As managers and hiring managers, we need to sharpen our pencils when it comes to attracting, engaging, and retaining talent in our organizations. One way to start is by clearly and capably articulating our organizational employee value proposition (EVP). This is the sum of the benefits that are unique to our organization that drive the retention and attraction of talented professionals.
If your instinct is to say, “this is what the human resource office will do for me during the hiring process,” consider recalibrating your approach. Gone are the post and pray days where we posted a job and waited to see what happened. Instead, we must be active participants in telling the story and reinforcing our EVP if we want to win the race to retain and attract top talent.
The traditional model of EVP focuses on compensation, benefits, career development, work environment, and company culture. However, the Gartner Group, a research and advisory company, suggests that the future state of EVP should focus on a more human-centered approach that maintains some of the traditional elements but shifts the language to a focus on shared purpose, deeper connections, radical flexibility, personal growth, and holistic well-being.
Josh Bersin, president and founder of Bersin & Associates, a leading human resources advisory firm, stated in a recent Fortune article, “The big reset during the pandemic is this movement towards human-centered leadership, human-centered management, and valuing employees as assets, not just labor and expense…and that means empowerment, development, and investment.” As hiring managers, we can no longer rely solely on our recruiters or human resource offices. Furthermore, our employer brand will not necessarily attract new employees as it once might have.
It is now a business imperative that we show up differently and personally invest in demonstrating how we lead holistically and tell the story of what sets our organization or institution apart from others. So, what can this look like? An organization where you are more than your job title. An organization where you are passionate or enthusiastic about the work. An organization where engagement is not just based on the bottom line. An organization where you understand the value to the community, society, and the people you serve. An organization where you laugh every day and know that you have made a tangible difference in the life of at least one person. An organization where you feel you belong.
As you start to reflect more about your EVP, here are some words to get you started in your thinking: work purpose, ethics, integrity, social responsibility, environmental responsibility, innovative work, coworker quality, manager and leadership quality, diversity, inclusion, equity, belonging, collegial work environment, risk-taking, holistic well-being, work-life balance, workplace flexibility, professional development, personal development, career growth, recognition, wellness, compensation, and benefits.
What other words should be added to this list?
