So you want to attract the best talent to your company. You know that in today’s competitive job market, having a strong employer brand and value proposition is key. But where do you start? How do you define what makes your company an attractive place to work in a way that will resonate with candidates? Let us make it easier and walk you through the essential steps to developing an employer value proposition that wins. We’ll show you how to identify what makes your company unique, how to articulate your employee experience in an authentic way, and how to spread the word to the right candidates. Creating a compelling EVP is well worth the effort. Do it right, and you’ll gain a recruiting advantage that will impact your business for years to come.
What Is an Employer Value Proposition (EVP)?
An employer value proposition (EVP) is your company’s promise of value to employees. It’s what makes you stand out as an employer and gives candidates a reason to join your team. Crafting a compelling EVP is key to attracting and retaining top talent.
Your EVP should capture what makes your company culture and work experience unique. Think about your mission, values, and employee benefits or perks. Maybe you offer flexible work schedules, professional development opportunities, or the chance to work with cutting-edge technology. Whatever it is, highlight what motivates your team and gives them a sense of purpose.
An effective EVP is:
- Authentic – It reflects your actual company culture and work environment. Don’t over-promise.
- Compelling – It gives candidates a reason to choose you over competitors. Focus on meaningful benefits and growth opportunities.
- Consistent – Your EVP is communicated across your career site, job ads, social media, and the interview process. Mixed messages confuse candidates.
- Distinctive – It sets you apart from other employers. Generic benefits like “competitive pay” or “work-life balance” won’t make you stand out.
- Inclusive – It appeals to top talent from a range of backgrounds. Avoid language that alienates or discourages diverse candidates.
Crafting your EVP is worth the effort. With a clear, compelling message about why your company is an attractive place to work, you’ll be that much closer to finding talent that will achieve your business outcomes.
Why You Need an Employer Value Proposition for Your Company
An employer value proposition (EVP) is key to attracting and retaining top talent. Without one, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. Here are a few reasons why an EVP is essential for your company:
- It gives you a competitive edge. An EVP helps you stand out to candidates and shows them why they should choose you over other companies. It highlights what makes you unique as an employer.
- It boosts recruitment and retention. An attractive EVP makes you a magnet for top talent. It also gives employees a reason to stay for the long haul. When people feel valued and connected to your mission, they’ll be more engaged and loyal.
- It aligns with your team. An EVP articulates your company’s culture and priorities. It gives employees a shared sense of purpose and helps ensure everyone is on the same page about the kind of experience you want to create.
- It enhances your brand. Your EVP is a key part of your employer brand. It shapes how people perceive you and influences whether they want to work for you or do business with you. A compelling EVP builds a reputation that will serve you well.
Crafting an EVP is worth the investment. It provides clarity and direction for your team and gives candidates a glimpse into what makes you an amazing place to work.
The Components of a Compelling EVP
To craft an effective EVP, you need to determine the key components that will resonate most with your target candidates. Some of the essential elements to include are:
Company Culture
Describe your company culture in an authentic, compelling way. Mention things like values, work environment, company mission, and what makes your culture unique. For example, “Our culture fosters innovation through collaboration, work-life balance, and a shared passion for building great products.”
Career Growth
Highlight opportunities for career and professional development. Discuss things like mentorship programs, tuition reimbursement, internal mobility, and career pathing. For example, “We invest heavily in our employees through mentorship, training programs, and opportunities for career progression within the organization.”
Compensation & Benefits
While compensation and benefits alone won’t attract top talent, they are still important to mention. Briefly highlight your compensation philosophy and any standout benefits you offer like generous PTO, retirement plans, gym memberships, etc. For example, “We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package including unlimited PTO, 401(k) matching, and an onsite gym.”
Work & Projects
Discuss the type of impactful, meaningful work employees can expect to be involved in. Mention any exciting projects on the horizon to give candidates a sense of the work they’ll be doing. For example, “You’ll work on innovative projects using the latest technologies to build products that improve people’s lives.”
An effective EVP highlights what makes your company an attractive place to work in a genuine, compelling way. By focusing on culture, career growth, compensation, and meaningful work, you can craft an employer value proposition that will resonate strongly with your target candidates. The key is to be authentic and highlight what makes your company truly unique.
How to Develop Your Employer Value Proposition : A Step-by-Step Process
Developing an effective employer value proposition is a multi-step process that requires time and effort. But by following these key steps, you’ll craft an EVP that resonates with your target candidates.
Conduct Research
First, analyze your current employees and candidates to determine what attracts and retains top talent. Send out surveys, review exit interviews, check sites like Glassdoor, and talk to your recruiters. Look for common themes around why people join and stay at your company. These insights will form the foundation of your EVP.
Define Your Culture and Values
What values and behaviors do you want to promote in your organization? If you have core values already established, revisit them to make sure they still align with your goals. Your EVP should reflect the kind of workplace culture you’re trying to build.
Identify Your Key Differentiators
What makes your company unique? It could be innovative products, career growth opportunities, company mission, flexible work options, or anything else that sets you apart. Focus on 2 or 3 key differentiators that would be most compelling to candidates.
Develop Your Employee Value Proposition Statement
Now craft a single sentence or short paragraph that captures the essence of your research, values, and differentiators. This statement should highlight the key benefits and opportunities you offer employees. It will be the centerpiece of all your recruiting materials and career site messaging.
Promote Your EVP
Share your EVP on your career site, job listings, social media, and anywhere else candidates will see it. Train your hiring team to discuss the EVP with candidates during the interview process. Existing employees can also help promote your EVP on sites like Glassdoor by sharing authentic reviews and ratings about their experience working for your company.
Continually revisiting and refreshing your EVP will help ensure it remains relevant and impactful. An EVP that truly reflects your company culture and priorities will make a strong impression on candidates and support your efforts to attract and retain top talent.
Surveying Your Employees: A Key Part of Crafting Your EVP
Surveying your employees is a crucial step in developing an effective employer value proposition. Asking your team for input shows them you value their feedback and opinions. It also gives you valuable insights into what really matters to them and why they choose to work for your company.
Conduct Anonymous Surveys
The best way to get honest feedback is through anonymous surveys. This allows employees to share openly without fear of repercussions. Create a short survey with a mix of multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Ask things like:
- Why did you choose to work here?
- What do you value most about your job?
- What’s your favorite part of the company culture?
- What’s one thing you would improve?
Hold Focus Groups
In addition to surveys, consider organizing a few small focus groups. These let you have more in-depth conversations to gain context around the survey responses. Keep groups to 6-8 people and make sure there’s a mix of roles, experience levels, ages, and backgrounds. A skilled moderator can uncover some truly valuable insights in these sessions.
Look for Common Themes
Once you’ve collected all your data, look for common themes and patterns in the responses. These themes represent what’s most meaningful and important to your employees. Use these to help shape your employer value proposition and determine the key benefits and attributes you want to highlight. For example, if work-life balance, growth opportunities, and company culture are frequently mentioned, emphasize these in your EVP.
Share the Results
Finally, share a summary of the survey and focus group results with your entire team. This shows them their voices were heard and builds trust in the process. Explain how their feedback is being used to develop an employer value proposition that reflects what they value most about their work and company. When you roll out your final EVP, they’ll feel invested in it and motivated to help bring it to life.
Choosing an EVP That Aligns With Your Company Culture
Align With Your Mission and Values
Your EVP should align with and reflect your company’s mission, vision, and values. If your mission is to “empower employees to do their best work,” make sure your EVP highlights things like autonomy, growth opportunities, and work-life balance. If innovation is a core value, emphasize how employees will work with cutting-edge technologies and have opportunities to develop new ideas.
Match Your Brand Personality
Your EVP should match the personality and tone of your brand. If you have a casual, fun brand, focus on perks like office happy hours, team outings, and a laid-back work environment. For a more formal brand, highlight career growth, mentorship programs, and a professional work setting. Using the same voice and style in your EVP as in your brand messaging helps to convey a consistent experience for candidates and employees.
Align With Your Employee Experience
Your EVP should honestly reflect the actual experience of working at your company. Don’t promise an innovative culture if you have strict hierarchies and siloed teams. Don’t focus on work-life balance and flexibility if most employees regularly work long hours. Your EVP will ring hollow if it’s not backed by the realities of the employee experience. Survey your employees to determine what they actually value most about working for your company.
Consider Your Target Candidates
Tailor your EVP to resonate with your target candidates. If you want to attract top tech talent, focus on cutting-edge projects, mentorship, and career growth. To appeal to working parents, highlight benefits like generous leave policies, childcare stipends, and flexible work options. Think about what would motivate your ideal candidates to join your company, and make that the centerpiece of your EVP.
Crafting an EVP that aligns with your company culture and brand is key to attracting candidates who will thrive and stay long-term. Focus on what makes your company unique to build an authentic and compelling employee value proposition.
Promoting Your Employer Value Proposition to Attract Top Talent
Once you’ve developed your compelling EVP, it’s time to spread the word to attract top talent. Here are some of the best ways to promote your employer value proposition:
Social Media
Leverage your company’s social media channels like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to share your EVP messaging. Post updates highlighting key parts of your EVP, share photos and videos of your company culture in action and engage with followers by responding to their comments and messages. You can also run social media ads targeting your ideal candidates.
Your Careers Site
Feature your EVP prominently on your careers site. Include a dedicated EVP page that brings your key messages to life with vivid copy, eye-catching graphics, and multimedia content. Weave your EVP into all areas of your careers site, from your mission and values to employee spotlights. Make it easy for candidates to envision themselves as part of your team.
Employee Advocacy
Your current employees are your best brand ambassadors. Equip them with the tools and knowledge to share your EVP on their own social networks. When employees authentically spread the word about why they love working for your company, it builds credibility and trusts with candidates. Offer social media training and provide pre-approved EVP content for employees to easily share.
Job Postings
Incorporate your EVP into all of your job postings and descriptions. Go beyond just listing job responsibilities—share what makes the role and company unique. Highlight opportunities for growth, learning, and making an impact. Your EVP should shine through to give candidates a sense of why this job and company would be an ideal fit for their needs and priorities.
On-Campus Recruiting
If recruiting college students and recent graduates, visit local campuses to spread the word about your EVP. Set up information booths at career fairs, sponsor school events, and give presentations highlighting your company culture and employee experience. On-campus recruiting is a chance to make personal connections with top talent and convey why they’d want to build a career with your company.
Promoting your employer value proposition across these channels will help attract candidates who share your values and priorities. With an EVP that truly stands out, you’ll gain a competitive edge in recruiting the best and brightest.
Measuring the Effectiveness and Impact of Your EVP
Once you’ve launched your EVP, it’s important to measure how effective it is and make improvements. Here are some ways to gage the impact of your EVP:
Track Applicant Numbers and Quality
- Monitor the number of job applicants over time to see if your EVP is attracting more candidates. Also, evaluate the quality and fit of applicants to determine if you’re appealing to the right talent.
Survey New Hires
- Survey recent hires to find out how influential your EVP was in their decision to join your company. Ask questions like:
- How well did our EVP align with your actual experience so far?
- What specifically attracted you to the company?
- How could we improve our EVP to better reflect life at the company?
Monitor Turnover Rates
- If your EVP is resonating with employees, you should see lower turnover rates, especially in the first year. Exit interviews can also provide insight into how well your EVP matched employees’ experiences.
Track Social Media Mentions
- See if your EVP leads to more social media mentions, likes, shares, and positive comments about your company as an employer. This indicates you’re building a strong employment brand and reputation.
Get Employee Feedback
- Survey current employees to assess how well your EVP matches their day-to-day experiences. Look for opportunities to strengthen the alignment between your EVP and company culture.
Making ongoing improvements and updates to your EVP based on these metrics will help ensure it continues to be compelling and authentic. An impactful EVP is a continual work in progress, not a one-and-done initiative. Keep listening, learning, and enhancing your EVP, and it will serve as a powerful tool to attract and retain top talent.
How Brandemix Helps Companies Create EVPs
Brandemix is an employer brand agency that helps companies develop impactful EVPs. We have a proven process for uncovering what makes an organization truly unique as an employer and articulating that in an authentic way.
Research and Discovery
Brandemix starts by conducting research through employee surveys, focus groups, and stakeholder interviews. They analyze what current and prospective employees value about the company culture, work environment, growth opportunities, and mission. This helps identify key themes and messages to build the EVP around.
Strategy and Messaging
Next, Brandemix develops a strategy and messaging framework for the EVP based on their findings. They craft an overarching employee value proposition statement, key messages, and supporting proof points that will resonate most with target candidates. The messaging is designed to highlight the experiences and opportunities that set the company apart.
Creative and Content Development
Brandemix then brings the strategy and messaging to life through creative and content development. This includes designing EVP campaigns, toolkits, videos, testimonials, and other assets to showcase the employee experience in an authentic, compelling way. All content and creative elements are tailored to the company’s unique brand and voice.
Activation and Amplification
Finally, Brandemix helps activate and amplify the EVP through both internal and external campaigns. This includes launching the EVP on the company’s career site and social media channels, training hiring managers and employees on the messaging, and promoting the EVP at recruiting events. The goal is to embed the EVP in the organization and share it broadly with candidates and employees.
Brandemix has partnered with companies across industries to develop impactful EVPs that transform how candidates and employees perceive the organization. Our research-driven, creative approach can help strengthen your employer brand and give you a competitive edge in attracting top talent.
Download this case study to understand how this organization stood out of the competition and attracted top talent through strategic employer branding and a holistic recruitment marketing program.
We at Brandemix can help your Employer Branding and recruitment efforts.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jody Ordioni is the author of “The Talent Brand.” In her role as Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Brandemix, she leads the firm in creating brand-aligned talent communications that connect employees to cultures, companies, and business goals. She engages with HR professionals and corporate teams on how to build and promote talent brands, and implement best-practice talent acquisition and engagement strategies across all media and platforms. She has been named a "recruitment thought leader to follow" and her mission is to integrate marketing, human resources, internal communications, and social media to foster a seamless brand experience through the employee lifecycle.
