Recruiting employees can be a challenge, but in the end, it’s worth the effort to do it right—because that’s how you attract employees who will be engaged and contribute to an organization’s overall strategy and growth. And that is the true prize!
A key piece to the recruiting puzzle, and one that can go a long way toward landing that prize, is an organization’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Ultimately, it encompasses the feelings current employees hold about their employer, driving them (ideally) to put in maximum effort and produce superior results. Sounds simple, but a lot of factors go into the EVP—such as benefits, professional development opportunities, possibilities for growth and promotions, even team continuity and whether they feel respected. As you can imagine, some employers have a strong EVP, while others … well, to put it in HR terms, “may have some opportunity for growth.”
Utilizing a strong EVP
Organizations that are confident in their EVP should lean heavily on it during recruiting. First of all, it’s vital for a recruiter to successfully convey the culture of an organization—especially when it’s a selling point!—rather than simply going through the standard discussion on benefits and compensation. But one of the best ways to utilize a strong EVP is by getting current employees involved in the recruitment process. This can be achieved in many ways, including:
- Having employees in various roles and levels of responsibility participate in interviews. This not only allows candidates to get honest feedback but is also reinforces that the leadership team places value on the thoughts and perspectives of all members of the organization. It is a win all the way around.
- Seeking employee help with forming interview questions. I highly encourage this, and believe it is especially beneficial to work with diversity, equity, and inclusion employee groups to formulate and/or vet any questions focused on DEI
- Asking candidates to “shadow” current employees for a few hours. This shoulder-to-shoulder experience is valuable for both parties, and can help set realistic expectations. It’s very powerful, and also ensures the candidate who ends up being hired has a head start on building relationships with people in the organization.
- Featuring employees in recruiting materials. If your organization really wants to be a little “extra,” you may even consider having your employees create short videos or blog posts for your careers page. This is a great way to introduce your employees and culture to prospective candidates, showcasing your EVP before they apply.
Ready to leverage your EVP?
One of the best things about EVP and recruiting is that it also helps you continually “recruit” your current employees—that is, keep them. So, if you’re ready to get more out of your EVP, get in touch! I would love to help you leverage it more effectively during the recruitment process.
About the Author
Christine Brown
HR Services Lead Recruiter
Alera ConnectHR
Christine’s background and knowledge for Alera ConnectHR is in recruiting, staffing of large organizations, talent management and acquisition, training, and development, as well as employee engagement.
Christine loves helping her clients and their people thrive, and particularly relishes tackling challenging situations by using positive communication and developing plans for success.
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