Employer Value Proposition – Where the Organisational Story Becomes Personal

If storytelling helps organisations make sense of who they are and where they’re going, the Employer Value Proposition (EVP) is where that story becomes personal. It’s the point at which strategy, culture and leadership meet lived experience – and where people decide whether they belong.

 Too often, EVP is treated as a branding exercise: a list of benefits, values and promises designed to attract talent. Useful, yes – but incomplete. Because people don’t join organisations for propositions alone. They join for meaning, credibility and the sense that their working life will align with who they are and what they value.

EVP is a story people test every day

An EVP isn’t what’s written on a careers page, it’s what people experience:

• In how leaders communicate during uncertainty

• In how work is prioritised – and deprioritised

• In how decisions are explained, not just announced

• In whether values show up when they’re inconvenient

In other words, EVP is the internal story made tangible.

When the story holds, people feel:

• Clear about what’s expected of them

• Confident in leadership intent

• Able to see how their contribution matters

• Proud to explain where they work and why

 When it doesn’t, no amount of messaging can compensate.

From attraction to alignment

In a tight labour market, organisations often focus on EVP as a recruitment tool.

But the most effective EVPs aren’t designed primarily to attract. They’re designed to align. Alignment between:

• What leaders say and what they do

• What the organisation aspires to and how it currently operates

• What people are promised and what they actually experience

 When alignment is strong, attraction follows naturally. When it isn’t, retention becomes fragile, and trust erodes quietly.

 Why EVP matters more during change

 Periods of growth, restructuring, regulation or cultural shift place particular pressure on an organisation’s story.

People ask:

• Is this still the organisation I joined?

• What’s changing – and what isn’t?

• Can I see a future for myself here?

 A clear EVP doesn’t eliminate uncertainty, but it helps people navigate it. It gives context, continuity and reassurance, even when answers aren’t simple. This is where EVP moves beyond “employer branding” and becomes a leadership tool.

EVP isn’t about perfection, it’s about honesty

Strong EVPs don’t pretend work is easy or seamless. They acknowledge:

• Tensions and trade-offs

• The realities of pace, pressure or complexity

• The type of person who will thrive — and who may not

That honesty builds credibility. And credibility builds trust.

People are far more willing to commit when they feel they’re opting into something real, not idealised.

The Fernly approach to EVP

At Fernly, we don’t start EVP work with taglines or templates.

We start with questions:

• What story do people inside the organisation believe they’re part of?

• Where does leadership clarity exist, and where is it fuzzy?

• What expectations are implicit but unspoken?

• What does the organisation genuinely offer in return for commitment?

From there, we help organisations articulate an EVP that:

• Reflects reality, not aspiration alone

• Is rooted in leadership intent and behaviour

• Can be consistently lived, not just launched

• Supports attraction, retention and reputation over time

 Because EVP isn’t a campaign - it’s a relationship. And like any relationship, to be successful requires trust, clarity, and shared understanding.

 When storytelling gives people meaning, EVP gives them a place within it.