Already in the 90’s, the expression “The war of talent” was established by the American consulting firm McKinsey. Since then, the battle for top talent has intensified and working with one’s employer brand is today a hygiene factor for a successful organization.

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But some occasional efforts against one or a couple of target groups every or every two years is not enough, especially not this year. If the employer branding work is supposed to have an impact you must know what the employees are asking for, and what you as an employer offer your employees. This must then be included in the long-term strategy.

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What do employees demand from an employer in 2023?

The pandemic showed that it’s possible to work effectively remotely and it has given us a new normal state. According to Randstad´s global Work monitor survey (2023), 83% of the responders believe it’s important to have flexible working hours and 71% believe it’s important to have flexibility with where or when you choose to work.

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Today’s workers strive for a better balance between work and leisure. According to Randstad’s survey, 59% of the Swedes that were asked, answered that they would turn down a job if they felt it negatively affected their work-life balance. Just over half of the responders answered that they would leave a workplace if it prevented them from being able to enjoy life, and a third answered that they had left a workplace if the working conditions didn’t match their private lives.

As work and leisure becomes more intertwined, values and belonging become increasingly important. Especially among younger people. In Randstad’s survey, 69% in north-western Europe answered that they take the employers’ value and purpose into account when looking for a new job. If we look at the youngest group which contains responders under the age of 25, a little over half answered that they would not accept a job offer if the employer values don’t align with their own. A whopping 61% in the same category answered that they would even quit a job if they didn’t feel a sense of belonging with their workplace.

According to Deloitte (Designing the workforce experience with the human at the center, 2021), a sense of belonging to the workplace could lead employees to perform up to 56% better, while the risk of staff leaving is halved.

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What do you offer your employees?

As an employer it’s not only important to be able to offer your employees what they’re asking for, but also to communicate this in a credible and distinctive way. Simply communicating that you have a good culture, a welcoming climate, and flexible work hours does not build enough credibility.

You must communicate what your offer as an employer is. The employer value proposition, or EVP – as it’s also called, gives you a true picture of how your employees actually view you as an employer. What makes them happy, what are their driving forces, what are the opportunities to develop and what are their thoughts about the leadership?

Based on your EVP, you can’t only create employer branding that you know you are rooted in, you can also develop and strengthen your offer – and the entire employee experience – while distinguishing yourself from your recruitment competitors.

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Activate the EVP-message strategically

It’s important to not wait with the activation. The perplex situation requires pro-activate employers who can communicate clearly and create the right expectations, both internally and externally.

Now is the right time to optimize your strategy and have your employer offer activated in the right channels, against the right target groups to have an effect. To succeed in both the short- and long-term, the entire employee journey must be covered by the strategy. From the attraction phase when you want to catch the attention of potential candidates, all the way until a former employee has become an alumnus.

Working with existing employees is just as important as working towards potential new talent. On one hand, you want your employees to stay as long as possible, and on the other hand, you want them to become ambassadors externally, both during and after their time at your organization.

Do you want help with your employer branding and EVP communication? Get in touch with us at Keeparo.