When considering a new role or reflecting on your current one, it’s important to evaluate how well your personal values align with your employer’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP). An EVP outlines what an organisation offers its employees in return for their skills and commitment, encompassing elements like workplace culture, professional development, and the organisation’s broader mission. Finding alignment between your values and your employer’s EVP is crucial for long-term job satisfaction and success.
Why Alignment Matters
A strong connection between your personal values and your employer’s EVP fosters a sense of purpose and belonging. When employees feel aligned with their organisation’s vision, they’re more engaged, motivated, and likely to thrive. Conversely, a disconnect can lead to dissatisfaction, disengagement, and a lack of fulfillment in your role.
How to Evaluate Alignment
Here’s a practical framework for assessing how your values compare to your employer’s EVP:
Understand Your Core Values
Start by identifying what matters most to you in your professional life. These could include:
Purpose and Impact: Do you value making a difference in your community or industry?
Growth Opportunities: Are professional development and career progression important to you?
Workplace Culture: Do you prioritise collaboration, diversity, or work-life balance?
Leadership Style: Do you prefer transparent, supportive leadership?
Analyse the Employer’s EVP
Look beyond the job description and examine how the organisation presents its EVP. What does it emphasise about its culture, mission, and values? Is it clear how employees are supported and rewarded?
Many councils have well-articulated value propositions offering benefits and rewards often not found in the private sector. Flexible working arrangements are including leave, 9-day fortnights, job-share options as well as study leave, and maternity leave provisions are often more generous.
Compare and Reflect
Ask yourself:
Does the organisation’s mission align with your personal purpose?
Are their cultural values reflected in day-to-day practices?
Does their approach to flexibility, recognition, or professional development align with what you value most?
Look for Evidence
Seek out examples of how the EVP is enacted. Speak to current or former employees, review publicly available information, and ask thoughtful questions during interviews to gauge whether the EVP is more than just words on paper. Look at how the organisation’s leaders behave in public - council meetings are often delivered online these days and offer a window into how the values are being lived through the council’s leaders.
What to Do If There’s a Misalignment
If you find your values don’t align with your current or prospective employer’s EVP, it’s important to consider how significant those differences are. Some misalignments, such as in benefits or growth opportunities, might be manageable or negotiable. Others, like a fundamental mismatch in mission or culture, may signal that the organisation isn’t the right fit for you.
Building a Strong Fit
When your values align with an organisation’s EVP, you’re more likely to feel inspired and supported in your role. As you consider career opportunities, remember that alignment is a two-way street: both you and your employer benefit when there’s mutual understanding and shared goals.
Measuring your values against an employer’s EVP is an essential step in finding a role where you can truly thrive. It’s about more than ticking boxes—it’s about building a meaningful and rewarding career.
Are you ready to explore opportunities where your values and an employer’s EVP align? Leading Roles specialises in executive recruitment for local government and can help you find the perfect fit. Contact us today to start your journey.