What is an EVP and why does it matter so much? An EVP – or Employee Value Proposition – is a value promise that an employer makes to its current and future employees. It answers the key question: “Why should I want to (and stay) working here?”

A strong EVP is not just a list of benefits. It is a combination of what the company offers (salary, benefits, culture, opportunities) and what it expects in return. A good promise increases the attractiveness of the brand, differentiates from the competition, facilitates recruitment and fosters loyalty.

A weak or inauthentic promise can do the opposite.

The EVP is not Just a List of Benefits – it’s a Promise You Must Keep

Many companies confuse the Employee Value Proposition with a marketing slogan or a set of benefits. But a true EVP is a strategic and authentic commitment that the company can fulfill.

It is not enough to formulate it well – it must correspond to the real experiences of employees and be sustainable in the long term. Therefore, it should be created in cooperation with the people in the company and based on their reality.

At the same time, it is important to continuously review and develop the EVP, because both people’s needs and preferences and the competitive environment change.

What Makes a Strong Employee Value Proposition: 10 Areas According to Bain & Company

Bain & Company’s Employee Value Pyramid model divides 10 key areas into three layers—from the basic prerequisites for satisfaction to the inspiring factors that lead to greater engagement and motivation.

This structure helps companies understand what employees truly seek and value.

Satisfied employee – “basic prerequisites”

• Safe working environment – physical and psychological safety is the absolute foundation

• Tools, training and resources – employees have everything they need to do their job

• Efficiency without bureaucracy – work runs smoothly, without unnecessary obstacles

• Fair recognition and remuneration – employees feel that the company values them and rewards them fairly

Engaged employee – “internal motivators”

• Autonomy – trust and the ability to make decisions about one’s own work
• Team cohesion – the feeling of being part of an exceptional team
• Learning and growth – space for development, learning and advancement
• Impact of work – employees perceive that their work has meaning for the company

Inspired employee – “higher meaning”

• Meaning and inspiration at work – I enjoy my work and find a deeper meaning in it
• Inspirational leadership – leadership that motivates and gives direction

The goal is to find out which of these areas are key for your employees and turn them into the core of the EVP. Ideally in the form of “give & get” – what we offer and what we expect in return.

At the same time, it is important to identify which elements are missing from our promise – especially from the perspective of the needs of different target groups and compared to what the competition offers – and to focus specifically on developing or supplementing them.

Give & Get Approach: Don’t Just Take, Give

Authors Bryan Adams and Charlotte Marshall introduced an approach called the “Give & Get EVP“ which emphasizes the need for transparency and authenticity. It’s not just about saying what the company offers, but also clearly communicating what it expects in return.

This two-way promise helps attract candidates who identify with the company’s culture and demands, and discourages those who don’t. This makes the employer brand stronger, more credible, and naturally filters out suitable candidates.

Their long-term research shows that happiness at work is driven by five main factors:

• A sense of belonging

• A sense of purpose

• A sense of impact

• A sense of achievement – arising from the experience of meaning and impact

• A sense of joy – arising from meaning, impact and belonging

These are the elements that should be a natural part of an authentic EVP.

How to Find out What Really Motivates Your People

You can’t do it without data. Combine quantitative (questionnaires, engagement surveys) and qualitative methods (interviews, focus groups). Ask:

• “What do you enjoy most about working here?”
• “What keeps you at the company?”
• “What should we change for the better?”

It is important to understand not only the motivations to stay, but also possible triggers of dissatisfaction, frustration or considering leaving.

This question helps to reveal weak points in the employee experience and provides valuable information for adjusting the EVP.

Involve different profiles of employees across the company, including newcomers and those considering leaving – their perspective is often valuable.

How to Build a Universal and Personalized Employee Value Proposition

Dividing an EVP into universal and personalized is key to its effectiveness.

The universal part expresses a value promise that applies across the entire organization – it is part of the common denominator of the employer brand.

The personalized part then allows you to respond specifically to the specific needs of different employee groups. This ensures that the promise includes people from production, developers, students or senior managers.

This division allows you to combine stability and clarity with flexibility and relevance for different audiences.

A Strong EVP Has Two Layers:

• Universal EVP – applies to everyone regardless of position (e.g. “Meaningful work that we are proud of”)

• Personalized EVP – tailored to different personas (e.g. “You have stability in production, support from the team and a fair leader”)

Use the language of the target group, specific examples and credible stories. It’s not enough to just say “we have a great team” – show it in real-life situations, employee testimonials, or photos from the work environment.

It’s also important that the way you communicate your EVP aligns with your brand identity – tone, visual style, and values. This is the only way to create a credible and consistent employer brand image.

Quick Guide: How to Create an Employee Value Proposition Step by Step

The EVP should be created in close cooperation with employees – it is their experiences, values and expectations that form the solid foundation of the promise. At the same time, it is important to take into account the outside perspective: the needs of candidates and the competitive offer on the job market.

The goal is to find the intersection between the authentic perspective from inside the company and the expectations from outside. While the employer brand identity (EBI) usually comes mainly from inside the company, the EVP must be able to attract even those who are just starting a contact with the company.

Summary: EVP as a Building Block of Employer Branding

Without a clear, credible and shared EVP, an employer brand cannot function in the long term.

EVP is not just an “HR thing” – it is a strategic foundation that connects people, leadership and culture.

However, to be maximally effective, EVP must be closely linked to the Employer Brand Identity. That is, to how the company appears externally and internally – visually, verbally and in terms of values.

A strong EVP will help you attract the right people and retain the best ones.