across your corporate websites and hiring channels, and that it comes from the top rather than from the HR department.
Reinforce and deliver
Regularly reinforce your EVP across all levels and departments in the organisation to ensure it becomes embedded in the corporate culture. Ensure senior leaders walk the talk by delivering what the EVP offers your staff.
Measure your success
Measure your success against your promises by assessing whether you are attracting the right type of employees. Has turnover and absenteeism fallen? What are employees saying in their exit interviews?
This article originally appeared in the August edition of HRM magazine.
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The search for an effective Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is a challenging one but well worth the effort. This concise article delivers an abundance of practical advice. Research has shown again and again that engaged employees really add to an improved working environment and a better bottom line. I hope that more businesses are inspired to create, sustain and enhance their EVPs.
[…] Wendy Frew reporting for HRM Online explains the value of a great EVP. […]