How do you measure the effectiveness and impact of your EVP communication strategy?

At the end of the day, we need to ask ourselves WHY are we working on the EVP. Most organizations focus on that because of 2 main reasons, attracting talent and retaining talent. From an attraction front, there are things to consider: - Cost of hiring - Quality of candidates - Time spent on hiring etc. From a retention front consider: - NPS - Engagement level - Retention rate - Productivity All these are metrics that are important to consider when building your EVP and aligning it with the business goals.

First, let’s talk about the Employee Value Proposition, not the Employer Value Proposition. Everything we do with the EVP should have the employee experience at the core, not the organization. This is because you can’t invent or construct an EVP based on strategy or mission alone – it must be ‘uncovered’ from the actual expectations and experiences of your most promising talents. It must be authentic at the core. And yes, strategy and ambitions then come in to provide a certain stretch, to create an appealing and forward-looking challenge that attracts and engages people. In short, if you believe in building an employer brand from the inside out, the single most important KPI for an EVP is the employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS).

To measure the effectiveness and impact of your initiatives, start by clearly defining your goals and metrics. Identify what success looks like for your program, whether it's increased engagement, improved performance, or higher retention rates. Select quantifiable metrics that align with these goals, such as survey scores, productivity metrics, or turnover rates. Ensure these metrics are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Regularly track and analyze these metrics to gain insights and make informed decisions for continuous improvement.

Leveraging Employee Feedback to Measure EVP Effectiveness To measure the effectiveness of your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) communication strategy, start by gathering employee feedback. Conduct regular surveys and focus groups to understand how well employees comprehend and resonate with the EVP. Analyze the feedback to identify areas of improvement and success. Additionally, track engagement metrics such as participation rates in EVP-related activities and events. By continuously soliciting and acting on employee feedback, you can ensure your EVP remains relevant and impactful, fostering a more engaged and motivated workforce.

Effectively segmenting your employer branding efforts involves identifying target segments, creating employee personas, and tailoring messages for each social media platform. Customize content based on channel preferences, geographical/cultural differences, and career stages. Encourage employee advocacy and leverage analytics to refine strategies. Personalize email campaigns and actively monitor and respond to audience interactions. This approach ensures a more tailored and impactful employer brand across diverse audiences and channels.

In my experience, audience segmentation is the linchpin of an EVP communication strategy. Start by categorizing your audiences based on personas, sources, and where they stand in their employee journey. Then, pinpoint the channels and formats—whether it's through websites, social media, email, video, or events—that best convey your EVP to each segment. Tailoring messages and channels for these distinct audience groups ensures resonance. This strategic segmentation approach allows for precise impact measurement and continuous refinement of your EVP strategy.

While identifying channels of distribution of content, two aspects need to be kept in mind - Customization and Consistency. The content needs to be customized as per each channel and which target segment resides in those channels. But, the essence of evp should not be lost during that Customization. There has to be consistency of messaging across channels. A candidate visiting two channels shouldn't feel they are looking at two different organizations.

To make sure your message reaches the talent pool you are interested in it’s important to carefully choose your types of audience and adapt the communication and channels based on the identified segments. For example, you can include a mix of online and offline tactics into your EVP communication strategy to reach a wider audience. Moreover, depending on your need for recruitment at that moment, you need to tailor your messaging. For instance, if your current need as an employer is to attract youth within the company, then you can use calls-to-action that integrate some of their colloquial language or the Gen Z trends. Of course, it’s always important to integrate those with your brand tone of voice.

EVP Uniqueness = (10–number of mentions in competitors' EVP)/10 Use this formula if you want to avoid adopting a clichéd EVP and establish what exactly should NOT be included in the list of your pillars. The lower the index number, the lower the uniqueness of the given feature. For example, an index of "0" indicates features that 10 companies use in their communications (e.g., "good team relations" and "people-first approach"). An index of "1" means that the characteristic is rather unique.

To benchmark and compare your employer brand communication strategy, begin by assessing key metrics like: - Social media engagement - Career site traffic - Application count and quality - Candidate conversion rates and dropout rates Conduct thorough competitor benchmarking to understand industry norms and identify areas for improvement. Incorporate employee feedback through surveys and reviews to measure internal perceptions. Track the alignment of your communication strategy with predefined goals and values. Regularly reassess and adapt strategies based on performance insights for continual improvement and sustained success.

Having EVP-related kpi’s in place will help with benchmarking. Examples: -Application to hire ratio -Employee referral rate -Candidate quality/quantity -Time to fill -Employee satisfaction & retention -Cost per hire -Offer acceptance rate

Benchmarking, analysing and comparing the outcome of EVP communication strategy helps us to understand where is the gap and work for the effectiveness. HR Metrics: Retention rate, employee satisfaction, quality of hire, time to fill, candidate experience, cost per hire, applicates rate, talent analytics, conversion rate. Online metrics: Social media engagement, web traffic, career site, social communication and message, target audience views and interaction, online company ratings and reviews.

Besides benchmarking it internally I would also urge to do a benchmark externally. More specifically, are you aware how your EVP compares to you talent competitors? Do you truly know how your EVP is perceived by job seekers? Get a system in place to benchmark and make sure it's an ongoing process. The market changes. Your talent persona changes. So your talent competitors adapt as well. Make sure you're a step ahead!

To measure the impact of EVP, I suggest focusing on the following areas: - Conduct targeted newsletters: use these instrument to educate employees about the EVP and track engagement through internal communication tools. - Survey new hires: gather feedback on how the EVP influenced their decision to join the company. - Monitor employee review platforms: keep an eye on global and local markets to gather positive and what important negative feedbacks. - Regularly analyze the EVP: ensure it continues to reflect the current employee experience. - Survey employees: sssess their understanding of the EVP and their willingness to share it with potential candidates.

Optimisation through testing and refining the use of channels, creative executions, content formats and messaging is key to achieving strong results and ROI. However, the climate changes constantly so a portion of activity and budget should be reserved for continuously testing new activity as part of the mix. This could be interactive video instead of video, taking some budget to try a new social channel, or flexing messaging as ever deeper insight into the needs and wants of a talent segment is uncovered. For example, many tech brands are proactively employing more neurodiverse people given their skills and aptitude. Finding out more about what is important for them in the workplace and adapting messaging to show how the EVP supports that.

Like anything else in life, the EVP needs to be tested, retested, and tested again. The EVP must constantly be changed and improved based on the current needs of employees and candidates and how they resonate with the message. Before launching an EVP, do focus groups with different categories of employees and potential candidates and see how they feel about your directions. Based on their feedback, modify your messages and strategy to make sure you reach your target audience.

Testing and optimizing your EVP strategy is like tuning an instrument. You want to make sure every note is just right. It's an ongoing process, like a musician rehearsing and refining their performance. Techniques like A/B testing, multivariate testing, heatmaps, and user testing act as your tuning tools. They help you fine-tune your EVP messages and channels to ensure they resonate with your audience. As you continuously improve and refine your strategy, you'll create a harmonious connection with your employees and candidates, ultimately increasing the impact of your EVP communication strategy over time.

When measuring the effectiveness and impact of your initiatives, consider incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data for a comprehensive view. Collect employee feedback through surveys and focus groups to capture insights beyond numbers. Regularly review and update your metrics to ensure they remain relevant to evolving business goals. Use advanced analytics to identify trends and correlations that can inform strategic decisions. Finally, communicate your findings transparently with stakeholders to build trust and drive continuous improvement.

In the past, our organization faced high employee turnover and a lackluster employer brand. To address this, we revamped our EVP communication strategy by highlighting the stories of long-term employees who had grown with the company. Using video interviews, social media, and email campaigns, we shared their journeys from newcomers to seasoned professionals. This approach significantly improved employee engagement and retention, and it attracted more talent inspired by our growth story. The lesson learned: behind every EVP strategy are unique human stories, aspirations, and journeys, and connecting with these elements is key to success.

I think we've sometimes overlooked the crucial role employees play in effectively communicating our EVP. They're not just workers; they're our best ambassadors. When employees passionately share their experiences and insights, it adds an authentic and engaging layer to our EVP communication. Their voices are relatable, resonating with potential candidates. It's like inviting someone into our home to hear firsthand what makes it special. This employee advocacy isn't just about attracting top talent; it's about building a community of advocates who believe in and actively promote our employer brand.

Your People and Prospective Candidates/Employees would always be the best "measurement tool". So ASK them! Internally, make sure to use regular pulse surveys (per Quarter or Semester), Employee engagement tools (surveys, workshops, focus groups, open discussion, culture feedback dashboards etc.), your Retention/Turnover rates, eNPS monitoring and referrals, based on your current strategy. Externally, in order to measure your CX, make sure to conduct Post-Interview Surveys with your candidates to gauge their perceptions of your EVP and the overall recruitment process. Ask your new hires about the first thought perception for you. Build up communities with your Alumnis to measure where you stand perception wise in the market/industry.