A look at trends in EVP projects for 2023
Any Employer Value Proposition – particularly in this climate – needs to be forward-looking. But what does the future hold for EVPs themselves? In October last year, Penna attended World Employer Brand Day 2022, set in the rainforest-like surroundings of the Estufa Fria in Lisbon. Hundreds of attendees from all over the globe gathered to discuss the latest developments in employer branding and employee engagement. Over the course of 16 back-to-back presentations, we heard many different perspectives and opinions – and from that, a few key trends emerged.
Employee stories: a ‘must-have’ or a ‘must we’?
As Massimo Begelle from Top Employers Institute shared, “it is the end of the top-down era”: employee involvement is here to stay. So, it’s no surprise that storytelling has become an all-pervasive tactic in employer branding – because candidates are interested in people’s actual experience of an employer. That said, an injection of creativity is well overdue: it’s no longer distinctive to have to-camera interviews or day-in-the-life vignettes; stories, profiles and films must find more interesting ways to include hybrid environments, and link remote participants in a way that feels more intimate.
EVPs must move from brand messaging to behavioural modelling
As one of the event’s speakers, Svante Randlert, emphasised – there has been more change in the last two years than in the previous decade. To stay ahead of that change, organisations need to move from knowledge sharing to behavioural modelling – and EVPs are perfectly positioned to enable that shift. In the absence of an office environment and regular in-person interaction to anchor culture, a well-defined brand message and principles can provide the clarity, purpose and direction that organisations need to encourage and embody behaviours.
Substance and depth are more important than ever
The foundations of an organisation’s purpose are becoming more and more exposed: according to Gartner, most employees choose whether or not to stay at a new employer in the first 6 months, based on what action the employer has taken.
That means the scope of an employer brand project needs to change. Indeed, we’re already seeing a number of projects for our clients where cultural change and ED&I initiatives are being interwoven with employer branding. In 2023, EVPs need to be about more than just developing a tone of voice, look and feel or set of messages; they should crystallise exactly what an organisation stands for – and, crucially, guide the actions that organisation should take to prove it.
Want to know how your EVP can adapt to the changing landscape? Get in touch and one of our communications experts can help you figure out the next steps.