What do employees really value in your organisation?
A clear and compelling employee value proposition (EVP) is the foundation of a successful attraction and retention strategy. But how can you ensure it speaks to the evolving expectations of Australian candidates?
The answers are found in SEEK’s market-leading Laws of Attraction data portal, which provides easy access to wide-ranging insights into what local candidates really want in a job. The data is refreshed regularly and can be filtered to help you identify which attributes of your EVP are important to different demographics of employees. With this knowledge, you can tailor your EVP offering and other recruitment activities to the specific people you want to attract, engage and retain.
Aimee Hutton, Head of Customer Insights and Strategy at SEEK says an informed and purpose-built EVP is now more important than ever.
“The Laws of Attraction data is incredibly powerful, and it serves as a reminder that you can’t assume to know what's important to candidates right now,” she says.
“Having a solid, substantial data source to draw on is beneficial to your business, especially at a time when employers are looking to create or refresh their EVP. The pandemic caused many people to revaluate what they look for in a job, so understanding what candidates really want is essential.”
Where’s the value in your EVP?
SEEK’s Laws of Attraction data portal supports organisations in ensuring that their EVP aligns to employee expectations. Hutton says it also helps leaders demonstrate and ‘live’ those values and benefits.
“The data helps you to sense check whether you are delivering on what candidates want. How does your EVP come to life and demonstrate the truth of what you've communicated? It’s how you deliver on your EVP that helps you attract, engage and retain the best talent.”
Hutton explains that effective EVPs include three key elements that drive attraction and retention - organisation, opportunities and extras. The Laws of Attraction data helps you to understand what to include and how much emphasis to place on each of these elements, based on a candidate’s key drivers.
1. Organisation
The organisation element of an EVP is all about the qualities of your business that attract candidates and motivate them to stay. This is what you consider your core values and purpose, and may differ across different demographics
“Laws of Attraction data can help organisations start to build a productive relationship with a candidate based on a level of trust that you understand what's important to them and that they’ll be joining an organisation that will support them and help their career,” says Hutton.
“You can use this portal to tease out the things that candidates really value in an organisation and then build this into your EVP. For instance, flexibility used to be considered a ‘nice to have’, but it’s now a standard expectation among candidates across many industries” says Hutton. “Candidates want it, and they want to know how it’s delivered. The way that you demonstrate flexibility to different demographics would be something to reflect in your EVP.
2. Opportunities
The opportunities element of an EVP focuses on what candidates have access to at your organisation. Hutton says this can provide a competitive edge, especially in the current market
“Understanding what candidates really want will help set you apart from similar organisations that are trying to march to the same tune,” says Hutton.
“You can really drill into the data to understand what specific candidate demographics are looking for and look at how you can offer that to them in a meaningful way.”
3. Extras
What are the perks or ‘nice to haves’ that enhance an employee experience and encourage them to join your organisation and stay? Do retail workers value food allowances, for instance, and are Millennials still attracted to overseas work opportunities?
Hutton says the Laws of Attractions portal shows how different demographics may place greater value on certain perks, so it’s important to understand these, and ensure you balance the extras available to your employees.
A robust EVP that is tailored to what your employees and candidates really want will help you to shape the EVP that attracts and retains them. With local candidate data that’s regularly reviewed, SEEK’s Laws of Attraction portal will equip you with the insights you need to form long-lasting relationships.
Looking to create or enhance your EVP? Download SEEK’s EVP framework and set your company up for success.