Is your EVP in order? 5 ways to get an "I do"

During a decade of global turbulence, the recruitment market has drastically shifted. Having a job is about more than making a living and climbing a ladder. Nowadays, it’s where we find a sense of belonging, a lifestyle, and for some, an identity. Add a pandemic to that, and a few years of working from home, and you have an employee-driven market. The full effects of the current economic turmoil are yet to be seen, but most likely this long term shift will remain.

EVPs set the direction for all employer branding

As people expect their jobs to bring a sense of purpose to their lives, to offer autonomous flexibility in an environment that advocates for mental wellbeing, employers that don’t meet the demands are forced to be prepared to lose talent to the ones that do. The shift has created an influx of employer value propositions (EVPs). Often lofty promise statements meant to capture the employee offer, EVPs set the direction for all employer branding, and market the company culture.

With businesses fighting for the same talent, while lacking a unique offer, EVPs are all starting to look and sound the same - and in some cases, a desperate effort to market a perceived progressive culture, instead of actually having to create one. The hard truth? To talk the talk, you have to also be able to walk the walk. Here are five ways to approach your proposal to set your EVP apart from the pack.

5 ways to improve your EVP:

1. Get the top involved.
   Too often, EVPs are created and implemented but fail to make an impact because they are not anchored at the top of the organization. An EVP will not be successful if only HR and the Communications department advocate for it. Get your leadership involved.
2. Know the difference between messaging and a proposal.
   To create effective employer branding, your messaging should be built on your proposal, and not the other way around. This way you avoid having an EVP that is nothing more than lip service.
3. Don’t have a unique offer? Create one.
   The secret sauce to strong employer branding is engaged employees. An effective way to involve your people is through action - not words. Great actions will create great stories. Engaged employees will help you tell them.
4. Get authentic.
   Ensure that you EVP actually represents the real, lived employee experience, and that you as the employer can live up to that promise. This will go a long way once new employees have passed their honeymoon phase and start getting to know the real you.
5. Attract all levels of the organization, globally.
   Solid EVPs reflect the collective employee experience. If you’re worldwide, is your EVP globally viable or does it only capture the HQ-experience? If your promise statement is translated, will it lose its meaning? Who’s experience are you representing? Consider whether or not your message speaks to all levels of your organization, and how your master EVP can adapt to accurately reflect the global brand locally.

Hannah Magnusson, content strategist, Spoon
hannah.magnusson@spoon.se