CURRENT STATE
Most organizations see the value in having a strong Employer Value Proposition (EVP). Where they struggle is in developing critical aspects of that EVP, and just as importantly, in showing — not just telling — their EVP to employees and candidates alike. The shift to a more digital workplace, the rise of remote and hybrid workers, the growing gig economy, and the ongoing political and economic strife have meant that organizations must adapt hyper-quickly to the needs of candidates and employees alike.
COMPLICATIONS
The ability of many organizations to improve their EVP has been sidelined somewhat by the shift to more hybrid work, and the fully digital workplace that now entails. This means organizations have to go beyond traditional methods of extolling the virtues of their EVP and do more to prove their EVP to remote workers, who no longer have the luxury of experiencing a special organizational culture in person.
The shift to having a more adaptive workplace is not a bad thing though. More than eight out of ten organizations (85%) believe that having a flexible work schedule is a critical part of maintaining a strong EVP, and just under 8 out of 10 (77%) believe that having flexible work locations is critical to EVP.
CONSEQUENCES
Limited development and career opportunities (51%), uncompetitive compensation (51%), and feeling undervalued (41%) are the most common reasons why employees leave an organization and should be the first problem areas to address with a formal EVP and show exactly why communicating your organization’s EVP must be a top priority.
Your organization may value employee contributions, and have career growth pathways for top performers, but to have a successful EVP you must also communicate those opportunities and recognition. Have organized structures in place that allow employees to see the career opportunities available to them, and the skills they will need, and give them the public support they want for both their present and future endeavors.
CRITICAL QUESTIONS
To improve your organization’s ability to not only successfully create a powerful EVP but also to promote it, you need to determine what people, processes, and technology you have in place to help make that happen. Organizations should ask the following questions of themselves when it comes to promoting their EVP:
- What technology exists within the organization to help define, refine, and celebrate our unique EVP?
- Which metrics are most useful when determining the effectiveness of our efforts to improve and promote our EVP?
- Who is accountable for maintaining and improving our EVP?
- What resources, in terms of time and budget, can be allocated to improving EVP ‚ and how can the return value of that investment be shown?
BRANDON HALL GROUP POV
EVP is Best When it Shows Long-Term Commitment
Most organizations have been taking a safety-first mindset into the modern VUCA environment and so many (80%) rate themselves as strong or very strong in having their managers promote a safe and healthy work environment. However, there are fewer organizations (70%) where employees understand how their role and what they do supports organizational objectives.
Although the bare necessities should be dealt with first, it is just as important to be mindful of the long-term prospects for your employees, and their need to find meaningful work that is aligned with organizational objectives.
Be All Encompassing with EVP
Although safety and security (88%), skill development opportunities (88%), and a flexible work schedule (86%) are the most common ways that organizations ensure a strong EVP, none of those advantages can stand on their own. EVP should be a holistic effort that extends beyond a few employee-centric programs and instead reflects organizational-wide values, mission, and culture.
When it Comes to EVP, it is Better to Show, not Tell
Numerous organizations have sound, strategic leadership, generate meaningful work for employees, and have a supporting and aligned culture. There are even more organizations than those that proclaim that they have all of those things. What is rare is the organization that has both a strong EVP and can prove it through their activities and actions.
No organization will tell their employees or candidates that they are not a great place to work, but plenty of organizations are known to be non-supportive culture either through media or word-of- mouth reporting. The inverse is true though too: when an organization has a great EVP it can be seen in what people say about working there, in the impact they have on their communities, and in the way they are perceived in the market.
