Resource Management (Solutions) Ltd

For an individual “who am I?” can often be too-grand a question, something usually the preserve of the young or the terminally self-obsessed.

However, for mid-to-corporate sized organisations looking to secure the top talent at the best rates in a competitive marketplace, “who am I?” is a crucial question to ask.

A key reason for this is that the question allows businesses to find a clear direction for an effective Employee Value Proposition (EVP).

So often we find that a highly-evolved EVP is a ‘holy grail’ for a recruitment function. A mythical prize that is near impossible to find due to the ever-changing nature of this fast-paced world we live in.

However, it’s easier to create a unique and important set of values and offerings than you might think, and, once achieved, the outcomes provide a compelling reason for candidates to sign up, rather than work for the (now) less-enticing business across the road.

In a perfect world talent attraction, engagement and retention are all driven by EVP, so its importance cannot be underestimated, especially given the ever-increasing need to engage and keep global talent.

In a sense, this is often proved when EVP is mismanaged.

It’s often tricky to find talent for certain organisations who have allowed their EVP to become ineffective, either over time or through a well-reported disaster.

Sometimes this can have such an impact in the market that even mentioning the organisation’s name to potential candidates can mean they immediately lose interest.

But getting EVP right means you can develop a clear competitive advantage – which is vital today, where the question from the candidate is increasingly not “what can I do for you?” but “what can you do for me?”

As recruiters this means that we must be able to speak directly to a candidate with a sense of real understanding and confidence in who and what the business is provides the lifeblood of any high-performing attraction strategy.

Six ways to achieve successful EVP

With this in mind, here are five key ways to maintain the purity of the corporate EVP without losing market coverage.

EVP should flow throughout your processes. This includes the systems you use, the emails you send, the interviews with hiring managers, your feedback and offer management - everything should be an exemplar of the EVP.
EVP is not a ‘trick’, and inauthentic claims are actively counterproductive. It’s vital EVP truly reflects your corporate values. Everyday organisations lose valuable talent because there has been a mismatch in expectations and reality on joining.
EVP is a measurable phenomenon. The effectiveness and alignment of your EVP to your corporate values can be measured through the analysis of attrition levels at six and 12-month tenure. Companies which have highly-effective global EVPs have three times as many highly engaged employees as those with low global EVP effectiveness (58% versus 16%).
While contingent recruitment agencies offer significant advantage in terms of scale and dynamism, they cannot be expected to deliver EVP to the same high standards as a disciplined partner or in-house team. Bringing experienced, creative and established outsourced solutions into an HR function is an effective way of bridging that gap.
All vacancies should be consistent with the overall company EVP

Jonny Hiles is Client Services Director at Resource Management