In a Competitive Labour Market, Why Would Someone Choose to Work for You?

Imagine asking your employees a simple question:

“Why did you choose us and why have you stayed?”

I recently had the opportunity to do exactly this with one organization.

We brought employees together in focus groups to explore what attracted them to the company in the first place, what had kept them there, and most importantly what made the organization different from other employers.

What happened was enlightening and engaging.

But it also reminded me of something that organizations sometimes overlook when they're struggling to recruit:

Your employees already know your Employee Value Proposition. You just have to ask them.

“Why Would Someone Choose Us?”

In today's competitive labour market, salary is only part of the story.

Candidates want fair and competitive compensation, but many are also asking:

• What is it really like to work here?

• Will I have opportunities to grow?

• Will my manager support me?

• Will my work be meaningful?

• Will I be part of a team where I feel valued?

• Does this organization's culture align with what matters to me?

• What makes this employer different from the other organizations hiring for similar roles?

And here's the challenge:

If you can't clearly answer those questions, neither can your recruiters, hiring managers or employees.

Many organizations respond to recruitment challenges by increasing advertising, posting on more job boards, offering signing bonuses or trying to compete by paying more.

Sometimes those things are necessary. But what if the problem isn't simply that candidates don't know about your jobs?

What if they don't know why they should want your jobs?

That's where your Employee Value Proposition comes in.

I've worked with organizations that weren't always the highest-paying employers in their markets. So rather than focusing on what they couldn't offer, we focused on discovering what they could offer and, more importantly, what their employees genuinely valued.

My recent work with one organization brought this approach to life. We conducted employee focus groups specifically to understand:

·      Why did you choose this company?

·      Why have you stayed?

·      What makes this organization unique?

·      What do you get here that you might not get somewhere else?

The conversations were incredibly valuable.

Employees weren't simply giving us information we could use in a recruitment campaign.

They were telling us (and reminding themselves!) why they had chosen the organization in the first place.

That distinction matters.

Because sometimes, in the day-to-day pressures of work, employees can lose sight of their own why.

The focus groups gave them an opportunity to step back and reflect on what initially attracted them, what they valued about the organization and what continued to make it a place they wanted to work.

In other words, we weren't just uncovering an EVP. We were reinforcing it from the inside.

Stop Guessing. Start Listening.

The approach was relatively simple.

Rather than sitting in a boardroom and trying to decide what we thought made the organization a great place to work, we went directly to the people who could tell us.

We listened and looked for common themes. We explored the moments and experiences that employees valued. And we identified the things that genuinely differentiated the organization from other employers.

From there, those insights could become the foundation for a much more authentic recruitment and retention story.

Not: "We're a great place to work."

But: "Here's why our employees say we're a great place to work."

That's a much more powerful message.

When employees recognize themselves in the story, something else happens.

They become part of the recruitment strategy.

Your people become your ambassadors.

Your candidates hear authentic stories instead of generic employer-branding language.

And your organization begins competing on more than compensation.

The Risk of Not Knowing Your EVP?

What would have happened if we hadn't taken the time to have these conversations?

The organization would still have had good people and meaningful work.

It would still have had a story to tell but the story may have remained largely untold.

And the recruitment challenges would have continued.

The organization would still have been competing for candidates without clearly articulating why someone should choose them over another employer.

They would have continued trying to solve a messaging and differentiation problem with traditional recruitment tactics.

And they would have missed an opportunity to reconnect their own employees with the reasons they chose to be there.

The Impact of A Clearly Defined EVP?

The impact went beyond recruitment.

Recruitment improved (the organization was paying less than competitors!).

The organization was better able to articulate why candidates should consider working there and differentiate itself in a competitive labour market.

But something else happened, too.

Employee engagement improved.

Why?

Because we didn't simply ask employees to help us create a recruitment message. We asked them to reflect on their own experience.

We reminded them of their why.

Those conversations created a sense of involvement and connection.

Employees weren't just being told what made the organization special. They were helping define it.

And that's a very different experience.

Your Employees Can Tell You Why People Should Work for You

If you're struggling to recruit, the answer may not be another job advertisement. It may not be another recruitment platform.

And it may not always be another dollar added to the salary.

It may start with a conversation: Ask your employees why they chose you.

Then ask why they've stayed.

Listen carefully. Look for the common themes.

Identify what genuinely differentiates your organization.

And then use those insights to build an Employee Value Proposition that is authentic, compelling and, most importantly, true.

It's the lived experience of working for your organization.

And when you can clearly articulate that experience, you give candidates something more powerful than a job description.

You give them a reason to choose you.

Ready to Find Your “Why”?

If your organization is struggling to attract or retain the people you need, I'd love to help you explore what's behind the challenge.

I can help you engage your employees, uncover what truly makes your organization unique, and turn those insights into an authentic Employee Value Proposition that supports both recruitment and engagement.

Sometimes the best answer to “Why would someone want to work for us?” is already sitting inside your organization.

You just need to ask.

If you'd like to uncover your organization's employee story, contact me. Let's start the conversation.