EVP vs. People Promise

According to research by Towers Watson, people are five times more likely to be highly engaged if their organization has an effective EVP, (2014, Change and Communication Global ROI Research Study).

So, it’s vital that your EVP accurately represents the organization and its values. Your EVP statement needs to be based on what is right for employees, not what your competitors are doing. The CIPD suggests that an effective EVP aligns the whole work experience, from culture, mission, and values, to total rewards, through jobs and people. A brand that fails to live up to an EVP promise risks reputational damage and recruitment challenges.

A people promise describes what the organization delivers to employees to secure their commitment and loyalty. Paul Davies, Consumer Marketing Director at Microsoft, told us that success depends on aligning the people promise with overall corporate purpose. Values are the foundation for behaviors at every level of the organization and all team members contribute to your success by modeling those values which are fundamental to your people promise.

All-round benefits

Employees have choices about which organization they work for, especially in the current environment, and those organizations with a strong EVP and convincing people promise will attract the best candidates. The benefit for employees is a work experience aligned with their expectations and preferences, and as a bonus, a positive employee experience delivers a strong return on investment.

Your people are your strength. Their skill, talent, energy, and commitment drive corporate creativity, innovation, and productivity. They are what make you successful, and so from recruitment onwards, your promise needs to be articulated with authenticity and clarity. That people promise aims to delineate how you value employee contribution in real terms and how that is underpinned by your values, shared across the whole organization. It should be clear in the eyes of employees so that they join and stay for the right reasons.

Both reflect your brand, strengths and how the organization works to create a positive culture that guarantees the best experience for employees. It’s important to be aware that as with any employer branding exercise, your people promise is not a one-off activity, but rather a program that will develop in response to new challenges as they emerge over time. Aim to foster an empowering work environment that supports creative thinking and accountability alongside the responsibility to advance organizational goals.

Brand advocacy

In our inter-connected business environment, everyone understands the importance of brand to a business. It is not customers, and your team is the one who fulfills that promise. An organization’s employees are the most powerful representation of the brand as you rely on them to deliver every time they make a sale, post on social media or pick up the phone. You want a team of talent who are engaged in the job and the culture, and who are brand advocates as a matter of course.

In effect, the people promise is an articulation of your employer value proposition, a mission statement of sorts. It’s about building a team of empowered and inspired employees, who will become authentic brand ambassadors who help to build trust and loyalty among your customers.

Make your promise about what you offer and also your expectation that employees deliver the best possible service and contribute to the future growth of the organization.