How to create an Employee Value Proposition

UNDERSTANDING AND CREATING EVP (EMPLOYEE VALUE PROPOSITION): BEST PRACTICES AND STRATEGIES

Even the professionals often confuse the terms “employer brand” and “employee value proposition” (EVP). The reason is that they are closely related concepts because they are used together in the process of attracting and retaining employees. Both terms are used to describe the way an organization presents itself as an employer and the value it offers to potential and current employees.

Additionally, various people or organizations often use the terms interchangeably. Some organizations may use the term “employer brand” to encompass everything related to their reputation as an employer. On the other hand, some may use “EVP” to describe the specific package of benefits and perks they offer to employees.

The confusion can also stem from a lack of understanding of the different components of employer branding, including EVP. However, grasping how they work together is necessary to create an effective employer brand. It is important for organizations to have a clear understanding of both concepts and how they differ. As a result, they can develop a strong and cohesive employer brand strategy.

As organizations seek to attract and retain top talent, it’s crucial to understand the difference between employer brand & EVP. In this tutorial, we’ll define employer brand and EVP, explore their differences, and provide best practices for creating and communicating a cohesive brand and EVP.

1- WHAT IS EMPLOYER BRAND & EVP?

Employer brand is the image and reputation of an organization as an employer. It’s not the same as the corporate brand, which focuses on the products and services offered by the organization. A strong employer brand can attract top talent, improve retention rates, and boost employee engagement and satisfaction.

EVP is the set of offerings and values an organization promises its employees in exchange for their work. This includes compensation, benefits, work-life balance, career development opportunities, and organizational culture. A strong EVP can help attract and retain top talent, differentiate the organization from its competitors, and foster employee engagement and loyalty.

2- IS EVP AN “EMPLOYER BRAND SLOGAN”?

Employer Value Proposition (EVP) and slogans serve similar communication purposes but are different elements. EVP is a comprehensive set of messages and themes that outline a company’s key selling points, culture, values, and benefits. A slogan, on the other hand, is a concise and memorable phrase that encapsulates a brand’s core messaging and values. Furthermore, it is often part of an advertising campaign. Although the two differ in detail and purpose, they relate to brand messaging and communication. For example, EVP serves as the foundation for the brand messaging platform. Moreover, it guides the creation of slogans or taglines. An effective EVP is a more profound understanding of the employer’s culture, values, and benefits. Finally, you should make sure to reflect it in all aspects of employer communication with potential & current employees.

While a slogan can be a part of an employer’s EVP, it is not enough on its own to define the overall value proposition of the employer. An effective EVP requires a deeper understanding of the employer’s culture, values, and benefits. Additionally, you should reflect it in all aspects of the employer’s communication and engagement with potential & current employees.

3- EMPLOYER BRAND VS. EVP: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

The employer brand is the brand you create as an employer. Particularly, by managing the process with a strategic and holistic approach that includes your EVP. It is the strategic planning and management to transform all processes and practices from their current situation into an experience aligned with the EVP. For example; sourcing, recruitment, talent management, performance management, etc.

EVP is the set of offerings and values an organization promises its employees in exchange for their work. It is a platform that you will use for communication and actions. Additionally, you can see it as the basis of the experience you promise to candidates and employees. To summarize, the steps could be:

• Provides a key reference point for employer brand management
• Founds consistent communication and delivered experience
• Establishes the desired brand associations in the mind of the target audience

While employer brand and EVP are distinct concepts, they are closely related. Specifically, the employer brand should be a reflection of the organization’s EVP.

In summary, EVP is part of the employer brand, but not all of it.

4- WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF ALIGNING EMPLOYER BRAND & EVP?

Having a cohesive and aligned employer brand and EVP is crucial for attracting and retaining top talent. If there is a disconnect between what the employer brand promises and the actual employee experience, this can lead to low retention rates, negative word-of-mouth, and difficulty in attracting top talent. In contrast, when you align employer brand and EVP, this can lead to many desirable results. Specifically; higher retention rates, better recruitment outcomes, and more engaged and satisfied workforce.

5- WHAT ARE BEST PRACTICES IN CREATING EMPLOYER BRAND AND EVP?

Developing a strong employer brand and EVP requires a strategic and holistic approach. This involves defining your target audience, creating a candidate persona, developing your EVP, and aligning all HR processes with your employer brand and EVP. Best practices include involving employees in the process, creating a creative and engaging visual and verbal brand identity, and measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of your employer brand and EVP. The value proposition is part of the employer brand strategy process, as seen below.

5A- Kickstart workshop

Start with a kickstart workshop where you present the interim report of the recent research and discuss the future, vision of the organization, and how to align the talent force according to the organization’s business.

5B- Define candidate persona

Define the candidate persona starting with the overall qualities required to achieve the business goals in the corporate vision. For instance, ask the questions below.

• Who do you want to attract into your organization?
• What kind of people will fit in your organization?
• What skills and competencies do they need to have to take the organization to its future vision?

After defining the generic candidate persona, start putting the offer together to attract this person to the organization. Answering the following questions will form the EVP.

• What makes the organization special as an employer?
• Why people should join, stay and commit?
• What can the organization offer to attract the target group of employees and retain them engaged?

Please note that the EVP is not generally designed to be a comprehensive description of everything you offer employees. To clarify, it is a more distilled description of the brand’s most defining and differentiating pillars.

5C- Develop the EVP

In this process, you develop a brand messaging platform that outlines the key messages and themes for communicating the employer brand to the target audience. It will ensure that the brand messaging is consistent across all channels and touchpoints. These points mostly include job postings, career websites, social media profiles, and employee communications.

5D- Transform HR practices

After you answer what is being done in the current situation, and then what actions to take for realizing the EVP, you implement the actions. Specifically, you transform the HR practices to deliver the employee and candidate experience promised by the EVP. This is called “employer brand management”.

6- HOW DO YOU CREATE AN EXCELLENT EVP?

When it comes to creating an Employee Value Proposition (EVP), there are certain rules you should follow to ensure that it’s both effective and compelling. Specifically, here are the rules that you should keep in mind below.

6A- Credibility

One of the most important rules of a good EVP is that it must be credible. This means that the promises made in your EVP should ring true and be based on the actual experience employees have with your organization. It’s important to make sure that the EVP reflects the best aspects of your organization in a truthful and honest way.

6B- Distinctiveness

Your EVP should be unique and set you apart from your competitors. It’s important to identify what makes your organization special and highlight those aspects in your EVP. This will make your organization stand out and attract candidates who are a good fit for your organization culture.

6C- Focus on Future Target Profile

Your EVP should focus on the future target profile you want to attract. This means that it should speak to the desires and motivations of your ideal candidates. By doing this, you can make your EVP more appealing to your target audience and attract the right candidates to your organization.

6D- Engaging and Energizing

Your EVP should be both compelling and motivating to your target audience. This means that it should be written in a way that speaks to the desires and aspirations of your ideal candidates. This way, you encourage them to take action.

6E- Business Alignment

Finally, your EVP should align with your organization’s business goals and values. It should reflect the qualities and competencies that you need from your employees to succeed as a business. By doing this, you can ensure that your EVP is not only appealing to your target audience but also helps your organization achieve its strategic objectives.

Once you’ve developed your employer brand and EVP, it’s crucial to communicate it effectively to your target audience. In external communications, for example, this involves using various communication channels, such as social media, job ads, career fairs, and employee referral programs. Best practices for communicating your employer brand and EVP include creating compelling and engaging content, being transparent and authentic, and measuring the effectiveness of your communication efforts.

7- HOW DO YOU IMPROVE EVP?

The needs and expectations of employees are constantly evolving, and the job market is always changing. To ensure that it remains relevant, competitive, and attractive to both current and potential employees; it is essential to continuously evaluate and improve the EVP. Continuous evaluation of the EVP involves regularly measuring the effectiveness of the existing proposition and making adjustments as necessary.

7A- Feedback

The evaluation process should be data-driven and involve feedback from both current and former employees. Surveys, focus groups, and interviews can provide valuable insights into how employees perceive the company’s EVP and what changes they would like to see. You should collet feedback from employees at all levels; including entry-level workers, mid-level managers, and executives.

7B- Analysis

Once you collect the feedback, it is time to analyze the data and identify any trends or areas for improvement. You can use this analysis help to identify gaps in the current EVP and provide insights into what changes need to be made. For example, if a large number of employees express dissatisfaction with the company’s benefits package, this could be a sign that changes need to be made to the existing benefits program.

7C- Planning

After identifying areas for improvement, the next step is to develop a plan for making changes to the EVP. You should base the plan on the feedback collected from employees and align with the company’s overall business strategy. Changes to the EVP may include adjustments to compensation and benefits, changes to the company’s culture, or improvements to the employee experience.

7D- Communication

Once changes have been made, you should communicate these changes to both current and potential employees. This communication should be consistent with the company’s brand messaging and should be tailored to the specific audience. For example, communication to potential employees may focus on the company’s competitive benefits package, while communication to current employees may focus on the improvements to the employee experience.

7E- Leadership

Leadership plays a critical role in developing and maintaining an effective EVP. You must commit leaders must to continuously evaluating and improving the EVP. As a result, they must create a culture of continuous improvement within the organization. This involves incorporating feedback and insights into leadership decisions and developing strategies for addressing gaps in the EVP.

Continuous improvement of the EVP is an ongoing process that requires a long-term commitment from the company. Companies that are committed to continuously evaluating and improving their EVP are more likely to attract and retain top talent. Additionally, companies that make a commitment to the continuous improvement of the EVP are more likely to be seen as innovative, forward-thinking, and employee-focused, which can have a positive impact on the company’s overall reputation.

8- CONCLUSION

While the terms “employer brand” and “employee value proposition” are closely related, it’s important to understand the difference between them to develop a comprehensive strategy that effectively communicates an organization’s unique value to potential and current employees. Best practices for developing a strong and aligned employer brand and EVP include involving employees in the process, creating a compelling visual and verbal brand identity, and measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of your efforts. A cohesive and well-communicated EVP can help an organization attract and retain top talent, differentiate from its competitors, and foster employee engagement and loyalty. On the other hand, a weak or misaligned EVP can lead to negative word-of-mouth and difficulty in attracting top talent. Therefore, it’s important for organizations to develop a strategic approach that incorporates both employer brand and EVP to create a cohesive and appealing value proposition for potential and current employees.

Want to create an EVP that resonates with top talent? Download our free infographic for insider tips!

To learn more, you can join a free week session of Employer Brand Academy certificate courses here or you can download my free ebook creating an authentic employer brand here.

---

If you like what you've read, please feel free to share this post on your preferred channels.

If you have a question or have had a similar experience, please leave a comment below so that fellow employer brand professionals can learn from your experiences.