Employee value proposition examples: from nice words to proof from colleagues

An employee value proposition, or EVP, answers one question: why would someone want to work here, and stay? It's the promise you make as an employer, and the core of your employer brand.

The problem with most EVPs isn't the content. It's the proof. "Room to grow", "a warm culture" and "work that matters" are on almost every careers page. Candidates read straight past them.

What an EVP is made of

Most models use a handful of pillars. The names vary, but they come down to this:

• Rewards: pay and benefits.
• Growth: learning, promotion, training.
• Work: the content, the impact, the freedom.
• People: colleagues, managers, the atmosphere.
• Organisation: mission, stability, reputation.

How to build one

1. 01Ask current colleagues why they stayed, not why they joined.
2. 02Ask leavers why they left.
3. 03Find what genuinely sets you apart from the employer down the road.
4. 04Write three to five promises you can keep.
5. 05Test them with a few teams: do they recognise themselves?

Examples: from promise to proof

An EVP only becomes believable when you show it. Here's how a few common promises turn into something a candidate believes:

• "Room to grow" becomes a colleague explaining how she moved from customer service to the planning team.
• "A close-knit team" becomes five people from one department, each saying what they value in the others.
• "Work that matters" becomes a nurse talking about the moment she knew why she does this job.
• "Flexibility" becomes a father explaining how he combines work with the school run.

Your colleagues are the proof

Candidates don't always believe what an employer says about itself. They do believe their future colleagues. So use your EVP as a set of questions: ask colleagues one question per pillar and let their answers do the work. If a promise gets no believable answers, that tells you something too.