What is Employee Value Proposition & Why it’s Important?

Finding people who are not only good at what they do but who also fit with your workplace culture can have a huge impact on an organisation’s success.

Individuals who are classed as top talent are up to 8 times more productive. But almost a third of senior leaders find attracting talent a challenge. 

Companies with a well thought out employee value proposition (EVP) have the best chance of attracting and retaining talent. 

Employee value proposition definition

An employee value proposition sums up the financial, personal and cultural benefits that an employee will get in return for the skills and experience they bring to a company. A strong employee value proposition conveys why employees are motivated to work for the company and what makes the company unique.

An employee value proposition is similar to an employer brand, but there are some key differences.

• An employee value proposition is employee-centred and focuses on how an organisation provides value to its employees, how it engages employees, and what it offers to retain them.
• An employer brand looks at how an organisation presents itself externally, such as its values and performance, how it’s perceived on social media, what makes it different to other organisations, and its overall reputation.

For an employer brand and EVP to be successful, they need to work hand-in-hand so they are seen to be the same, or very similar, by your current employees and potential new talent.

You can find out more about employer brands with our blog The Ultimate Guide to Employer Brand.

Why is employer value proposition (EVP) important?

Attracting the most talented employees has never been more difficult. Since working from home has become the norm, potential employees can choose better paid jobs and still work remotely, giving them a better work-life balance and a higher salary.

Retention is crucial as replacing talented people is expensive, time-consuming, and when employees leave it can even have an impact on the rest of the team’s morale. An EVP boosts the chances of attracting and retaining the best talent by enhancing an organisation’s employer branding and demonstrating what it is ready to offer the right candidates.

Many companies now use employee-generated content to bring life to their EVP. For example, Amazon uses Seenit to produce videos that build trust and tell authentic stories.

With Seenit for recruitment marketing you can,

• Create a story and invite your community to take part
• Employees can use our capture app to upload on iOS or Android
• Use the video intelligence to make your content go further
• Message your community to give instant feedback
• Use our full online editing suite to create a slick final video

5 Elements of an employee value proposition

Compensation

Salary is the top factor that potential employees look for when deciding what jobs to apply for. 67% of employees and jobseekers put salary at the top of their list. This is no surprise as people generally have an idea of the salary they need to live on and what similar roles pay.

The compensation element of a strong EVP considers what compensation employees expect from the job as a whole, rather than just the salary. This could be the option for stocks and bonuses, as well as salary increases and promotion opportunities.

Employment Benefits

Health, dental, and vision insurance are the top employee benefits people look for during a job search. But these shouldn’t be the only benefits on offer.

A benefits package designed to reflect the workplace culture and the lifestyles and needs of the employees contributes to a strong EVP.

More time off, flexible working and the option to work from home are all popular benefits that are relatively easy to implement. Simple changes like gym membership, free fruit or cycle to work schemes can help people feel valued and improve their overall health.

But you can go further and think about what would benefit individuals or groups in your team, such as childcare support for parents.

Career Progression

One survey showed that 73.3% of people ranked career progression as a top priority when job hunting. Offering career development as part of your EVP can set you apart from other companies.

Areas for career development can include training, certified courses, opportunities to change teams to learn new skills, opportunities to work abroad, as well as promotion opportunities.

If your organisation can’t offer a competitive salary then demonstrating clear career development gives top talent the reassurance that they’ll be able to progress in your company.

Work Environment

Workspace design is a key element of a good EVP. People feel more comfortable if they’re able to work in a suitable environment, so provide a range of working areas, including quiet spaces and teamwork areas.

The right working environment extends way beyond workplace design though. Finding a job that matters is important to people, so creating meaningful work should be a priority. Celebrating talents and contributions, giving individuals the freedom to make choices, and building relationships and trust through communication all help towards creating a more meaningful workplace.

Company Culture

Positive company culture will naturally attract new talent. Company culture is the core value of an organisation that motivates employees to work towards a common goal.

Elements of the company culture that should be addressed by an EVP include collaboration and communication, alignment of goals and positive relationships across employees at all levels.

Good employee value proposition examples

See how some of the biggest companies in the world attract and retail talent with these employee value proposition examples.

Google

Google’s EVP considers caring for employees and their families by focusing on “supporting their physical, financial, and emotional wellbeing”. 

The organisation calls its employers “Googlers” and the emphasis is on supporting employees through work-life balance, family support, wellbeing, and employee growth.

Apple

Apple’s famous “Join us. Be you” EVP shows in 4 words what an Apple employee will experience — they’ll be accepted and valued as an individual while being part of an innovative team.

The organisation’s EVP addresses the need for people to find meaning in their work, with the line, “Here, you’ll do more than join something — you’ll add something”.

Netflix

Netflix’s core philosophy is people over processes and this is reflected in the organisation’s EVP which focuses on employee benefits, growth, and company culture. 

Netflix uses videos on its jobs page to show the company’s values and what it’s like to work there, combining their EVP and employer brand perfectly.

PwC

PwC’s careers page lists everything in the EVP so you can see at a glance how the company operates.

Wellness is the key message from PwC’s employee value proposition and their “Be Well, Work Well” initiative has a whole section of the website dedicated to it.

PwC aims to build a culture of belonging and this is clear in the first lines of its diversity and inclusion page, which sums up the company’s goals perfectly. “PwC is made up of 55,000 people of different races, ethnicities, genders, backgrounds, religions and beliefs. But together, we’re one firm united by purpose and values”.