If you think your employee value proposition (EVP) can survive another year on autopilot, think again. The global talent landscape is in flux, and what attracted employees yesterday is no longer enough to keep them engaged today. If you want to keep pace, it’s time to radically overhaul your EVP.
Consider these trends:
- 42% of organisations grapple with Talent Acquisition and Retention and 93% of employees at Great Place to Work Certified companies report that management credibility plays a key role in building trust (GPTW, The Trust Factor Insights from the Best Workplaces in Australia – 2024)
- 33% of talent leaders say internal mobility is a major priority and “secure employment” ranks as a #3 preference for business and IT students (World’s Most Attractive Employers 2024, Universum).
- 60% of employees say the cost of going to the office outweighs the benefits, 67% feel that going to the office requires more effort than it did pre-pandemic, and 73% say it feels more expensive. 48% of employees feel that the ‘return-to-work’ mandates prioritize what leaders want over what employees need to do good work. (Harvard Business Review, 2024).
So, this isn’t about tweaking a few perks or adding some trendy benefits. It’s about fundamentally transforming how you attract, engage, and retain your people.
Here are six strategy options to breathe new life into your EVP, framed around key actions: Revive, Repair, Reframe, Restructure, Restore and Revitalize.
1. Revive: Bring Purpose Back to the Forefront
The most powerful EVPs are built around more than perks. They’re driven by purpose. But if your purpose has grown stale or feels disconnected from your employees’ day-to-day experience, your EVP is already on life support.
To revive your EVP, reconnect it with a compelling, authentic purpose that resonates at every level of the organization. Employees want to work for companies that stand for something bigger than profits. Whether you’re driving innovation in your industry, making a meaningful social impact, or leading on sustainability, make sure your EVP reflects the deeper “why” of your business. Don’t just tell people what you do. They tell them why it matters, and how they can play a part in that mission.
2. Repair: Fix the Gaps in Your Employee Experience
Even the strongest organizations have gaps in their employee experience. Whether it’s a lack of career mobility, insufficient mental health support, or a disconnect between leadership and employees, these issues can undermine your EVP. The key is to repair these weak spots before they erode your workforce’s trust and engagement.
Start by listening to your employees. Conduct surveys, gather feedback, and engage in honest conversations about what’s working and what isn’t. Once you’ve identified the gaps, take real, actionable steps to close them. Whether it’s investing in better mental health resources, improving diversity initiatives, or offering more transparent career development paths, your EVP needs to reflect an ongoing commitment to improving the employee experience.
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3. Reframe: Rethink Flexibility and Growth
Flexibility is no longer a perk; it’s an expectation. But it’s not just about where or when people work—it’s about how they grow within your organization. To reframe your EVP, focus on providing employees with a dynamic career experience rather than a static role.
The Global Capability Center (GCC) model, in particular, is well-positioned to offer flexibility in career development. Highlight opportunities for lateral moves, international rotations, and upskilling. Show employees that you’re not just offering a job, but an evolving career path where they can constantly learn, challenge themselves, and explore new functions and regions. Flexibility isn’t just about work-from-home options anymore. It’s about creating a career journey that adapts to the individual, not the other way around.
4. Restructure: Align Your EVP with the New Reality
The workplace has changed, and so have the needs of employees. A stale EVP that’s still touting pre-pandemic perks like free snacks and casual Fridays is irrelevant. To stay competitive, you need to restructure your EVP to meet the realities of today’s workforce, especially in the context of hybrid work, mental wellbeing, and inclusion.
This doesn’t mean throwing out your current EVP entirely. Instead, evaluate what still works, but be ruthless in cutting what doesn’t. Employees today are looking for real work-life balance, psychological safety, and a clear commitment to diversity and inclusion. Make sure these elements are built into the very structure of your EVP, not tacked on as afterthoughts.
5. Restore: Rebuild Trust with Your Workforce
Trust has been tested in the past few years, and if your EVP doesn’t reflect a strong sense of transparency and integrity, you’re going to lose out to competitors who get it right. To restore faith in your EVP, start by ensuring your actions align with your promises.
Employees are more skeptical than ever of companies that pay lip service to diversity, flexibility, or mental health without delivering on these fronts. If your EVP talks about these values, show how you’re living them. Highlight real examples of employees benefitting from flexible work policies or thriving in a diverse and inclusive environment. Your EVP needs to be more than aspirational—it needs to reflect the day-to-day reality of working at your company, with no disconnect between what’s promised and what’s delivered.
6. Revitalize: Inject New Energy into Your Culture
A strong EVP isn’t static. It needs to revitalize your culture and bring energy back into the workplace. Employees today are looking for engagement, connection, and a sense of community. To create this, you need to actively foster a culture that feels vibrant, inclusive, and forward-looking.
This is where GCCs can truly shine. With teams spread across multiple regions and cultures, there’s an opportunity to create a diverse and dynamic workplace that embraces new perspectives and fresh ideas. Infuse your EVP with this sense of vitality, showing employees that they’re joining a workplace where innovation thrives, ideas are welcomed, and collaboration is key. Make it clear that working in your organization is about more than just fulfilling a role. It’s about being part of something energizing and future-oriented.
The Time for Change is Now
Your EVP is more than a marketing tool. It’s the foundation of your talent strategy. If it’s outdated, disconnected, or vague, you’re already losing the talent war. By reviving your purpose, repairing weak spots, reframing growth, restructuring for the new workplace reality, restoring trust, and, revitalizing your culture, you’ll create an EVP that not only attracts top talent but also keeps them engaged for the long haul.
The world of work has changed, and it’s time your EVP did too. Start the transformation today or risk being left behind.
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