The workplace has changed beyond recognition over the past six months. But home working and the lack of in-person connection creates a significant challenge for businesses when it comes to culture.

Culture is an outcome. And if you want to maintain yours or change it up, there are two things you need to get right. Your employee value proposition and your employee journey. Both are critical to reinforcing your culture and building your brand’s reputation. They are also inextricably linked - your employee value proposition should inform your employee journey and experience.  

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Right now, most businesses have employee journeys and value propositions that are ill-suited to the new hybrid ways of working.

But what is an Employee Value Proposition?

It’s the sweet spot which makes your business different and articulates what makes working in your organisation inspiring.  

It’s a distinctive promise to your people. But most importantly, if well executed, it’s also the place where your strategy becomes personal for every employee in your business, and sign posts the behaviours of the culture you aspire to.    

Some companies describe their employee value proposition as the deal which gives their people the motivation to deliver the company offeror service.  

If it’s wrong and isn’t genuinely upheld you will likely seelow engagement, high turnover, failed change programmes, and customer or client complaints to mention a few things.  

Why? Because the people you are bringing into your organisation are not clear on why you are in business (your purpose), how you work (what behaviours are expected) and therefore can’t make an honest judgement about whether their values and purpose are aligned to yours.

Three key questions companies should ask themselves when considering whether their EVP is fit for the future:

1.    What is it going to be like working for your company in the future?

Are you shifting to a home working model permanently? Do you need to create different working conditions to attract the right talent? Is it going to feel different working in your business in the future? Have you moved from retail stores to an online experience or had to change your customer experience dramatically to adhere to COVID-19 restrictions?

2.    What do your people get out of working for you?

This covers everything from the career paths on offer to the opportunity to make a difference to the world. Do they get to travel? Experience different cultures and countries? Or do you have a development programme or a mentorship scheme that is unrivalled in the industry? Seek out the things that set you apart from the competition and that you can offer above everyone else in your space.

3.    Do you need to look for something different when recruiting?

A lot of businesses have had to pivot, operate differently or introduce new products and services to make sure they are future fit. Is this a change that is set to stay? And do you therefore need different skills and capabilities within your business?  

If the answer to any of these questions is different to your pre-COVID world you will most certainly need to look at your employee value proposition.

A solid employee value proposition is just the start. If you want it to be a building block that starts to develop and reinforce your culture you need to embed it at every touch point across the employee journey.  

Mapping the key milestones in your employee journey that can be used to reinforce and embed your behaviours and values is essential. It turns your employee value proposition from being promise and words on a page into “the way we do things round here”.

If you want an external perspective to help you consider some of these opportunities get in touch at Victoria.lewis-stephens@unitedcultureco.com.

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