Try this Handy Tool to Recruit and Retain Quality Staff

It’s all about the money … or is it? In such a competitive job market, it’s more important than ever to communicate your club’s unique set of offerings to attract top job candidates and retain employees.

Plenty of organisations spend time and money crafting a consumer value proposition, but what’s in it for their staff?  That’s where an employee value proposition (EVP) comes in. It’s a statement that outlines the key reasons people are proud to work for you and it will help you attract and retain quality staff.

EVPs differ from one organisation (or club) to another. The key is to articulate the essence of your brand and the values that drive your organisation. Just be mindful not to oversell or misrepresent employee benefits and conditions; and make sure that applicable policies are applied consistently.

It’s not an exact science, but the following points will help you craft and communicate the unique tangible and intangible benefits that your club offers to employees.

Understand What Your Goal Is

To identify why you need an EVP you’ll need to think about (and ask) why do your employees like working for you? Why are some of them leaving? What do they say about what makes an attractive employer? What do your club members value about your employees? An effective EVP will reflect many points of view.

Identify Key Differentiators

What sets your club apart from other competitor employers? Consider:

• The material offerings such as compensation, perks, or even any flexibility around work schedules.
• The opportunities that you offer staff to develop and grow — do you offer job rotations, training, or promotions?
• The opportunities to connect and be part of community — how do your management team show appreciation and value. Do your team have a sense of belonging — to the club, to each other, to the community?
• Your club’s meaning and purpose — this is the alignment between why employees do the work they do and the club’s reason for being.

Draft the EVP

Involve employees from different teams and job levels to contribute as you write the EVP. Highlight the key differentiators with clear and engaging language, that aligns with branding. You might consider including employee testimonials or quotes.

Communicate

It’s important to use the right platform to communicate to staff and job candidates, both verbally and in written form.  Make sure your message is consistent and comes from the leadership (not just HR).

Reinforce and Deliver

Regularly reinforce your EVP to embed in the culture — at recruitment, at onboarding, in team meetings and at review time.

Adapt and Measure

Measure your success by assessing whether you are attracting the right type of employees. Has turnover and absenteeism fallen? What are employees saying at exit interviews? Do you need to review and update the EVP to align with changing needs of your employees?