A Nimble EVP

FYI: This is for all you EB enthusiasts. It’s a longer post than usual, and super tactical.

If you lead Employer Branding at a high-growth startup that’s going through a reinvention or identity crisis and need a more strategic process for discovering your new brand identity, consider a Nimble EVP approach.

It’s likely that a robust EVP process will demand too many resources (time + money) and be a blocker to you accomplishing what you need to.

This nimble approach is ~40% strategy, ~60% execution––designed to get you the data you need, with a relatively low lift, to then move quickly into content implementation.

Here’s a high level of the process:

Step 1: Conduct a 3-hour workshop for discovery with:

• Key company leaders
• Priority hiring managers
• D&I/ERG leaders
• Marketing
• Branding / Creative
• Talent Acquisition

Use these questions as prompts:

• Why [company]?
• Tell us about a moment that is so [company].
• What to pay attention to/potential challenges as [company] grows?
• Can you name our current company values? List them out.
• What is a value that helps drive your decisions?
• How/where do you see values lived out in the office?
• How do you describe [company] to outside candidates?
• Candidate perceptions (and misconceptions)?
• What stories aren’t being told?
• What have you learned at [company]?

From here, surface themes, stories, and note characters to profile in content.

Step 2: Turn findings into a Candidate Messaging Playbook consisting of:

• Employer Brand 1-liner
• “About” your company (for updating across your careers page, JDs, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, etc.)
• Employer Brand Pillars
• Communication dos and don’ts
• Employer brand best practices

*This is your internal comms tool for recruiting!

I’m happy to share a doc w/ a detailed framework of the process for DIY purposes.

Just send me a quick reply if you’re interested :)