In talent acquisition, we’re hearing a lot about the importance of a strong employer value proposition (EVP) and a well-managed employer brand platform. It’s true – taking control of your employer brand will help your organisation stand out in the current, tight-talent market. However, the approach many organisations have taken to building an EVP is dated. To be effective, an EVP and employer brand platform needs to be built for the rapidly changing world we live in today.
There are many definitions of employer brand, but at PeopleScout, we define employer brand, employer value proposition and employer brand platform as the following:
Employer brand: Your employer brand is the perception and lived experiences of what it’s like to work for your organisation.
Employer value proposition: Your employer value proposition, or EVP, captures the essence of your uniqueness as an employer and the give and get between you and your employees.
Employer brand platform: The creative communications you create and distribute based on your employer value proposition that guide the perception of your employer brand in the marketplace.
In this series of articles, we dig into how to build an EVP and employer brand platform that stands out in the current candidate landscape. We’ll describe how to make sure it is unique and authentic to where your organisation is today. We’ll also show you how to make it aspirational to share where you want your organisation to go while keeping it dynamic enough to appeal to different candidates and keep up with the changing talent landscape. In this section, we will cover the process from beginning to end – from gathering the insights needed to define an EVP to integrating that EVP into every step of your candidate experience.
Traditionally, employer value propositions have been developed at one moment in time. They have not kept pace with the changing world, the multi-generational workforce and evolving workplace and candidate behavior. These EVPs are generally created with only input from executives, and without insights from employees throughout the organisation. Then, that EVP is used for years before it is updated using the same process.
These traditionally formulated EVPs are often generalised with the aim of speaking to the widest audience. What really happens is that these statements feel meaningless to candidates because the EVP doesn’t speak directly to the different types of candidates an employer wants to recruit – either based on skills or demographics.
This means that in the current economic conditions, employers with poorly defined and managed EVPs are left behind in the competition for talent. Candidates are drawn to organisations with EVPs that align with their own personal values.
These factors all combine to shift the goal for employers. Traditionally, employers have aimed for quantity – looking for large numbers of applicants with the theory that they could find top candidates. Now, to stay ahead, employers should focus on attracting the best candidates with a growth mindset whose passion and purpose align with the organisation’s mission. Employers should look for fewer applicants in total, but more people who fit the culture of the organisation and who possess the skills needed to drive a company into the future. A well-defined EVP and well-managed employer brand can help accomplish this.
In this series of articles, PeopleScout’s experts guide you through the process of developing an employer value proposition and employer branding platform that speaks to the candidates your organisation wants to hire and can keep up with the rapidly changing landscape.
