Building an Employer Value Proposition Employees Recognize

Every employer already has a reputation as a place to work. Candidates hear about it from friends, read about it in online reviews and see it in how the company treats applicants. An employer value proposition is an attempt to define that reputation deliberately, by describing what the organization offers and why someone should choose to work there.

What it is

An employer value proposition, often called an EVP, summarizes what employees receive in exchange for their time, skills and commitment. It usually covers pay and benefits, career growth, the work itself, the people and culture, flexibility and the organization's purpose.

A good EVP is specific. Saying the company offers great culture and growth opportunities describes nearly every employer. Saying that most supervisors were promoted from the floor, that every new hire gets a trained mentor and that schedules are posted two weeks in advance tells candidates something real.

Start with research

The strongest value propositions come from listening rather than brainstorming. Start by asking current employees why they joined, why they stay and what would make them leave. Stay interviews, described in our guide to stay and exit interviews, are a natural source.

Look at exit data to understand why people leave. Read public reviews for recurring themes, a process covered in our guide to responding to reviews. Survey recent hires about what attracted them and candidates who declined offers about what drove their decisions.

Compare what you hear with what competitors offer. The goal is to identify the strengths that are both true and distinctive.

Include a range of voices. Long-tenured employees, new hires, frontline workers and managers often value different things. A proposition built only from leadership interviews tends to describe the company leaders wish they had rather than the one employees experience.

Be honest about trade-offs

Every job has downsides. A manufacturing plant may offer strong pay and benefits but require rotating shifts. A small business may offer flexibility and close relationships but fewer formal career paths. Acknowledging trade-offs builds credibility and attracts people who will be comfortable with them.

An EVP that promises things the employer does not deliver backfires. New hires who discover a gap between the pitch and reality are more likely to leave early and share their disappointment publicly.

Put it to work

Once defined, the value proposition should shape every recruiting message. It belongs on the careers page, as described in our careers page guide, in job postings, in recruiter conversations and in social media content.

Employee stories make it real. Short profiles or videos of employees describing their actual experience support the claims. Our report on employee testimonials explains how to feature employees honestly.

Different audiences may need different emphasis. Hourly workers often care most about pay, schedules and stability. Experienced professionals may prioritize growth and flexibility. Students may care about training and advancement. The core proposition stays the same, but the details highlighted can vary.

Keep the language plain. A value proposition does not need a slogan. A few clear sentences that a current employee would recognize as accurate are more effective than a polished tagline.

Managers make it true

No message can overcome a poor daily experience. Gallup research has found that managers account for about 70 percent of the variance in team engagement, as discussed in our report on manager engagement. If the value proposition promises support and development, managers must be equipped to provide them.

Train managers on the EVP and their role in delivering it. Include it in onboarding so new hires hear consistent messages from recruiters, managers and coworkers.

Measure and update

Track whether the value proposition is working. Watch offer acceptance rates, applicant quality, early turnover and engagement scores. Ask new hires whether the job matched what they were told.

Revisit the EVP as the organization changes. New benefits, policies or leadership can shift what the company offers. A value proposition written years ago and never updated may describe a workplace that no longer exists.

Employers with a clear, credible value proposition spend less to attract candidates and keep more of the people they hire. Our report on employer brand and cost per hire explains the financial case. The work starts with asking employees the right questions and listening to the answers.