Employee Value Proposition (EVP) Strategy Template

Turn your employer brand vision into a practical Employee Value Proposition

If you’ve ever tried to define what makes your business a great place to work, you’ll know it’s easier said than done. Employer branding might give you a broad direction: your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is where things get concrete.

An EVP is the glue between what your company offers and what your people actually experience. It’s a practical, strategic tool that helps you communicate what sets your business apart to the people you want to attract, engage and retain.

Defining your EVP is smart, whether you’re scaling fast, facing retention challenges or want to strengthen your reputation. That’s why we’ve created this free template to help you build yours from the ground up.

What is an EVP?

An EVP is the full package of benefits, values and experiences that someone receives when they work at your company. It includes tangible elements, like pay, benefits and flexibility, as well as intangible ones, like purpose, development and company culture.

It’s what people really want to know when they ask, “What’s it like to work there?”

A good EVP is honest, specific and relevant. It reflects who you are today while also supporting where you want to go. It should guide everything from your job ads to onboarding, performance conversations and employer branding campaigns.

In short, it’s your pitch to employees: not just why they should join, but why they should stay.

Employee value proposition examples

To get a sense of what a strong EVP sounds like, here are a few examples across different industries:

• Airbnb: At Airbnb, we care. We’re allies, advocates, teachers, students, guests and hosts from all walks of life. Through creativity and innovation, we make simple, useful products that bring us closer together. They split their EVP into sections reflecting inclusivity, flexibility, belonging and purpose.
• Google: Google’s EVP revolves around innovation. It encourages employees to “do cool things that matter” and work on groundbreaking projects that impact the world.
• LinkedIn: LinkedIn’s EVP centers around a culture of professional growth and personal fulfillment. It offers access to LinkedIn Learning, mentorship programs and clear career progression, with the hashtag #LinkedInLife encouraging employees to share their experiences.
• Unilever: Unilever is the place where you can bring your purpose to life through the work that you do, creating a better business and a better world. They emphasize building leaders, stating, “We develop leaders for Unilever, and Unilever leaders go on to be leaders elsewhere in the world.”.

Each of these speaks directly to the company’s values and offers a glimpse into the lived experience of working there.

Why you need a defined EVP

Defining your EVP isn’t just about standing out in job ads. It’s about clarifying what your company offers, aligning it with employee expectations and building a consistent experience for everyone.

Attract top talent

Candidates want more than buzzwords. They want clarity. A clear EVP helps them understand whether your company aligns with what they’re looking for–from work-life balance to learning opportunities and culture fit.

This means you’ll attract candidates who are not only qualified but genuinely motivated to join your team.

Build a strong reputation

Your EVP shapes how people talk about your company, both inside and outside of it. When it’s consistent and authentic, you build a reputation as an employer of choice. That positive perception ripples through job boards, social media, Glassdoor reviews and professional networks.

Reduce employee turnover

When expectations are set clearly from the start and those expectations are met, employees feel more satisfied and committed. A strong EVP can reduce the risk of quick exits, mismatched hires and disengagement over time.

The strategic value of EVP in talent retention

Retention isn’t just about offering more money. Today’s employees are looking for meaningful work, supportive environments and a sense of progress.

A well-developed EVP aligns what the business needs with what employees value. It acts as a foundation for decisions around culture, policies, benefits and people management.

When leaders use the EVP as a reference point, they can make decisions that consistently reinforce a positive employee experience. Over time, this drives stronger engagement, higher productivity and lower churn.

What’s inside the EVP strategy template

This isn’t a generic worksheet. It’s a hands-on planning tool designed to take you from idea to action. Whether you’re building your EVP from the ground up or refining what you already have, the template helps you uncover what your people value and turn that insight into a practical, aligned offering.

Step-by-step guidance

The template starts with a structured employee survey, covering key EVP areas like mission, values, recognition, benefits and development. These questions help you uncover what your team really thinks, not just what leadership assumes.

Once the responses are in, you’ll move to a guided leadership workshop. You’ll find discussion prompts to help you align cross-functional stakeholders and prioritize meaningful changes based on employee feedback.

Customisable planning sections

The final section gives you space to map your EVP initiatives and bring them to life. There’s room to list key actions, assign owners and estimate costs, so you can move from intention to implementation with clarity.

It’s fully editable, so you can adapt the planning tool to your company size, team structure or available resources.

EVP readiness checklist

Throughout the template, you’ll find built-in tips and guiding questions that help you evaluate how ready your business is to deliver on its EVP. It also links to additional tools, like Employment Hero’s Reward and Recognition Guide, so you can go deeper into areas that matter most to your team.

How to use the template effectively

This template is more than a form-filling exercise. It’s a conversation starter, a planning tool and a foundation for meaningful change. Here’s how to get the most value from it:

1. Start with honest feedback

Send the included survey to your team before doing anything else. Make it anonymous to encourage honest responses and be prepared to hear what’s working and what’s not. This will give you a clear, data-backed picture of how your current EVP is landing.

2. Use the workshop prompts with leadership

Once you’ve gathered survey results, bring your leadership team together. Use the workshop questions in the template to guide your conversation and focus on what’s realistic. Try to include voices from across HR, marketing, operations and finance, so you’re balancing ambition with delivery.

3. Turn ideas into action

Use the planning section to build out your EVP initiatives. Assign owners, add timeframes and set realistic budgets. This will help you avoid ideas getting lost in follow-up emails or strategy documents. Keep your plan visible and revisit it regularly to stay accountable.

Start your EVP journey today with Employment Hero

A strong EVP is more than a message. It’s a promise. It sets the tone for how you attract, engage and retain your people. But defining your EVP is only the first step. Bringing it to life every day is where the real impact happens.

That’s where Employment Hero can help. Our all-in-one HR platform gives you the tools to embed your EVP into every stage of the employee experience. From custom onboarding and recognition tools to performance management, employee feedback and engagement features, our software supports your EVP at every touchpoint.

Download the free EVP Strategy Template to start building a value proposition that reflects who you are and where you’re going. Then, let Employment Hero empower you to deliver on that promise, transforming your employee experience and cultivating a thriving workplace every single day.

If you’re ready to stand out as an employer of choice, this is the best place to begin. Try out Employment Hero today.