Now is the time for businesses to evaluate their employee proposition as we transition back into the workplace post pandemic.
With the end of restrictions in sight, increased confidence will see a spike in employee’s changing roles. There has been a temporary shift in employee mindset during the pandemic; job security has become more valued than job satisfaction. However, as we move into the next step of the Government’s roadmap, employers must turn their attention to how they can retain talent when employees become confident about the security of employment and focus again on job satisfaction. Employers must prepare themselves for the fact that demand for talent will increase rapidly in the coming months, resulting in aggressive hiring and a rise in salaries.
A strong employer brand can help businesses to attract and retain top talent. All organisations have, consciously or otherwise, an employer brand that helps to distinguish them from the crowd. It’s not just about the logo and the colours, it’s about reputation, beliefs and the way in which the brand makes you feel. Employees are fantastic advocates for the employer brand as their brand confidence is the best marketing tool you have. Employees will spread the word on their experience far and wide. If employees do not believe in the brand, then businesses will lose top talent, struggle to attract target audiences and see a detrimental impact on the achievement of the company’s business plan.
The employer brand is the identity of a company as an employer of choice. Establishing an internal and external employer brand requires an understanding of both employee and the company’s needs and desires. You must think both inside and outside of the company box to consider when working on your value proposition. Satisfying current employees as well as getting the attention of new talent is key. Answering the following questions will put you on the right track in terms of planning and implementing your employer brand:
- What are the company’s strategic objectives?
- What are the employees career objectives?
- What roles within the company are most critical to your success and what do you need to do to attract and retain the best talent in these areas?
- What are the typical characteristics and attributes of potential employees and what are their future requirements?
- What makes the employer stand out from the rest?
- Why do people stay with the company?
- Why do people leave?
Answering these questions, will help to generate the Employer Value Proposition (EVP). The Employee Value Proposition fundamentally describes: ‘why work ‘here’ versus somewhere else?’ and is the set of unique employer offerings that are considered valuable to top talent. The Employee Value Proposition can be broken down into 5 sections:
- Financial compensation
- Employment benefits
- Career development
- Work environment
- Company culture
How to strengthen your employer proposition:
- Promote company culture and rewards
- Act on the reasons why people leave the organisation
- Enhance the reasons that people stay
- Show what success in the business looks like
- Promote awards and accreditations such as ‘Top 100 employers’ or ‘Investors in People’
- Demonstrate a commitment to CSR (corporate social responsibility)
- Promote your commitment to career development and training
If you would like support understanding or developing your employee value proposition or have questions about your current retention or attraction plans, please get in touch with a member of the ViewHR team today.