Don’t think of this as a tagline, slogan, mission statement, or a wish list of what you would like to be, but rather, your EVP should clearly communicate who you are right now, the value that employees gain by working for your organization.
An effective EVP will resonate with the right candidates by communicating how you are different from other employers: your culture, values and reputation.
A powerful Employment Value Proposition describes what it is like, day to day, to work in your organization and should be the tipping point that persuades passive job seekers—talented performers who are almost always employed and are not actively looking for new employment opportunities—to explore a job opening within your organization.
A successful EVP will convince them to do the one thing humans hate most… change! It must activate them to go from the devil-they-know, to the one they don’t.
Once you have an Employment Value Proposition, communicate it verbally in interviews, on your websites recruitment ads, your internal language, and within programs and opportunities offered to employees in your organization.
Steps to creating a powerful EVP:
Identify your organization’s ideal candidates and their preferences.
Assess your current employment image as determined by applicants and top performing employees, and determine your strengths as an employer as well as areas your organization could improve.
Determine how your employment brand can be differentiated from your competitors', and develop a compelling, energizing, and realistic message that conveys your value (rewards, programs, culture, etc.).
Determine a strategy for the various ways you will communicate your Employment Value Proposition.
For more recruitment tips, download 10 Innovative Ideas to Help You Recruit Your Next Great Sales Person.
Sophie Fry is a VP / Senior Consultant at The Center for Sales Strategy.