In the world of work post COVID (PC)*, presenting a strong employee value proposition has never been more important.

With our international borders closed, talent is becoming increasingly hard to find in many industries. Competition to attract the best people has heated up and all indications are it’s set to continue, certainly in the short-term.

So, what does this mean as an employer? How do you attract talent? How do you retain talent? There isn’t a one-size approach as every organisation is unique. BUT, every organisation has their brand, something to be proud of, usually defined within an ‘employee value proposition’ or EVP.

People want to work for companies they are proud of and there are many things that make up a strong EVP.

Firstly, put yourself in the candidates’ shoes. What are they thinking and asking themselves?

There’s salary of course, but there are many other tangible rewards they will consider when thinking about the bottom line, or entire package. Will there be allowances for travel or parking, phones or other work tools? Is salary sacrificing available? Is the salary competitive to begin with?

Perks are another benefit candidates will want to hear about. If your organisation has a health and wellbeing program this should be conveyed to candidates as part of a strong EVP. Maybe it’s a massage at work, a flexi day, or an annual voucher to choose from a list of wellbeing activities. Is your organisation active in the community, is there an opportunity for volunteer days?

Importantly, there’s also the work itself and the people they’ll be working with. If you have a mentoring program, show candidates an example on your website of a mentoring relationship. Show them what your executives and thought leaders have to offer and how it has benefited others within the organisation. The old saying, “candidates don’t leave a company they leave a boss” is integral to EVP.  Ensure your leaders have a voice and presence in the market – social media, participating in panel discussions and presenting at events and conferences.

Video is a fantastic medium to show your company culture if done correctly, and by that we mean authentically. People want to see real people; don’t be afraid to let your staff be authentic in a public facing arena. Candidates will value it.

Don’t be afraid to display an organisational chart. Many candidates will be thinking, what’s my next role after this. If the role has become vacant due to internal promotion, highlighting this can often be an attraction.

Most importantly, package it all up, and present it well wherever you can. Market your brand. This includes your website, your social media, your job ads. Let potential candidates understand your corporate voice and views. Anywhere you can think of promote your brand.

A strong EVP will not only help you attract top talent, it will help retention.

Retention starts with recruitment. If you’re transparent and open at the outset then you engage with the right candidates, candidates aligned to your culture and strategy. If you identify candidates that will stay the course and show them what’s in it for them if they do, your workforce will be empowered to contribute to the vision of your organisation.

If you want to talk to a senior consultant about your strategy on how to attract the best talent in contact us on 07 3305 5800.

* Will 2020 and beyond be known as the PC period or POST COVID, will this be the point in time that is marked for future generations?  As we all know, we are truly living in what will probably be discussed in the history classes of our children’s children.