The Deal That Keeps People: From Pay to Purpose
Why leaders need to rethink their EVP if they want talent to stay

Leaders invest heavily in salaries, benefits, and recognition programs. Yet many employees don’t fully connect with those investments because the story behind them is unclear. When pay and rewards are just delivered without context, they can feel transactional, like a line on a payslip, not part of what makes working here meaningful.

​

That’s where the concept of Employee Value Proposition (EVP) becomes powerful. It’s simply the “give and get” of working here: what employees receive (pay, benefits, recognition, growth) in return for what the organization asks (performance, collaboration, innovation). When rewards are tied into EVP and also told well, the same investment has far greater impact.

​

Money with Context Creates Meaning

Employees notice more than the pay number. They observe how decisions are made, what values are emphasized  and whether reward changes reflect who the organization says it is.

Leader takeaway: Don’t just approve the budget. Explain how pay decisions are made (e.g. fairness criteria, performance metrics, growth potential) and link increases to company values, like growth, collaboration, or excellence.

​​

Benefits Only Work if They’re Built and Communicated Wisely

You might offer flexible working, well-being programs, or learning benefits,  but if employees don’t see why those matter, they stay underused. Designing benefits with what people value and making them part of your EVP helps close that gap.

Leader takeaway: Ensure benefits align with what employees truly care about; make them visible (talk about them often, in accessible language), and tie them back to purpose and culture so they feel intentional rather than just randomly “added extras.”​

​

Recognition Speaks Louder Than Perks

Perks might draw attention, but recognition builds commitment. When leaders notice effort, reward behavior and share stories of contribution. They reinforce what truly matters, not just what is listed in the benefits handbook.

​

Leader takeaway: Use recognition in your regular communications, such as public shout-outs, thank-you messages, noting contributions to the team. Make recognition part of the EVP lived day by day.

 

The Bottom Line

Telling the reward story isn’t optional. It’s part of leadership. When you connect financial decisions, that is pay, benefits and recognition, back to culture, purpose, and the employees’ sense of value, you turn cost centers into trust builders.

​

If you don’t tell that story, employees fill in the blanks. And their version may not match the story you want told.

 

This is the lens I bring to my work: helping organizations translate reward strategy into employee experience with clarity, trust and purpose.

​

Contact me for more information on Culture, EVP and Employee Engagement in your organization:

Corinna M. Lohse,  contact@perfectly-seasoned.online