What is Employee Value Proposition (EVP)

An employee value proposition can be defined as the way in which an organization communicates the unique benefits, rewards, and value they alone offer employees. For this reason, a well-defined EVP holds extreme importance when it comes to attracting and retaining talented employees.

According to a study by Gartner, only 31% of HR leaders think their employees are satisfied with the EVP, and 65% of candidates report they have actually discontinued a hiring process due to an unattractive EVP.

This is why organizations must take the time to make sure their EVP enables them to stand out from the competition. If unsure where to start, Gallup recommends organizations study their best performers to determine what attracted them to the company.

What are the key elements of an EVP?

Compensation

When it comes to creating a compelling employee value proposition, a company needs to establish a solid rewards package consisting of competitive compensation and benefits. Compensation goes beyond an employee’s salary and is the additional benefits offered to workers for doing their jobs well.

Compensation doesn’t necessarily have to mean extra money, it can be a bonus in the form of a prize, paid time off, or other benefits.

It’s about finding the rewards that will work best for a certain group of employees. When defining their EVP, employers must ask, what benefits will motivate their workers to give their best performance?

Work-life balance

One study on work-life balance indicates that almost 40% of employees have difficulties disconnecting from work when they are at home. Considering a healthy work-life balance is a major priority for many people, this is something business leaders should be taking very seriously.

Listing perks like flexible hours, remote working, parental leave, and vacation time are key in an employee value proposition. In return, there will be a number of benefits for businesses themselves, as employees who feel they have a healthy balance between their work and home life are generally:

• More energized
• More productive and motivated
• Less stressed
• Healthier (mentally and physically)
• Have a more well-rounded life.
  
  

Location

As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world in 2020, a large number of companies found themselves under pressure to move from a traditional in-office working model to a remote system that enabled employees to work from home efficiently for months on end.

This sudden change had a clear impact on an employees’ location in the employee value proposition model. In fact, many employees realized that working from home either full or part-time suited their lifestyle and commitments better than being in the office.

If remote/hybrid working opportunities are an option, then employers should mention it in their EVP, as today, more than ever, it is a major attraction to job seekers.

Respect

Nowadays, a large number of employees are actively seeking a position with a company whose culture aligns with their own personal values and beliefs.

Aspects such as positive relationships, support, and teamwork within the organization are becoming increasingly important to job seekers.

These values can often extend beyond the workplace with many employees desiring a job that allows them to give back to the community. e.g paid time off for volunteering or charitable donation matching.

Why is an EVP important?

• Talent Attraction & Retention - As outlined above, the main reason a high number of job seekers choose one job over another is company culture. To attract top talent, an organization needs to present itself as an attractive place to work. Therefore, if their EVP is unique and compelling, companies will succeed in procuring and retaining the type of employees they desire.
• Competitive advantage – A distinguished EVP is a great way for companies to set themselves apart from the competition, leading to benefits such as higher prices, more customers, and brand loyalty
• Reputation - A company’s EVP helps to establish itself as an employer of choice and signals to the market that their business is a great place to work based on how they treat and care for employees.
• A better understanding of employees – Knowledge of one's employees play a crucial role in motivating them to work hard in their roles. It also helps employers to understand their worker's needs and expectations from the organization.

What are some EVP examples?

Google

EVP line: ‘How we care for Googlers’

Google is one business that is leading the way when it comes to EVP. The company’s EVP focuses on 6 key elements that highlight how Google ‘cares for Googlers.’ These elements are:

• Supporting families
• Access to a healthy lifestyle
• Giving back — matching charitable donations and volunteer hours for employees
• Access to quality time off
• Financial support
• Investing in employee growth

Hubspot

EVP line: ‘Your best work starts here’

Hubspot’s EVP line is far from an empty promise with the company offering its workers generous benefits packages including unlimited vacation time, fully remote work, five-year sabbatical, parental leave, and much more.

A healthy work-life balance is a priority of Hubspot which seeks to ‘help you be the best “you” that you can be.’ Hubspot has also been open about how seriously it takes important and relevant issues such as diversity and inclusion in the workspace.

Netflix

EVP Headline: ‘People over process.’

Netflix is loved by its customers and its workers. According to the streaming giant, they are a ‘flexible, fun, stimulating, creative, collaborative and successful organization.’ These are all important pieces of a good employee value proposition model.

The company’s culture memo offers a detailed breakdown of how the culture prioritizes ‘people over process.’ It can be summed up in the five values:

• Encourage independent decision-making by employees
• Share information openly, broadly, and deliberately
• Be extraordinarily candid with each other
• Keep only our highly effective people
• Avoid rules
  
  

Key Takeaway

Employee Value Proposition refers to the salary, benefits, and compensation a company offers its employees in return for their contributions to the success of the organization. For this reason, It is one of the most important factors to consider for any organization looking to attract and retain top talent.

An EVP tells qualified individuals why a company is an employer of choice and must appeal to both potential and existing employees. To ensure their success when putting together an EVP strategy, employers must conduct external research to see what competitors in their industry are offering employees along with internal surveys to determine what current staff are looking for.