Why it’s time to rethink your Employee Value Proposition

Too often, EVP sits in a slide deck.Written once. Never revisited. Filed under “careers page” and forgotten.

But the data tells us something else entirely. EVP isn't just about talent attraction. It’s a measurable lever for performance, loyalty and culture. And right now, many businesses are neglecting it. In a market where skills are scarce, expectations are rising and trust is harder to earn, EVP should be treated as core business strategy, not a branding bolt-on.

What an EVP is (and what it isn’t)

At its simplest, an Employee Value Proposition defines what an employee gets in return for what they give. It’s the full experience of working for you, not just pay and benefits, but career development, flexibility, purpose, recognition, wellbeing and growth.

It’s not a tagline. It’s not a ping-pong table. And it’s certainly not a list of perks and benefits.

Done well, an EVP helps your employees understand what you stand for, what they can expect from you, and how their work contributes to something bigger.

Done poorly, or left undefined, it’s a breeding ground for unmet expectations, misalignment and silent attrition.

The cost of getting it wrong

Gartner research figures show that a clearly defined EVP can reduce annual turnover by nearly 70%. Not only that, organisations with a strong EVP see better advocacy, higher engagement and improved performance across the board.

Yet despite this, we see many businesses still fail to treat it as a strategic priority. According to 2025 trend reports, only around a third of firms are properly resourcing their employer brand and EVP efforts.

Too often, when reviewing EVP’s we see:

• Generic (think: “great culture”, “competitive pay”)
• Untethered from employee reality
• Never refreshed, rarely communicated

In short, static, shallow and siloed.

The signs of a healthy EVP

What sets the high performers apart? The data points to a few consistent signals:

• Clarity around career growth and development
  Mercer research shows these are the strongest drivers of motivation and intention to stay.
• A focus on flexibility and wellbeing
  In a constrained pay environment, with average salary increases sitting around 3%, organisations are leaning on non-pay levers such as remote work options, mental health support and inclusive benefits design to remain competitive.
• Regular refresh cycles
  Leading companies treat their EV’s as a dynamic system. They monitor trends, gather feedback, segment responses by tenure, location and role, and adapt accordingly.

Which sectors are getting it right?

Some industries are ahead of the curve.

• Professional services are moving beyond prestige to focus on wellbeing, inclusion and flexible career paths.
• Retail and hospitality brands like IKEA are building loyalty through strong culture stories and clear progression routes, even in low-pay environments.
• Tech firms are moving from perks to purpose, rebalancing their messaging around skills, stability and impact.

In contrast, sectors like infrastructure, construction and parts of the public sector still have work to do. Their EVP messages remain focused on stability and legacy benefits, when what’s needed now is a narrative around growth, innovation and modern ways of working.

So who should own the EVP?

That’s part of the problem. In many businesses, an EVP is no one’s job, or everyone’s.

For an EVP to work, it needs clear ownership. The most effective teams we’ve worked with treat it as a shared responsibility between leadership, people, brand and internal communications. Leadership sets the direction.People teams bring the insight.Comms brings it to life, internally and externally.

Where to start

If your EVP hasn’t changed in the last two years, there’s a strong chance it’s already out of date.

Start by asking:

• What are we actually promising our people?
• Can we back it up?
• Do our employees agree?
• And when was the last time we checked?

Then treat your EVP as an always-on system, not a set-and-forget project. Listen often. Communicate clearly. Update regularly.

Because EVP isn’t a message for the market. It’s a mirror of the culture you create.

Want to explore what a stronger EVP could look like for your business?
We help ambitious organisations build, refresh and activate their employee value propositions, anchored in strategy, fuelled by culture insights and employee listening, and ready to scale. We can talk you through the EVP challenges we have helped our clients address and help guide you in how to uncover and express an EVP that will match the expectations of your employees. Not just a promise on a careers page, a genuine reflection of the employee experience and culture you can genuinely deliver.  

Let’s talk.

Sources

1.   Mercer Global EVP Normative Database – Summary of research from over 5 million employees in 172 countries, analysing seven EVP elements against motivation, satisfaction and intent to stay.

2.   Gartner-referenced data in 2025 trend reporting – Organisations with a clearly defined EVP can reduce annual turnover by nearly 70%.

3.   Deloitte and Mercer EVP trend analysis (2023–2025) – Emphasis on EVP as a dynamic system that must evolve with employee expectations, particularly around AI, wellbeing and skills development.

4.   CIPD Good Work Index 2025 – UK benchmark study based on 5,000 employees, tracking EVP-aligned factors like flexibility, pay fairness, job design, wellbeing and career development.

5.   Sector-specific commentary and EVP maturity analysis – Drawn from UK employer brand trends across public, professional services, infrastructure, tech, and retail sectors.

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