Your Employee Value Proposition Should be Human-Centered - Here’s Why

Your employer brand is made up of the defining elements that help you stand out from the competition. It should be authentic to who you are as a brand and resonate with your target audience. The same is true for your Employer Value Proposition or EVP. 

But, what exactly is an EVP?

What is an Employee Value Proposition (EVP)?

An employee value proposition is a clear message that resonates externally with potential candidates and internally with existing employees that clearly defines why they desire to work for your brand. 

An effective employee value proposition should communicate your identity as a brand, your culture and the value employees will receive as a result of their employment experience with you. 

Benefits of Defining an Effective EVP

Having a clear and meaningful EVP is more important than ever in today’s workforce environment. Employee expectations are evolving and they are looking for more than a job and a paycheck. Today’s workforce is seeking employers with healthy cultures that are in sync with their core values. 

Developing an EVP that is authentic, compelling and connects with potential and current employees in a meaningful way has a number of benefits for growing and established brands.

• Attract Talent
  Having a compelling EVP helps employees understand what they can expect from their employment experience and helps brands better attract candidates that are a good fit. In addition, a clear and operationalized EVP can expand your access to top talent. According to Gartner, companies with well-managed employed brands can source from more than 60% of the labor market. 

• Increase Employee Engagement
  Taking the time to define an effective EVP also helps drive employee engagement internally. When employees understand the value of working for your brand, their engagement increases. In fact, brands that use an EVP effectively are five times more likely to report their employees are highly engaged. 

• Decrease Employee Turnover
  In addition to defining your EVP, it’s important to ensure that it is operationalized and delivered consistently throughout your organization. Brands that effectively deliver on their EVP can decrease annual employee turnover by 69%.

• Grow Your Brand’s Reputation
  How well companies treat employees is a key pillar of brand reputation, which can be enhanced and communicated through your EVP. According to Glassdoor, 84% of candidates consider company reputation to be a critical factor in their decision-making process and 83% of consumers believe how well a company treats their employees is very important.
  
  
• Drive Business Growth
  Last, but certainly not least, your EVP can help drive business growth. Companies that use an EVP effectively are twice as likely to report driving financial performance significantly above competitors. Increasing your access to the talent pool, increasing employee engagement and enhancing your brand’s reputation are key to future proofing your business and driving revenue growth. 

EVPs Are Evolving to be Human-Centered

So, what exactly are the elements that fuel an effective EVP? Historically, EVPs have had five defined elements: Compensation, Benefits, Career Growth, Employee Experience and Culture. 

These elements still play a role within the EVP, but following the pandemic, the relationship between employees and work has evolved. Employees now expect to have a more positive, life-giving experience at work that fulfills their aspirational desires and respects their needs, in addition to providing the previous standards of pay, benefits and growth. 

Instead of a work-centered or employee-centered approach, it’s important to transition to human-centered ways of thinking to meet the needs of our evolving workforce. It’s not enough for brands to deliver an exceptional work experience, the focus needs to be on delivering an exceptional life experience. 

Related Resource: How to Develop a Human-Centered Employee Value Proposition

The Human-Centered EVP Framework

At Fratzke, we follow our Human-Centered EVP Framework to define effective EVPs that drive brand growth.

• Shared Purpose -People want to feel like the work they are doing is making a difference and has meaning - that’s where developing a shared purpose that is unique to your organization comes in. Developing a purpose that is supported by your core values can help your employees identify where their passion syncs up with your brand’s purpose.
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• Work Flexibility - Providing flexibility includes when and where you work, but it’s also about providing employees with the resources and autonomy to fully own their roles, make decisions and drive your business forward. If your organization is too top heavy and reliant on leadership for every decision, your organization is lacking flexibility.
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• Growth & Development - Investing in your employees personal and professional growth is a key factor that fuels retention and job satisfaction. Can employees see a future with your organization? Can you help them become the best they can be? Brands need to think proactively about these questions when defining an EVP that stands out. 
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• ‍Personal Well-Being - Wellness programs are a key benefit for employees - but it’s important to provide ease-of-use and participation, along with a culture that values employees' mental, emotional and physical well being. If your culture is falling short, wellness programs aren’t going to make a difference.
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• ‍Connection & Belonging - We are hard-wired for connection and belonging. Employees that feel disconnected at work or in their personal lives will not be fully engaged in their roles. It’s important to create opportunities for connection and belonging at work and outside of work for your people. 

How to Develop a Human-Centered EVP

Now that you understand the value and framework for defining an effective human-centered EVP, how can you create your own? This is the fun part. This is where you get to dive deeper into better understanding your employees, the unique value your company has to offer and how you can use that value to attract and retain talent.

Learn five easy steps you can use to develop your human-centered EVP in this free resource.

Examples of Effective Human-Centered EVPs

When putting your own EVP together, it can be helpful to assess what top brands and competitors in your space are doing to attract talent. Below are some examples of leading brands who have effective, human-centered EVPs that clearly demonstrate their brand identity, culture and the value employees can expect from their experience. 

Shopify - Life Defining Work For You - And Entrepreneurs

Shopify’s EVP is clear and bold. They aren’t afraid to define the value of their work and what their corporate culture is and isn’t. They lead with purpose and illustrate their operational flexibility (low process, high trust, digital-first). They also state their work environment isn’t for everyone. This is an EVP at its finest. The goal is not to broadly appeal to everyone with your EVP - the goal is to resonate with the employees that will be the best fit with your company. 

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Disney - Be You. Be Here. Be Part of the Story.

Disney’s EVP is fueled by the idea that is at the heart of the company: storytelling. At Disney, you have the opportunity to be yourself and be part of a bigger story. This messaging is infused with purpose, belonging and well-being. And, it's not just in their tagline. The idea of creating your story at Disney is highlighted across their career page and is even integrated into their search functionality. Users are invited to search potential job openings by answering the question: “Where Will Your Story Begin?” 

Honeywell - The Future is What We Make It - Make an Impact. Make Real Connections. Make the Best You. Be a #futureshaper.

Honeywell is a global inventor and manufacturer of solutions within aerospace, automotive, building technologies, performance materials and more. Their employee value proposition is centered around their purpose of building the future and welcomes candidates that see themselves as “futureshapers” within their industries. They do a great job showcasing the value of their work and the diverse ways team members can make a difference. They also clearly showcase their values, benefits and cultural drivers on their careers page.

Apple - Join Us. Be You. 

Apple’s EVP emphasizes the value of being part of a team and being true to yourself. The idea of making a contribution and inspiring the work is also weaved throughout their career page. This idea of being a contributor is especially impactful in their messaging regarding community and belonging. Instead of simply joining a community - you are playing an active role in helping create it. This idea of ownership creates a compelling employee value proposition for Apple’s ideal candidate. 

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Related Resource: How to Develop a Human-Centered Employee Value Proposition