Discover Your Employee Value Proposition

Written by: Fargo Inc

Photo by J. Alan Paul Photography

Heather Ostrowksi
Client Relations Manager
Preference Employment Solutions

In the real estate world, people usually know if it’s a buyer’s or seller’s market. You can ask almost any homeowner, and they will know what the climate of the market looks like. They will also know, based on who happens to be in the driver’s seat, how to behave in that particular market.

Seller’s Market

For example, if it’s a seller’s market, you can ask for top dollar and be ready to pack your boxes quickly. In a buyer’s market, you can expect to make lower offers, take your pick of multiple options available and consider your options slowly and carefully. I wonder: How does the general population know this? Can we thank our real estate team for this wealth of knowledge? The local news? Our banker? Our neighbor? Maybe.

Employment Market

As this applies to our employment market, how do we know if it’s an employee’s or employer’s market? And even if we are clear about the market climate, do we know how to behave accordingly? For example, if it’s an employee market, are we ready and armed with the reasons an employee should work for us? Are we ready to make an offer quickly and for top dollar? Are we being more careless or careful in our hiring process? Do we know what works in each market or how to adjust? Who do we even turn to figure it all out? Our employment/HR team? The news? Our competition? Maybe.

At Preference Employment Solutions, we talk to our local employers AND employees—daily. We hear the real stories about why people are searching for their next employment option. We hear the challenges our clients have regarding their hiring process. We see, hear and feel the shift from employee to employer markets. In our current market, employees are in the driver’s seat and probably more than you think.

For employers, our advice in this employee market is simple: Ask yourself one question, “Why would someone want to work for my company?” If your answer is either:

  1. Not sure
  2. For the paycheck,

then we encourage you to discover your EVP.

EVP: Employee Value Proposition

Your EVP is your employee value proposition, and it represents all the great things you offer your employees in exchange for their skills, knowledge and work. By “great things,” we mean EVERYTHING, not just a paycheck.

A strong EVP will help to foster the employer brand, which is what your people feel and believe about your company.

We’re talking benefits, culture, community involvement, professional development, advancement, fun, appreciation, vision, mission, values, hours of operation, team synergy, your brand and anything else you offer uniquely from your competition.

Having said this, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you probably already offer some really cool stuff and maybe just didn’t consider how crucial it is to attracting people to your organization or company. The bad news is that when we say “different from your competition,” we mean it. And that includes anything that can be easily duplicated like popcorn in the break room.

“What’s the difference between an employer brand (EB) and an EVP?” you ask. An EVP is what you have to offer and helps you create that message to attract even more of the right people. A strong EVP will help to foster the employer brand, which is what your people feel and believe about your company. They’re both very employee-centric and can’t just be what leadership/marketing/HR says it is.

If people walking in the door, out the door, or lurking outside the door don’t agree with your EVP or EB, then neither work.

If you’re interested in creating your own EVP, here are the five steps:

  1. Ask everyone what they think it is you offer. Ask people coming in, going out and at any level.
  2. Verify it. Gather your people—your HR team, marketing department, target audience, shareholders and leaders—and make sure that what your people say about your EVP is what you say about your EVP.
  3. Create it. What’s your message based on this evidence? Make it simple. Make it shareable.
  4. Say it. Everywhere. The walls inside your building, social media, performance reviews, job descriptions, interviews. Your local taxi driver should know your EVP if you’re doing it right.
  5. Keep it current. Now that you have it, don’t let it go stale. Revisit it often, and make sure it’s in alignment with what your employees are saying.

In the employee market we currently live in, it’s crucial that we’re doing things differently to get different results. So go on. Give the EVP a try. It might be fun. And if you get stuck, call us. We are here and always happy to help!

Preference 
Employment
 Solutions

Preference Employment Solutions
701-293-6905

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Brady Drake is the editor of Fargo INC!