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Competing in a crowded field
Picture this: You're a job seeker with in-demand skills perusing hundreds of openings in your field. Do you decide which positions to apply for based solely on advertised rates (often not provided) or commuting distance? Or, as a candidate with options, do you want to find a company that matches your interests, cultural affinities and career aspirations?
Marketable candidates—who have the luxury of choosing from many potential employers—want to see details about the companies and jobs advertising. But generic job descriptions, or calls from recruiters without much information, make it difficult to understand why they should pursue certain positions. This is where your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) comes in. But how’s this for a shocking fact? Of the IT leaders TEKsystems polled, only 8 percent strongly agree their company has an effective Employee Value Proposition.
Being able to clearly describe the ideal employee—and why a job seeker would want to work for your team and your company—is the first step to becoming an attractive employment option.
So what does an effective Employee Value Proposition include?
How can you create an EVP that bests the labor competition?
Just knowing why your company is great won’t get you the top candidates—you have to know what the competition is offering. Your top candidates still want competitive compensation and benefits. Without an accurate gauge of what competitors offer, you’ll struggle to offer a rate that’s neither too high nor too low. You also don’t want to find out that your competition offers half-day Fridays in the summer when you’re bragging about free sodas.
Getting the most value for what you offer
So how do you find out which perks and job attributes potential employees really care about? And how do you keep tabs on the competition? Here's a start: our polling of IT professionals uncovered some of their top motivations:
This general profile might get you started but bear in mind that different roles and different markets vary widely. Do you know who’s hiring in your market? What they’re paying? Workforce trends like retiring and graduating workers or general supply and demand?
To understand your market, you can try networking with the types of IT pros you recruit via user groups or social media. Also keep tabs on your competitors’ job listings but think big: your competitors aren't just your industry peers, but anyone looking for the same roles you are.
If you work with a TEKsystems recruiter or account manager, they can keep you abreast of local market dynamics—they have the support of our robust research division, which provides extensive local market analytics, and they also talk to IT pros all day, every day.
Read how to incorporate your EVP into an effective IT job description.
Lisa Dare is a marketing writer for TEKsystems who enjoys learning about IT from some of the smartest folks in tech. She frequently blogs about IT career advice and the lighter side of technology, and on her off days loves to kayak and play with her toddler son.