I’ve got something incredible for you! In a second, I’ll be dropping a link that unlocks not just my game-changing book but also an exclusive online course—absolutely FREE.

… but wait.

There’s a twist before you click the link below. Tucked within this message is a secret answer you’ll need to snag that access. So, keep your eyes peeled and your mind sharp!

Today, we are going to talk about EVPs (Employee Value Propositions): what they are, what they aren’t, and why they fail.

Okay… I lied.

There is no free link and no free access to any course. Now, before you set fire to your phone, just reflect on how you feel:

• Angry

• Frustrated

• Let down

• Disappointed

…Thinking of unsubscribing? I wouldn’t blame you if you did.

I got you excited, promised you something, and bam, just like that, it’s all a lie. Yet, many organizations do this every goddamn day with their fake-ass EVPs.

I have experience designing EVPs for industries ranging from tech, telecom, and financial services to a renowned company known for its innovation in home appliances (particularly vacuum cleaners, bladeless fans, air purifiers, and a great hair dryer).

These companies often bring me in because their previous attempts at designing EVPs have fallen flat. When I dig into why these have failed, I’ve identified some recurring problems. These issues are what stop the initial approach from working and ultimately distinguish an awesome EVP that lands from those that end up collecting digital dust.

But first, let’s break down some terminology:

Employee Brand (EB): These folks tend to look externally at the organization’s perception, often through social listening on social media, Glassdoor, Reddit, and internet searches. They examine how the organization can stand out in a crowded market, focusing on brand identity, tone of voice, and how to entice new talent in various segmentations.

Employee Value Proposition (EVP): If the Employee Brand is the jab to get talent interested, then the EVP is the one-two combo. The EVP should provide an honest view of the organization and ultimately answer, “What’s in it for me?”

But here’s the Goldilocks dilemma: In most cases, these two functions don’t play nice with each other. It often becomes a turf war, resulting in nothing but a blossoming garden of lies.

How They Are Often Done Wrong!

EVP is seen as a project, not a product:

In most EVPs I’ve designed, the biggest barrier is how the EVP is perceived by the business. Often, an EVP is designed when a new CPO joins the business, there’s been public shaming, or the business realizes all their talent is leaving. This knee-jerk reaction is problematic. The challenge is partnering with the organization to shift the perception of the EVP from a project to an ever-evolving people product in a constant product cycle rather than a typical project cycle. Without this shift, the EVP often becomes a forgotten side project.

Conflicting Whys:

The EVP aims to show a true reflection of working at the organization, while the EB tries to entice new talent by selling the dream. This creates a fine line between truth and exaggeration, assuming the right team is assembled in the first place.

Teaming Crafting:

Often, the EVP is mistaken for EB and handed over to the comms and marketing team without involving the EVP team. The output is usually a siloed function producing their version of the EVP. New talent gets enticed, falls into the talent funnel, starts on day one, and immediately feels organizational rejection due to the Instagram vs. reality effect.

Team Patterning:

When bringing these teams together, the EVP can be influenced by bias. No time is invested in determining the best team to own the project. Instead, one team shows up with big egos, thinking they are the only ones who should own it. Discussions about better ways of working, value adds, and critical friend roles are often neglected. Teams are slammed together without clear roles and accountabilities.

Opportunity Blindness:

Teams get trapped by their own thinking and miss out on Moments of Opportunity (MOOs) when designing the EVP. They can’t tap into external perspectives, resulting in a biased view of “we know our business best.” This bias means missing out on external insights, hidden gems, and new perspectives that could push thinking beyond comfort zones.

Fickle Future:

Many projects kick off with no defined outcomes, focusing too much on a nirvana state and neglecting present insights and value. There’s often a conflict in metrics, with EB measured on creating a sexy brand and enticing people, but no measurement of the promise vs. actual working reality or new talent retention. These metrics are usually captured by the talent and recruitment team, but these teams rarely communicate and share insights. They operate as separate islands.

From a recent publication by Boston Consulting, it’s clear that joy at work is vital. If we promise a joyful work experience, we must deliver on it. We can’t claim work is like riding a unicorn when the reality is hobbling along on a three-legged donkey.

Summary:

The above challenges prevent us from producing an EVP that drives true business outcomes. Instead, we get a document with sexy slides, cool pictures, and swanky statements and taglines. Boom, EVP is done!

Wrong!

In the next newsletter, I will share how to overcome these challenges and what an approach to designing an effective EVP could look like.