THE BIG IDEA
My kids and I have a running joke about the Star Wars expanded universe of movies, games and TV shows – as generations go, I was a kid of the original trilogy, and my kids were growing up just after the Prequels and as The Clone Wars animated series was ongoing.
(for my DEI colleagues, that makes me a Gen Xer and my kids Gen Z 🙂 )
Needless to say, we have had many discussions where I lament everything that’s happened since Empire Strikes Back while they defend more recent story-lines.
With the advent of the Disney reboot shows, we’ve had cause to discuss again and finally agree that the trick now is to watch the shows with low/zero expectations and just enjoy the limited number of high-points when they come.
Our running joke is this: the Star Wars shows would be good… if only they were good.
Said differently, the Star Wars shows would be good if they stopped unnecessary tinkering by studio executives, and just focused on doing what they do best.
All of which brings me to your Employee Value Proposition
(yes, this is how my brain works)
And the question: What would your Employee Value Proposition be if it were good?
Like the Star Wars expanded universe, your EVP could be wide-ranging, sprawling and trying to cater to everyone all the time.
Like the Star Wars expanded universe, your EVP could be drawing on tried and tested crowd-pleasing set-pieces to gain short-term traction.
Like the Star Wars expanded universe, your EVP could be rehashing the same old story-lines and not extending the story to new ground, new characters and new challenges.
More specifically:
- The notion of improving your EVP could be being used as a panacea for how to handle recruitment, engagement and retention issues post-pandemic
- HR could be demanded to alter extrinsic/hygiene factors such as benefits, sign-on and stay-bonuses, etc.
- Companies (and leaders) could be trapped in a will and desire loop of trying to get back to how things were in the last normal (i.e. pre-Pandemic)
And it’s this last one that I see raising its ugly head right now: “What can we do in the short term to keep people around until things get back to normal?”
This misses the fundamental point that the Pandemic, both globally and locally, was a seismic event in the world of work. It changed the story. Fundamentally.
The Employee Value Proposition in the old normal (really a 20th Century manufacturing normal) could be written as some version of:
“Compromise your innate desire to do what you do best because a) we’ll tell you what your career should be; b) complying with the organization will lead to safety; c) if you compromise now, you’ll get to do it for more the time some time in the future.”
In short: “Be safe, don’t be different.”
That was a world where, structurally and philosophically: “I, <insert senior leader’s name here>, own the talent in my organization.”
That was already changing long before the Pandemic, and even before the Great Recession of 2008-2010. Finally, though, it seems companies are running out of avoidance strategies.
TRY THIS
It’s time to flip the Employee Value Proposition from an acquisition/ownership perspective:
“… what combination of extrinsic and intrinsic factors will make employees comfortable enough with the compromise of working for our company…”
and instead focus it upon what value the employee a) feels; and b) delivers.
Let’s try some words on. Fun. Happiness. Meaning. Freedom. Desire. Control. Competition. Challenge. All of those.
But the most important, I think, is pride.
“I existed, I did something.”
“I am gloriously different and proud of the difference I make.”
“I can be proud to be who I am here.”
If this is what the employee values, then we need to be ready to answer the following question:
“I’m going to do my best work, it can help your business thrive – will we have interesting, cool work to do together?”
And our Employee Value Proposition becomes something along the lines of:
“This is a place where you can do your best work, regardless of whether you’re an employee, partner, contractor or customer.”
And has a tangible result in the hearts and minds of your people:
“There is no better place for me to do my best work!”
USE THIS
Your people know their value and what they value, so why not try asking them to generate a vision of the Employee Value Proposition?
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
“The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems” ~Mahatma Ghandi
“May the Force be with you…” ~Every Jedi ever!
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This article is adapted from “The Strengths Springboard – Is your organization ready?”