From WOW to Transparency: The Key to Attracting and Retaining Talent

In the pursuit of engaged and loyal employees, "WOW" promises can be a risky bet. When these promises go unfulfilled, the cost to your company's reputation can be immeasurable. In today's world, transparency is inevitable, and authenticity becomes your best strategy.

Juggling Human Resources (Playing "Hot Potato")

Human Resources teams are facing a multidimensional challenge, strategically trying to position their "employer brand," dealing with employees' growing expectations, societal demands for corporate responsibility, and, of course, the insatiable business needs for growth and prosperity, with talent being a fundamental pillar to achieve it, among other challenges. It's pure juggling, isn't it?

Today, employees have evolved beyond seeking fair salaries; they long for a purpose that resonates in their hearts, seeking a genuine and authentic work experience. It's about finding inspiration in daily work, being motivated by the company's mission and vision, and achieving a healthy work-life balance. In this new context, organizations that understand the need to offer more than just a paycheck are the ones that can attract and retain the most valuable talent. Commitment to authenticity and the pursuit of a shared purpose have become the most valuable currencies in the talent war in the 21st century.

The Cost of Unrealistic Promises

To meet these new demands and this new "talent game," human resources teams are putting enormous effort into creating appealing value propositions. I've seen many Employee Value Propositions that aim to inspire, captivate, attract, and retain the most desired talent, and they are truly inspiring. I've seen my clients invest fortunes in hiring marketing and branding companies to create extraordinary value propositions... but these propositions are unattainable by the organization. These value propositions or "WOW" promises dissipate like fireworks, and what comes after is concerning.

It's a dangerous strategy with very difficult-to-reverse risks. The employee who came or stayed for that value proposition will quickly feel disappointed (even deceived), and the chances of them leaving are imminent. Moreover, they will likely feel a moral obligation to warn those who come after about the reality breathed and lived in the organization daily.

The cost of this approach is significant, not only in economic terms due to recruitment and replacement costs but also regarding the employer brand's reputation, which is challenging to repair.

In the current era, everything is exposed, and everything is known. The revolution caused by platforms like Glassdoor is a striking example of this. Glassdoor is not only an employee portal but also a valuable source of information about corporate culture, processes, and policies. It allows employees to evaluate and compare organizations regarding authenticity and transparency. We are in the era of exposure and honesty, and we need to understand these rules of the game to avoid very costly mistakes.

Less WOW and More Transparency

Instead of trying to dazzle employees with glorious but impossible-to-fulfill promises, we should honestly communicate what we can genuinely offer and in which areas we are willing to improve.

Imagine an invitation to an exciting journey where you are not only asked to come as you are but also called to be active participants in the transformation. This represents the most authentic, genuine, and compelling value proposition. Those who accept this challenge are ready to embark on this adventure with us. Incorporating transparency as a fundamental criterion in designing your value proposition and employee experience will not drive them away but will be appreciated and attract them even more.

How to Create a Genuine Employee Value Proposition and Experience

At Mutta Studio, we have a model for designing Employee Value Propositions and Experiences that leads you to explore and discover who your employees are and what is valuable to them. Then, it guides you to design and prioritize based on your resources and possibilities.?

The model has four stages:

• Explore: The goal is to understand our employees deeply. It's not just about demographics but about understanding who they really are. Tools like the Employee Journey Map, surveys, interviews, and focus groups, among others, help us explore.
• Discover: In this stage, we make sense of the information collected during the exploration phase. We look for patterns and understand who we have on the other side. What are their motivations, expectations, and pain points? This leads us to identify archetypes and key individuals we want to attract.
• Design: Knowing our employees inside out and understanding their needs and desires, we design genuine experiences and realistic value propositions. Specific prioritization tools help us evaluate what is feasible and not, serving as a critical filter always to be supported by what is achievable and genuine.
• Scale and Sustain: In this final stage, we gradually pilot and implement these new experiences and ensure that they endure over time in a solid and consistent manner.

Still, trying to figure out where to start? Go out and explore and discover your employees and those you want to attract. Get to know them deeply: what they are looking for, what they want, and what is valuable to them. Remember, there's always something about our internal customers left to discover, and there's always something we can improve in our square feet!

Know more about dEXcodify—an agile EX Assessment.

Many people are ready to join the adventure of transforming and growing your organization. Inviting them not only as they are today but also as key players in transformation machinery is often the most genuine, authentic, and compelling value proposition. Whoever joins this battle is prepared to face it alongside us.

Carolina Sordelli

Founder & CEO

Mutta (not consulting) Studio

Connect on Linkedin: https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/carolinasordelli/