You need the best talent. You want the best talent. These facts are understood, but how do you go about attracting them to your company.

While there still may be a big problem with unemployment both in the U.S. as well as globally right now, there’s simultaneously a shortage of good talent. Companies everywhere are reporting challenges in filling open positions with talent individuals.

As the economy rebounds from a deep recession and corporations and businesses are focusing on growth and remaining ahead, it’s important to put in place strategies that are going to allow you to attract great employees to grow alongside your organization.

One of the primary steps to attracting this talent  – developing and maintaining a comprehensive, robust and positive employer brand strategy. The building block of your employer brand should be your employee value proposition.

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What is an Employee Value Proposition (EVP)?

To put it in terms that are short, sweet and to the point, an employee value proposition is something that lays out why an employee would want to work for your organization.

It’s not just an abstract idea—you should actually have a defined employee value proposition that’s written down and serves as your primary marketing tool when it comes to reach and attracting talented individuals in your industry.

An EVP can contain some of the basics you’d think of in terms of attracting employees, including compensation, benefits and time off, but it should also go well beyond those concepts.

There may be flexibility in the workplace, including the opportunity for a compressed work week or telecommuting, or perhaps your company offers great training and continuing education opportunities.

Basically, the number one thing to consider when you begin creating your EVP is that it should define to potential employees what sets you apart from your competition and why they should want to work for your above anyone else in your industry.

Think of the EVP as the same as advertising or marketing to potential clients, and put that same robust level of quality into the development of your employee value proposition, if you want to find the best talent.

What to Remember When Creating an EVP

While your employee value proposition is going to be unique, and everyone company is going to have a different approach, there are some broad things to remember when you create an EVP.

• The very first place you should start gathering information to use in an EVP is with your current employees. No one is going to have a better understanding of what it is to work for your company, what attracted them in the first place, and why they’ve stayed with your company. Conduct assessments of current staff, and delve into not just the basics such as salary, but really try to get to the core of what it is on a cultural level that they enjoy about your company versus other potential competitors.
• Ultimately, your top priority when creating an EVP is that it aligns with your corporate culture. It should be part of a larger talent management strategy. Similar to your standard advertising and marketing tactics, you should have short and long-term strategies in place that will help you determine the direction of your employee value proposition, and you should align it with these strategies.
• Your EVP needs to balance being inspirational with also being realistic. Yes, you want to make your company seem like a great place to work, but if your EVP is completely out of line with reality or distorts your company and its culture, you may be able to attract a top candidate, but retention then becomes a problem.
• Create an EVP that’s specific to your organization and who you hope to attract, but simultaneously ensure it’s broad enough to appeal to a fairly large candidate base. Yes, you only want to attract the most qualified candidates, but they can come from diverse backgrounds or perspectives, so always keep that in mind.

An EVP can be your primary tool in a large-scale talent management strategy. It can be used in a variety of channels to reach great talent, and help you remain competitive and thriving.

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