Communicating EVP: Amplifying Employer Brand Message

Internal communication of your EVP is crucial for several reasons. It reinforces your organizational culture, ensures that current employees understand and can articulate your employer brand, and transforms your workforce into authentic brand ambassadors. Here are key strategies to effectively communicate your EVP internally:

1. Leadership Alignment and Advocacy

Your EVP communication starts at the top. When leadership embodies and advocates for your EVP, it sets the tone for the entire organization.

• Executive Messaging: Incorporate EVP themes into executive communications, town halls, and company-wide meetings. For example, if innovation is a key part of your EVP, have your CEO regularly highlight innovative projects and teams.

• Leadership Training: Conduct workshops for your leadership team on how to embody and communicate the EVP in their day-to-day interactions with their teams.

• Storytelling from the Top: Encourage leaders to share personal stories that illustrate aspects of your EVP. For instance, a senior executive might share how the company’s commitment to work-life balance (a key EVP element) allowed them to pursue a personal passion alongside their career.

2. Multi-Channel Internal Communications

Utilize a variety of internal communication channels to ensure your EVP message reaches all employees, regardless of their preferred communication style or work arrangement.

• Company Intranet: Create a dedicated space on your intranet that explains your EVP and provides resources for employees to learn more and share the message.

• Email Campaigns: Develop a series of engaging emails that break down different aspects of your EVP, perhaps featuring employee stories or highlighting specific benefits that align with EVP themes.

• Internal Social Media: If your organization uses internal social platforms like Yammer or Workplace by Facebook, create EVP-focused content and encourage employee discussions around these themes.

• Physical Workplace: For office-based employees, consider visual reminders of your EVP through posters, digital displays, or even creative office design elements that reflect your EVP themes.

3. Employee Ambassador Programs

Transform your employees into powerful EVP advocates by creating formal ambassador programs.

• Selection and Training: Choose employees who exemplify your EVP and provide them with in-depth training on how to articulate and demonstrate your employer brand.

• Content Creation: Empower ambassadors to create and share content that brings your EVP to life. This could include blog posts, social media content, or even short videos about their work experience.

• Mentorship Opportunities: Pair ambassadors with new hires or potential candidates to provide authentic insights into life at your organization.

4. Interactive Workshops and Training

Engage employees in understanding and internalizing your EVP through interactive learning experiences.

• EVP Onboarding Module: Incorporate a dedicated EVP session into your new hire onboarding process, helping fresh talent understand and align with your employer brand from day one.

• Team-Building Activities: Design team activities or challenges that reinforce aspects of your EVP. For example, if collaboration is a key EVP theme, organize cross-departmental problem-solving workshops.

• Continuous Learning: Offer regular “refresher” sessions or e-learning modules that deep dive into different aspects of your EVP, keeping it top of mind for all employees.

5. Recognition and Rewards Aligned with EVP

Reinforce your EVP by recognizing and rewarding behaviors and achievements that align with its core tenets.

• EVP-Themed Awards: Create recognition programs that specifically celebrate employees who embody different aspects of your EVP. For instance, an “Innovator of the Month” award if innovation is a key EVP element.

• Peer-to-Peer Recognition: Implement a system where employees can recognize colleagues for actions that align with your EVP, fostering a culture of appreciation and reinforcing your employer brand values.

• EVP in Performance Reviews: Incorporate EVP-aligned behaviors and achievements into your performance review process, signaling their importance to career progression within your organization.

Incorporating EVP into Recruitment Marketing

Your EVP should be at the heart of your recruitment marketing efforts, helping you attract candidates who align with your organizational values and culture. Here’s how to effectively incorporate your EVP into your recruitment marketing:

1. Careers Website Transformation

Your careers website is often the first touchpoint for potential candidates. Make it a powerful reflection of your EVP.

• EVP-Centric Design: Structure your careers site around the key themes of your EVP. For example, if work-life balance is a core EVP element, prominently feature content about flexible working arrangements or wellness programs.

• Employee Stories: Showcase authentic employee testimonials that bring your EVP to life. Use video, blog posts, or interactive content to let your employees share their experiences in their own words.

• Day-in-the-Life Content: Create content that gives candidates a realistic preview of what it’s like to work in different roles at your organization, always tying back to your EVP themes.

• Interactive EVP Exploration: Develop interactive elements that allow candidates to explore different aspects of your EVP based on their interests or career goals.

2. Job Descriptions Reimagined

Transform your job descriptions from dry lists of requirements into compelling narratives that showcase your EVP.

• EVP-Aligned Introduction: Begin each job posting with a paragraph that ties the role to your broader EVP and organizational mission.

• Benefits Highlighting: Instead of a generic list of benefits, relate each benefit to an aspect of your EVP. For example, “Our unlimited learning budget reflects our commitment to your continuous growth and development.”

• Culture and Values Section: Include a section in each job description that explicitly ties the role to your organizational culture and values, as expressed in your EVP.

3. Social Media Storytelling

Leverage social media platforms to share bite-sized, engaging content that brings your EVP to life.

• Platform-Specific Campaigns: Develop EVP-themed campaigns tailored to different social media platforms. For example, use Instagram Stories for behind-the-scenes glimpses of your work environment, or LinkedIn for thought leadership content that showcases your industry impact.

• Employee Takeovers: Allow employees to “take over” your company’s social media accounts for a day, sharing their experiences and how they relate to your EVP.

• #LifeAt[YourCompany] Hashtag: Create a branded hashtag and encourage employees to share moments from their work life that align with your EVP.

4. Candidate Experience Alignment

Ensure that every touchpoint in your recruitment process reflects and reinforces your EVP.

• EVP-Themed Interview Questions: Develop interview questions that allow candidates to demonstrate alignment with your EVP themes.

• Recruiter Training: Equip your recruiting team with the knowledge and tools to effectively communicate your EVP throughout the hiring process.

• Candidate Communications: Infuse all candidate communications, from application acknowledgments to offer letters, with language and themes that reflect your EVP.

Leveraging Different Channels to Promote Your EVP

To maximize the reach and impact of your EVP, it’s crucial to leverage a diverse mix of channels. Each channel offers unique opportunities to showcase different aspects of your employer brand.

1. Content Marketing

Develop a robust content marketing strategy that positions your organization as a thought leader while subtly reinforcing your EVP.

• Company Blog: Regularly publish articles that demonstrate your expertise, showcase your culture, and highlight employee experiences, all tied back to your EVP themes.

• Whitepapers and E-books: Create in-depth content that showcases your industry knowledge and innovative approaches, reinforcing EVP elements like thought leadership or cutting-edge work.

• Podcasts: Launch a company podcast that discusses industry trends, career development, or behind-the-scenes looks at your organization, always tying back to your EVP.

2. Video Content

In an increasingly visual digital landscape, video content can be a powerful tool for bringing your EVP to life.

• Employee Testimonials: Create a series of short, authentic videos featuring employees from various departments and levels sharing their experiences.

• Virtual Office Tours: Offer a glimpse into your work environment with virtual tour videos, highlighting aspects that reinforce your EVP (e.g., collaborative spaces, cutting-edge technology).

• “A Day in the Life” Series: Follow different employees through their workday, showcasing the variety of roles and how they embody your EVP.

3. Employer Review Sites

Actively manage your presence on sites like Glassdoor and Indeed, using them as platforms to reinforce your EVP.

• Respond to Reviews: Thoughtfully respond to both positive and negative reviews, always reinforcing aspects of your EVP in your responses.

• Company Profile: Ensure your company profile on these sites clearly articulates your EVP and provides rich content that brings it to life.

• Encourage Authentic Reviews: While you can’t control what employees write, encourage current employees to share their honest experiences on these platforms.

4. Industry Events and Career Fairs

Use in-person and virtual events as opportunities to showcase your EVP to potential candidates.

• EVP-Themed Booth Design: Design your event booth or virtual presence around key themes from your EVP.

• Interactive Experiences: Create interactive experiences at events that allow potential candidates to get a taste of your company culture and EVP.

• Speaker Opportunities: Seek out speaking engagements at industry events where your leaders or employees can share insights that reinforce your EVP.

5. Employee Referral Programs

Leverage your existing workforce as a powerful channel for promoting your EVP.

• EVP Training for Referrals: Provide employees with training and resources on how to effectively communicate your EVP when reaching out to potential referrals.

• Referral Campaigns: Run themed referral campaigns that tie into different aspects of your EVP, encouraging employees to share specific elements of your employer brand with their networks.

• Success Stories: Share stories of successful referrals, highlighting how the referred employees have found alignment with your EVP.

6. Partnerships and Sponsorships

Strategically align with external organizations and events that reinforce key aspects of your EVP.

• University Partnerships: Develop strong relationships with universities that align with your talent needs, creating opportunities to showcase your EVP to emerging talent.

• Community Involvement: Sponsor or participate in community events that align with your organizational values and EVP themes.

• Industry Associations: Actively participate in industry associations, using these platforms to demonstrate thought leadership and reinforce your employer brand.

In conclusion, effectively communicating your EVP requires a multi-faceted approach that leverages a variety of channels and strategies. By consistently reinforcing your EVP message across internal communications, recruitment marketing, and various external channels, you create a powerful employer brand narrative that resonates with both current employees and potential candidates.

Remember, the key to successful EVP communication is authenticity and consistency. Every touchpoint should reflect the true essence of what it means to work at your organization. When done right, your EVP communication strategy becomes a powerful tool for attracting, engaging, and retaining the talent that will drive your organization’s success in the competitive landscape of the modern workplace.

Further Reading and Sources

1. Mosley, R. (2014). Employer Brand Management: Practical Lessons from the World’s Leading Employers. Wiley.
2. Rosethorn, H. (2009). The Employer Brand: Keeping Faith with the Deal. Gower Publishing, Ltd.
3. LinkedIn. (2020). Global Talent Trends 2020. Retrieved from LinkedIn Talent Solutions.
4. Glassdoor. (2019). Mission & Culture Survey 2019. Retrieved from Glassdoor website.
5. Harvard Business Review. (2015). CEOs Need to Pay Attention to Employer Branding. Retrieved from HBR website.