The closer you are to your EVP, the less likely the need to replace it – think of it as an organic construct not one-and-done

Posted on by employerbrandingadvantage

An apparently very simple and oft-asked question. How long does an EVP last and when do I need to replace it? By now, there can be few organisations of any size who have not invested in an EVP. Indeed, some will be on their umpteenth iteration. Given that, when and how regularly should an organisation move on from their current version to something new? 

There are undoubtedly occasions and circumstances that do prompt a fundamental shift in the employee deal and the way it is articulated. This might include major organisational change, such as M&A activity, upsizing, downsizing, etc. In such cases, the business has evolved significantly. It is no longer the same organisation that many people joined and it presents a different professional prospect, challenge and opportunity to both internal employee audiences and external candidate communities. A new EVP is definitely required.

Other circumstances make far less of a compelling case for an EVP review – an incoming new head of TA, for example. Or competitor activity. Or, indeed, those competitors winning awards. Such circumstances are not without importance but they are not necessarily changing the employee experience. 

If our business, its goals and mission aren’t changing exponentially, then neither should our EVP. The more we separate and distance EVP from organisational direction, the weaker, less relevant and less robust it becomes.

But perhaps we are approaching the question about whether to change an EVP on too binary a basis. It is not about a simple yes or no answer. Rather this is about adopting a constant review or evaluation of our EVP. It is about subtle fine tuning, rather than replacing the whole engine. We’re adjusting the settings to take on board what we hear from new joiners and the employee base. 

But if this remains the same overall business, then we should retain the same overall EVP.

By reviewing EVP every three to four years, we risk flip-flopping. We’re telling employees and candidates alike that last year the reason they should either join or stay with our organisation has changed. Is no longer the case. That this year’s reason is nothing like last year’s. Does that mean that last year’s was wrong or inauthentic? If so, why, then, should we attach much credence to this year’s?

By doing so, we risk confusing such audiences with a change of tack and messaging for which they see no rationale – they are working in the same, largely unchanged, business, doing the same, largely unchanged, work. Why has, then, the employment proposition changed? If they can see no answer to that question, then the internal credibility of the EVP is weakened.

A change of EVP tends to set expectations of a changing organisation. If such change isn’t happening, then this feels distracting and potentially disingenuous. It can cement the impression that the EVP is disconnected from its organisation, its direction and its trajectory. Such an EVP becomes all too easy to dismiss and ignore. It becomes white noise.

Fundamentally, if you’re suggesting that the reason I should choose to join you has changed significantly, and yet your business appears remarkably untouched by change, then I have questions. 

Let’s make the debate slightly more constructive. How best to validate the ongoing relevance of your EVP? Because if we’ve established that wholesale change of your EVP should correspond to wholesale business change, then we do still need to monitor if smaller scale, incremental evolution is necessary. Think of your EVP as an organic construct, capable of subtle change and enhancement.

Metrics! We remain less than stellar in our ability to measure the impact of our work to support the employer brand. A recent Conference Board piece of research suggested just 68% of organisations that invested in employer branding measured any outcomes. And that only 18% were able to share the value of this ROI within their organisation. We don’t measure enough and we don’t share the measurement we do make.

Here are my suggestions as to what sort of metrics we should be analysing to better understand how relevant our EVP remains. 

  • The number of hires you’ve made from key talent competitors over the last quarter;
  • Financial performance of those departments into which candidates are being hired;
  • Three month engagement levels of new joiners;
  • Percentage of new joiners who are aware of your EVP;
  • Percentage of candidates who do not join as a result of employer counter offers;
  • Percentage of new joiners who become top performers;
  • Tenure of new joiners;
  • Percentage of new joiners willing to share their stories and experiences.

Just some thoughts and you will undoubtedly have other options. 

For me, this is important. Only make fundamental changes to your EVP when there is significant business change out there. Otherwise, your EVP changes have little substance, robustness or context. 

But that doesn’t mean your EVP shouldn’t see tactical, incremental change, driven by the results of your monitoring its impact and landing. Keep close to new joiners and the impact they are having on your business. 

If your metrics are starting to move in the wrong direction, then you need to think about adjusting and subtly enhancing your EVP.