Leadership & Culture | Insights
Kevin McDougall , Employee Experience Director
3 Jan, 2021 · 4 -minute read

It's easy to think that increasing levels of unemployment in the current economic climate will give more ‘power’ to employers. It’s just as easy to think that investing in your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is less important than it was, say 12 months ago, when employee retention and talent attraction were topping agendas everywhere.

After all, why should you keep spending on the employee experience now the goalposts have shifted? People are just grateful to have a job these days, aren’t they? The money can be better spent elsewhere, can’t it? There’s no need to ‘sell the dream’ of working for you anymore, right?

Wrong.

Your EVP is no longer just about attracting new talent; it’s about addressing the ‘What’s in it for me?’ - for employees old and new.

And as organisations find themselves in a continuous cycle of unpredictable (and unplanned) change, it’s vital to keep your people on side; vital to make it clear how important they are to the current standing and future health of the business; vital to hit home that what they do matters.

Let’s face it, if you want your employees to listen to what you have to say and buy into your strategic vision, you need to give them a reason to care.

You need to strengthen your EVP.

Shifting priorities

But why should your employees care? Work’s hardly priority number one for people at the minute, is it?

No, it isn’t. Along with everything else (which we won’t mention), 2020 was the year of shifting priorities – be that on a career level or otherwise.

We’ve all watched the world change dramatically lately. But this isn’t a soap opera or a bad dream that we’ll all wake up from one day - it’s real life and it’s tough out there. Living from one unknown day to the next is taking its toll. People are struggling. People are hurting.

A sense of belonging is more important than it’s ever been right now – and this is where the focus of your EVP has to centre if you want to keep your employees engaged.

When people make the effort to get out of bed and go to each day – be that in an office or at the kitchen table – they need to know that what they’re doing counts for something. And that something needs to be fun, it needs to be inclusive, it needs to be authentic.

It needs to matter, and it needs to mirror real life.

For some time now ‘work to live’ has been hammering ‘live to work’ when it comes to modern workforce mantras – and, as the lines between work and home continue to blur for many, the development of the dispersed workforce has added a new dimension to this.

Still questioning the value of your EVP? This is where investing in it makes all the difference.

It’s time to start thinking of employee engagement as a business imperative rather than a ‘nice to have’.

Creating EVPs that are fit for the future

You can’t just wing it when it comes to establishing an EVP. It has to be built around a strong framework that’s distinctive, meaningful, targeted and - above all - real.

And while the word ‘proposition’ doesn’t exactly scream dynamism, when you strengthen a proposition, it becomes a promise; and when you make a promise? Well, that holds some weight.

There are three stages to making this work:

1 Ideate

The way you articulate your EVP – internally and externally - is everything, and tangible research is where it’s at. Talk to your people. Find out what they like about working in your organisation; make it aspirational, make it relevant, make it count. Your EVP should describe who you want to be as an employer, even if you’re not quite there yet. Focus on the experience you want to create, and don’t be afraid of change – this should be an organic process, something that can grow and evolve with your business and your people. And don’t forget to consider how you measure up to your competitors either; this isn’t about keeping up with the Joneses, it’s about staying ahead of the game.

2 Craft

This is about your employer brand and how you bring that brand to life in absolutely everything you do, at every step of the way. To maximise returns, your EVP must demonstrate the qualities that make your organisation truly unique. It’s about walking the talk with the courage of your conviction, and it’s the only way to truly keep your people on side, engaged, and ready to go.

3 Activate

Bringing your EVP to life is everything. Be proud to shout about what makes you special – and make sure every member of your team feels compelled (not forced – there’s a difference!) to do the same, on every internal and external platform. Above all, it’s about constantly and consistently revisiting and refining your proposition – especially in this moment. It’s about making it work – together - in order to drive change and progress.

Serious business

We’ve said it before, but employee engagement is more crucial than ever right now. It’s time to start thinking of it as a serious business imperative rather than a ‘nice to have’.

This is no longer just about making sure you’re ready to adapt and respond to today’s seemingly constant journey into the unknown; it’s about making sure you keep your people involved, motivated, and engaged – and the organisations that will fare best are those that take the time to regularly revisit, re-evaluate and re-articulate their EVP.

No doubt for your leadership team (and other areas of the business) to buy into this, they’ll want to understand the tangible benefits of doing the work – so here are a few starters for 10.

  • Employers that effectively deliver on their EVP can decrease annual employee turnover by 69%1
  • 52% of employees would rather choose an organisation that cared about their wellbeing than one that pays 10% more2
  • There is a 24-47% increase in employees recommending an organisation that has a successful EVP3
  • 76% of candidates are explicitly looking for what makes an organisation an attractive place to work4

Sources: 1 Gartner; 2 RewardGateway; 3 CEB; 4 Rezoomo

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