The concept of the ripple effect is hugely compelling. One action triggering a series of subsequent impacts and consequences. One action creating far-reaching ripples and influence.
We see examples of it in the everyday – random acts of kindness and the notion of paying things forward.
Ripple effects in action
There are benign tangible examples – the slightly mis-told story of Yellowstone Park reintroducing wolves, consumers of elk, into the eco-system, with the resultant dramatic uptick in flora, fauna as well as the under-appreciated role of the beaver.
Less benign is the ripple effect being played out in the Middle East. A blocked Strait of Hormuz, in the face of US hostilities, is creating economic and energy implications globally. If we focus solely on the UK market, its impact is likely to see economic growth grind to a halt, fuel shortages and a potential raising of interest rates. Ironically, an absence of moving tankers and freighters is creating untold (and unwanted) ripples.
Your EVP as a ripple effect
Let’s view your Employee Value Proposition in terms of the ripples it creates, and more importantly, the extent of those ripples. How far does your EVP extend? What is its sphere of influence?
At its most basic and unambitious, an EVP will be known and recognised by colleagues across talent acquisition, human resources, comms and marketing, hopefully too, internal communications.
Reaching external talent – great talent
Traditionally, your EVP needs to make its presence felt amongst external candidate audiences. And the current labour market is asking as much of your EVP as it has ever done. Strong candidates in secure jobs will take some convincing that the essence of the career proposition your EVP is making is more compelling than that of their current employer. Those candidates will ask themselves whether the relative strength of your proposition outweighs the inherent risk of changing jobs.
The ripples your EVP creates need not only to influence external candidates, but to inspire great external candidates. There’s arguably no great challenge in eliciting quantity of response right now. I think it’s easy to forget the disproportionate difference that hiring great talent over average candidates makes. Research from McKinsey suggests that exceptional people (within complex knowledge work) create 4 to 8 times greater output than average employees.
Great candidates have choices – is the impact and heft of your EVP reaching them and inspiring them?
Is it enough to make you one of their choices?
The impact and ripples of your EVP shouldn’t stop there, however. What other audiences should it be influencing and inspiring?
The internal ripple
It should be increasingly known, trusted and recognised by employee communities – many of whom will have been hired through your EVP. Those people have joined your organisation on the back of the promise made by your EVP – they don’t want that to be the last they see of such a promise. They want to see that promise actively delivered during their time with you. If an EVP is strong enough to stand out from competitive external noise and to persuade great talent to come on board, the essence of what it is communicating should be strong enough to create belonging, purpose and direction internally.
Your EVP is reaching out to external audiences, asking them to come on a journey internally, they should have regular reminders of what they have signed up for within the workplace.
The relationship with senior leaders and your EVP
And some of those reminders should emanate from another element of your EVP’s ripple effect – senior leadership. The EVP influence of such people varies hugely from organisation to organisation. Some leaders will get involved in the senior stakeholder interviews predicating the EVP. Others will endorse the EVP publicly. Some might appear on the careers site supporting it. To gain real traction, however, some leaders play an active role in enabling the delivery of the EVP message.
Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, inherited the reins of an organisation delivering essentially the opposite of its EVP promise of growth, learning and empathy. He has moved the culture from ‘know-it-all’ to ‘learn-it-all’. He has replaced the regular stack-ranking of employees, to focus on continual feedback and coaching. And he has taken personal and public responsibility for any of his own failings on this journey – his CEO Glassdoor rating sits at 95%. He is amplifying the ripple effect of the organisation’s EVP internally.
Marc Benioff at Salesforce played a similarly active role in ensuring their EVP was delivered through actions rather than simply words. Their EVP is based around the Hawaiian concept of Ohana – family, togetherness. Faced with the issue of a gender pay-gap, something he initially dismissed until the data suggested otherwise, Benioff immediately addressed this with his chequebook. He has taken this further and will not have a meeting unless 30% of attendees are women. 97% of all Salesforce employees, regardless of gender, are now proud to work at the organisation. It can be easy to dismiss an EVP if internal realities contradict its message – Benioff played a very tangible role in removing this roadblock.
Most organisations today have an EVP. They can be front and centre, influencing, inspiring, reaching out or they can be essentially stuck in a drawer or frozen in a presentation.
The question the owners of EVPs should ask themselves is the extent of its influence and impact. Of the stakeholders we touch on above – immediate colleagues, employee groups, external audiences and senior leadership – who is aware of the EVP? Who is inspired by it? Who is prompted to action by it?
Consider your EVP – is it broadening the sphere of its influence or moving in ever decreasing circles?
Getting to the heart of your employee mindset 