What does an ‘Employment’ mean to each

What role does a place of employment fulfill today or the need it addresses  …..is it a place for sustenance ( which pays you monthly salary ) , A place to pass or while away time -having               no better pursuit in life , A place to hold on to dearly for a life time security or better still treat as a ‘ transit lounge‘ to hang around till you find a better paying place .By default , undefined – left to individual interpretation

 Employment scenario is ( hopefully ) changing today where Competence is ( as is needs to be ) taking over as essential parameter , where Loyalty or Age is no longer a virtue . In a professional set up, where there will be increasingly rigorous standards on employee competence at entry & ongoing levels ; in reciprocation, employer / employment too needs bring in an enhanced ‘employer competence’ by offering a distinctive value to employees- a Purpose , a Proposition to attract & retain high caliber people .

 Work : Positive pull than a contractual compulsion

Workplaces need no longer be a ‘ Prison ‘ where employees as bonded labour are ‘ confined ‘ for the work day , day after day & policed by a jail warden called Supervisor  . These should not be places where you hate to but have to go to earn your livings . Workplace is not like a hanging rod on the wall where you park yourself like clothes .  

Workplaces need to go beyond merely being salary disbursement stations & work needs, to progress beyond being a contractual drudgery .

Workplaces ought to offer a ‘ value ‘ to an employee . A purpose to come to work & contribute …a place where an employee would be looking forward to coming every morning than looking forward to run away from it at the stroke of the closing hour . A place which inspires energy & contribution rather than dissipates into spreading despair  & gossip .

 That’s where employment ‘draw’ ( reason to come to work ) needs to go beyond Salary / Money …… I’m not saying that money is not important , by all means it’s & probably will continue to be so , for any job , any level  - any timeframe . Though money will not be the SOLE reason which should attract an employee to the place of employment .

That’s where an employment needs to offer a ‘ Value Proposition ‘ to its employees .

 Employee Value Proposition( EVP)

An Employee Value Proposition is like a sense of purpose , a  cause to espouse , an inspiration for bonding for a meaningful belonging. It's a positive pull to be wanting ‘ to be there’ and not a barrier to leave

EVP is a proposition , beyond money, to draw employees to & engage them with the organization & its mission on a long term basis , in a mutually worthwhile association . While money doesn’t cease to be important at any point in time ( though extent & emphasis may change ) , a Value Proposition offers a systemic value beyond mere money , in sustainable way .

 The ‘Soul’ of EVP

Value proposition is an Organisation’s ability to engage employees on a long term basis . It reflects organisation’s character , core purpose , values & represents employee aspirations .

It’s like in a marriage alliance --- you do not look at your prospective partner from just a single parameter– but for an ‘optimal mix’ of different aspects . Also what you finally get & find acceptable is not maximization on any one / all parameters but a trade off , an acceptable combination, which makes an overall sense to you & vice versa for your partner .

Similarly an organization’s offering to its employees , is not unidirectional ( money ) but an optimal mix of offering on different parameters – which together makes a good sense .

 EVP – How do we ‘ find’ it

What makes a worthwhile Value Proposition to employees of an organization being contextual , is unique & varies from other organisations , even from the same industry ; depending on its direction/strategic path , working circumstances , stage in life etc . Therefore like Purpose of Life for an individual , EVP for an organisation needs to be ascertained/discovered ; not ‘designed’

Process I use in helping an Organisation find its EVP includes an iterative interplay between 3 critical aspects : (1) What an Organisation stands for (Values/Culture ), (2) What it has to offer (Mission) , & (3) Strategic interests of its employee (aspiration survey )

Nonetheless , based on my experience here are some illustrative of relevance to employees , that Organsiations may deploy ,in their respective value propositions .

 -       Job satisfaction , Exposure , Freedom of expression / operation

-       Recognition , rewards , Long term benefits

-       Development opportunities , enrichment , career progression

-       Work ambience , facilities , culture , equality , human dignity

-       Values , ethics , transparency , Company reputation , pride in association

-       Market standing / leadership , strong financials/fundamentals , infrastructure , bright future

 Significance of a strong EVP

EVP is in addition to / independent of the money on offer . Depending on perceived value of such a proposition by an employee he / she is willing to accept a trade off vis-à-vis total money . On the other hand money alone can never make up for a lack of / weak employee value proposition & can not help sustain such associations for long . That is why ‘ best employers ‘ , in many instances are not the best paymasters and organisations who have nothing else to offer , need to attract prospective employees with notably higher salaries

 The stronger the EVP of an organization , more difficult it is for its rivals to counter it with an offering of bigger money to attract employees from such an organization . By corollary , Money becomes the default mechanism when EVP of an organisation is weak/undefined . Hence employees of organisations without a distinctive EVP, are most susceptible to (monetary) poaching by its competitors M