A Different Kind of VP

Bonnie Johnson
September 24, 2018
Career Guide Article

Evaluating EVP, or an organization’s Employee Value Proposition, is an important step in your job search, offer acceptance, and satisfaction as an employee.

A Different Kind of VP: Value Proposition

Not Vice President, nor Most Valuable Player, we’re talking about an alternative VP that you need to consider. EVP – Employee Value Proposition. You may be asking “What’s that mean to me?” EVP is NOT just another acronym you’ll use while messaging a friend or commenting on a social media post. In fact, unless you end up working in HR, you may never use it. How can something that you won’t use be so important to you?

Evaluating EVP, or an organization’s Employee Value Proposition, is an important step in your job search, offer acceptance, and satisfaction as an employee. It’s doubtful a company will clearly state, “This is our employee value proposition...” Essentially, in return for your work performance, an organization’s value proposition answers the following questions:

What will the employer offer you?
Why would you want to work for their organization?
What unique programs does the employer provide?
How do you feel about the business’ brand?

Why do organizations care about EVP? Employers want happy employees. A strong value proposition helps a business attract talented employees. An EVP that is effectively implemented increases employees’ job fulfillment and encourages employees to stay.

What to look for:

It can be overwhelming. Deciding which potential employers to explore, which jobs to apply for, and eventually, what job offer to accept.

Check out an employer’s job advertisement, or career website and you may notice basic benefits including insurance, paid leave, and retirement/401k. However, most job seekers simply expect these to be included in a minimum compensation package.

Assessing an employer’s value proposition necessitates taking your evaluation beyond the basics. Past the expected responsibilities, location, salary, benefits and education/experience requirements, candidates tell us that a company’s value proposition is very important to them. They want a company to “Tell me why I’d want to work here!”

An organization’s employee value proposition goes beyond the minimums to describe what that employer offers if you choose employment at their organization. You may be able to glean an overall theme from the organization’s mission and vision statement. The employment value proposition may also be shared in the job posting, on the employer’s website, during the interview, in an employee handbook, and/or in the job offer. Employers could include the following in their proposition of value to potential employees:

Advancement opportunities: Career development plans, leadership development and trainee programs, coaching, promote-from-within.
Sustainability & stewardship: Environmental initiatives, natural resource conservation, meeting the needs of a growing world.
Diversity & inclusion initiatives: Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), affinity groups, veteran programs, policies and training.
Mentoring: Formal or informal mentoring programs, pipeline for sharing experience and knowledge with new employees.
Lifelong learning: Continued education and training, tuition reimbursement, scholarships, employee development initiatives.
Community service: Time-off for volunteering, company-wide initiatives, nonprofit and charitable contributions, social responsibilities, support of humanitarian causes.
Health & wellness: Work-life balance, on-site facilities, gym membership, vaccination programs, employee assistance programs which provide confidential counseling and advice services.
Company culture: The atmosphere inside an organization. Value placed on relationships vs. products & services. Flexibility options.
Value the position brings to the employer: How the position fits into the overall organization and what/how you’ll contribute to success, how performance will be measured, recognition received.
Employer brand: Employment of industry experts, award-winners, and high-achievers. Familiarity with the employer’s brand, including product and services, and general impressions.

What may be valuable to one person, may be utterly unimpressive to another. It’s vital for you to review all possible employer offerings and determine what’s really on your “must-have list”.