EVP – Employee Value Proposition – the tacit understanding about how an employer treats its employees

What an employer promises its employees goes beyond the legal requirements of being paid for the work done (by the employee) and the health and safety obligations employers have.

Minchington (2005) defines an Employee Value Proposition (EVP) as a ‘set of associations and offerings provided by an organisation in return for the skills, capabilities and experiences an employee brings to the organisation.’

It’s about whether your clinic allows a blind eye to be turned when someone’s bullied … or a sexist, ageist or racist comment is made … it’s about whether you might experience an eye-roll because you’re taking your break but no one else does …

In addition, your clinic’s EVP covers the monetary and non-monetary benefits it provides to its employees.

EVPs are 100% one sided

An EVP is 100% one-sided.   It’s totally all about what the employer offers – and even promises – to its employees.

Vet clinics that have strong EVPs will be able to recruit and retain high performers more easily than those clinics that have a non-existent EVP or a weak one.

EVPs answer two questions

“why should I work at this vet clinic…?” for those vets and nurses who’re considering their next professional vet job move, as well as

“why do I work at this clinic?” for those veterinary professionals who’re already employed by a vet clinic (there).

Recruitment Edge

Taken further, it enables highly engaged professionals a powerful reason for choosing your vet clinic over the clinic down the road.

Powerful EVPs give vet clinic employers the recruitment edge.

With long hours, high stress through staff shortages and remuneration packages still needing to be upped, finding vets and nurses is becoming tougher for clinics.

However, when your clinic can clearly define what your EVP is, you can show your existing vets and nurses as well as future ones, the many benefits working at your clinic brings.

For example – you want to make sure that working at your clinic is attractive to high performers.

Competitive Recruitment Edge

What’s going to make high performing vets and nurses choose a job at your clinic over the clinic down the road?

Although there’s lots of talk about the need to increases pay rates for vets and nurses, it’s not always about the money (although it certainly helps).  It’s about other qualities like work life balance, development in the clinic, taking ownership of tasks etc.

So, for example, those clinics that share after hours with other clinics and thus spread the load are going to be far more attractive to work at than those that force all the after hours onto their staff.

Similarly, clinics that close at 5pm with may be one or two late nights/week, will be more attractive to those that stay open every night until 6 or 7.

Having a strong and powerful EVP enables prospective employees to determine whether your clinic is right for them.

EVP part of vet clinic vision and mission

• What does your vet clinic stand for?
• What does your clinic believe in?
• How does having high performing vets and nurses make this happen?   What team examples do you have that embody these ideas, philosophies, ethos, objectives?

5 components of EVP – Employee Value Proposition

1. Remuneration (or compensation) package
2. Benefits
3. Career Development
4. Clinic Environment
5. Clinic Culture

6 steps to EVP development and implementation at your vet clinic

1. Identify what your clinic currently offers
2. Get feedback from employees (past and present)
3. Identify and define the key points to include in the EVP
4. Draft your EVP –  Check it out with your team (rinse and repeat if necessary)
5. Start using it
6. Test, measure and re-evaluate your EVP

Need help?

If you need help, have questions or would like input, please sing out – we’d love to help!

Email:  julie@vetstaff.co.nz

Helpful Links

Last week’s episode on Vet Clinic Values