You’d think that with all the buzz surrounding the importance of developing an employer value proposition (EVP) and it’s role in attracting, engaging and retaining talent, getting the program approved internally at an organization would be easy, right?
Not quite.
Given the amount of time, effort and resources that go into a comprehensive and research-based EVP program, it’s not surprising that CEO’s want to know exactly how it will happen and who will be involved. This is where your EVP project plan comes in.
Of course, the foundation of your plan will be the objectives of your EVP program and how they align with your organization’s larger business goals. But there are also four essential areas that you’ll want to consider as you build out the details of your plan:
1. Who will own the EVP project?
No doubt, a broad range of functions (talent acquisition, HR, organizational effectiveness, internal communications, marketing, etc.) within your organization will have a vested interest in the program and its outcomes. But for the project to succeed and remain on track throughout its duration, there needs to be clear ownership. A number of factors can influence who leads the project, but the reality is that ownership should be linked to the program’s goals objectives. As these are almost always tied to talent acquisition and retention needs, it follows that typically talent acquisition and/or HR will be the project owners.
2. Who needs to be on the team?
An ideal approach to assembling your EVP team is to identify a core project team and then a broader stakeholder team. Led by your project owner, the project team will play the biggest role in executing the program, providing ongoing feedback, input and direction at every step. The stakeholder team typically consists of executive-level employees who need to be apprised of project milestones and important findings along the way so that they can share high-level feedback and executive approval at key points in the process. For both teams, it’s best to include a representative mix that spans departments, functions and geographies.
3. How will the team work together?
Once you have the right teams in place, you need to make sure everyone's clear on the EVP goals and objectives, the activities and outputs, and, most importantly, their role in the effort. Follow up with a detailed timeline that covers all milestones and regular check-ins for team members based on their defined roles.
4. What is the best way to measure success?
Measuring the success of your EVP as it launches and takes hold among internal and external audiences should be a big part of your program. Don’t wait until just weeks before launch to decide how you’ll measure success — determine the measurement plan from the beginning. This gives you time to gather benchmarking data and to address any gaps in your ability to capture the metrics needed to properly monitor outcomes and gauge success.
Building a comprehensive and detailed EVP project plan takes time, but it’s well worth the investment. Doing so, and gaining buy-in on the plan from all of your stakeholders, will result in a clear road map for program development and execution. And fewer bumps in the road along the way.
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Kendra Van Nostran is an employer brand strategist at CKR Interactive, where she provides expertise in research, messaging strategy and creative direction for a broad range of agency clients.
