How to build your own Employee Value Proposition / Employer Brand

There are some magnificent employer branding examples of massive banks, tech giants and big brand car/grog manufacturers, all of whom have gazillions of dollars in budget. These are inspiring but ultimately feel out of reach for you and your business. These are six things you should do to have a crack at creating your EVP and EB strategy.

6 steps towards building your EVP and employer brand

1. Be clear why you are embarking on this journey. There might be one or many reasons however you’ve got a better chance to get business support if you’re clear. If any of the following is causing you a headache then having a simple, authentic EVP can help:
   • People don’t know who you are; even within your industry
   • You compete for talent and often don’t win
   • The talent you’re hiring is in short supply
   • Your only real sourcing channel is job boards and they’re not delivering what you need
   • Talent don’t stay with you and are disappointed in the job they have compared to the job they thought they were getting
   • COVID has changed the way your business works and you’ve not communicated this.
2. No budget? It’s cheaper than you think – rethink that big job pack; tech licences you barely use or agency fees. Cut 25% of spend on each of these things next year and invest into your EVP development and employer branding strategy. I’ve had to become a master at finding money to get shit done – give me a call!
3. Creating your EVP and EB strategy is a not your problem to solve alone. Get your leaders on board. Try to get your most senior leader of the business invested in this; give them reasons why it’s important and stand firm that your efforts will land less well if you don’t have their backing.
4. Plan, plan, plan. I’ve learned this the hard way in in-house roles. Build a simple, realistic and compelling business case, build a comms plan and share widely why you’re doing this and what your business will get out of it. Once you have the backing, hold everyone (including yourself) accountable for the part they’ll play.
5. You’ve got to ask your people what they think. This isn’t a desktop exercise or a HR thing, if you don’t ask your current people what they think then I wouldn’t bother. If you can, bring someone external to your organisation to do your focus groups; I learned this was the best thing I did when I was Head of TA. Someone external doesn’t have preconceived notions about the business and can often unearth more. I’d also recommend interviewing your executive team 1:1, it’s a great way to not only hear them but to ask for help in the next phase of the process. Ask your CFO for someone to crunch the numbers, your CIO to help with the website/tech stuff and your CMO for their support with the design and collateral!
6. Focus group data is brilliant. I recommend you synthesise this with exit/engagement and if possible external candidate feedback. Sort it into pillars, themes or whatever works to help your marketing team or agency get creative.

Businessary has helped businesses from the travel, insurance, banking, and professional services business build their EVP and employer brand strategies in a matter of weeks. I’d love to tell you how.
Are you about to set your budget for the next financial year? Book in some time with me and let’s see how we can help get your EVP delivered next year – book some time here for a chinwag.

– Jason Burns, Head of Talent Acquisition & Employer Branding, Businessary