Building the Employee Value Proposition for the most historic Greek brewery, Athenian Brewery.

Written by: @Zacharoula Liarou

Every company has its own unique and inspiring story. An Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is a way to share that story with current and potential employees and explain why prospective and current employees should choose and stay with the company. It basically answers two questions that every employee and candidate ask themselves: 

• What do I get from this organisation in exchange for my time, loyalty and ongoing engagement?

• How is the offering of this company distinct from the rest of the companies that have to offer me?

An impactful EVP goes beyond just some words on paper — it's about centring employees and candidates, listening to them, and shaping a value proposition that reflects their experiences and promises a brighter, more fulfilling employee future.

This is exactly what we did with Athenian Brewery. We helped them explore what their employees love about working there and what potential new hires are looking for. This journey helped Athenian Brewery create an EVP that reflects what they stand for as an employer and enhances the company’s efforts to attract and retain the right talent.

Athenian Brewery has been “Brewing a Better Future” for almost 60 years, founded in 1963 by a group of five Greek entrepreneurs. Being a member of the HEINEKEN Group, Athenian Brewery is the largest beer production and distribution company in Greece. The company directly associates its business activity with the concept of responsibility and contribution to the national economy, society and the environment.

CONTEXT SETTING

Developing the Employee Value Proposition (EVP) for Athenian Brewery brought interesting challenges because of the company’s unique characteristics. Being part of the big HEINEKEN Network and owning some of the most historic beer brands in Greece, meant the EVP had to mix Athenian Brewery’s worldwide presence with its local connection. At the same time the brewery’s rich heritage, paired with its forward-thinking approach and adoption of best practices, required the EVP to both honor tradition and embrace innovation, encapsulating the company’s dynamic identity.

Adding to the challenge, Athenian Brewery has locations in Athens, Patras, and Thessaloniki, making it important to give all employees, no matter where they are, the same great experience. This goal became even more critical because of the wide range of jobs at the company, from Machine Operators and Engineers to people working in Marketing, Finance, HR, and Sales. Our goal from this process was to connect these different places and job roles, helping everyone feel they’re part of one big team and sharing in the success of Athenian Brewery.

🎯 OUR APPROACH

To make sure the EVP we create really reflects what the organisation is about and meets the needs of everyone who works there or might work in the future, we used a clear, structured and data driven process that includes the following four steps:

HUMAN DEAL FRAMEWORK

💡 People seek purpose in their work as much as they do in their personal lives.

Acknowledging this fundamental need, our approach was inspired by the “Human Deal” Framework. This human-centred methodology is designed to guide companies in cultivating environments where employees feel valued, understood, and empowered. Below is the Human Deal Wheel, showcasing the framework's five key pillars.

🔍 DISCOVER

In this phase, we undertook a comprehensive approach to align Athenian Brewery's EVP with the true essence of its workforce and strategic vision, while also understanding its position in the broader talent market.

• Internal Research: We initiated our journey from within, conducting in-depth interviews with the leadership team to capture the aspirational and future-focused elements of the company’s EVP. To deepen our understanding and ensure a wide range of perspectives, we organised focus groups involving employees from the Athens, Patras, and Thessaloniki offices and plants. These sessions were instrumental in uncovering the themes of the Employee Value Proposition (EVP), identifying the strengths and opportunities of the employer brand, and gathering rich qualitative insights that bridge employee perceptions with the company’s business strategy.

• External Research: Next, we looked outward to understand how potential job seekers see Athenian Brewery as an employer. Targeting specific talent segments crucial to Athenian Brewery—both professionals and students—we conducted external research to analyse the company’s employer brand reputation. This included understanding how Athenian Brewery is perceived as an employer, identifying the top employers per talent segment for benchmarking purposes, and delving into the job-seeking behaviours of these segments.

⚙️ CREATE

After diving deep into research and gathering insights, we embarked on the creative journey to craft the organisation’s unique EVP.

We began by translating the essence of the company culture and employee experiences into cohesive themes. Through group discussions and brainstorming sessions, we identified 3 key themes that reflect the team’s mentality and aspirations, along with the most important aspects to be highlighted in the Elevator Pitch.

With our themes as a foundation, we then explored catchy and memorable tagline variations while also defining an authentic, approachable, and inspiring tone of voice. This tone would be our guide to ensure consistency across all communications.

Understanding that the workforce is diverse, we composed tailored key messages for different talent segments. This way we ensured that Athenian Brewery’s EVP spoke directly to the hearts and minds of each target group.

In addition, we organised a validation workshop to test drive the newly crafted EVP. During this, key stakeholders from across the company came together to share their feedback and offer a fresh perspective, also ensuring the value proposition remains significant to employees.

Following this, adjustments were made, and we brought everything to life through an eye-pleasing visual identity. Copies and visuals were created (such as banners, social media posts, offer letter covers) not just to inform, but to inspire and connect with current and prospect employees.

🖊️ IMPLEMENT

Athenian Brewery's EVP was transformed from concepts and drafts into a living, breathing embodiment of who they are as an organisation. Now, it was time to ensure that this didn't just exist in theory but became a lived experience.

Tips & Guidelines:

Step 1: Develop a comprehensive internal and external communication plan. Internally, this helps every team member, from leadership to new hires, understand the EVP enough to articulate it. Externally, the EVP is used to shape how the organisation is presented through social media, press releases, career events etc.

Step 2: Integrate the EVP into the recruitment process. Specifically, every step of the candidate journey needs to be mapped out, aligning every touchpoint with the EVP (from initial contact to onboarding). In addition, the Elevator Pitch and Key Messages need to be woven into job descriptions to address the various audiences. Also, offer letters need to be personalised with the EVP tagline and messages. At the same time, recruiters and hiring managers must convey the value proposition during the interview process to demonstrate the organisation’s commitment to it.

Step 3: Find platforms to showcase the EVP (physical and digital). At Career Events, booths and company swag can masterfully embody the EVP themes, making a tremendous difference in how an organisation presents itself to the public. The Career Page is also a great place to share the new EVP-aligned messages, employee testimonials, and visuals that capture the vibe of daily work-life. Videos can provide an engaging glimpse into the culture and environment, effectively spreading the value proposition to a wider audience.

Step 5: Embed the EVP into every aspect of the Employee Experience. For instance, branding materials need to be refreshed (this includes presentations & HR communications on social media). Plus, when introducing new benefits or initiatives it’s best to explicitly connect them to the EVP. For example, if promoting a culture of feedback, the discussion can be tied back to the EVP and insights from internal research.

Above all, the key to successfully activating an EVP is consistency and integration across all platforms and interactions. When the EVP is reflected in every aspect of the employee journey, top talent is attracted and retained.

📊 MEASURE

In our initial meeting with the Athenian Brewery team, we outlined what achieving success would look like and established specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track progress both before and one year after the People Value Proposition (PVP) launch:

• Employer Brand Experience: measure the change in the employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) from its current state to one year after the EVP launch to assess improvements in employee perception and experience.

• Employer Brand Loyalty: compare current engagement scores and turnover rates with the figures one year from now.

• Employer Brand Preference: compare recruitment metrics (application numbers, source and funnel effectiveness) before and after the EVP launch. Social media data and recruitment marketing return on investment (ROI) also provide indicators of the brand's appeal to prospective candidates.

WHAT SET THIS PROJECT APART

• Crafting a Universal EVP with Targeted Messages for Diverse Talent Segments

We developed a core EVP for the entire company and then fine-tuned it for different roles and talent segments. This ensured that our EVP spoke directly to everyone, from engineers to marketers, making it truly inclusive. 

• Putting People First

We embraced design thinking methodologies to delve into the motivations behind why employees choose to join, stay, and grow within the company. This approach ensured our solutions were deeply rooted in the actual needs and desires of our target audience.

• Backing our Solutions with Data

The thorough research phase, incorporating interviews, focus groups, and external surveys, grounded our EVP and subsequent strategies in solid data. This approach ensured that each of our recommendations was supported by evidence and data-driven insights.

• Working in one cross-functional team

Our team's varied background, including Data Scientists, Designers, Copywriters, and Organisational Designers, enabled a multifaceted approach. This diversity of skills brought together the best of both worlds: creativity fueled by a rigorous, scientific approach.

• Offering holistic solutions

Beyond defining the EVP, we proposed strategies to enhance the entire candidate and employee experience. These recommendations aimed to make the EVP a lived reality, enriching the journey at every touchpoint.

Overall, we can share that this successful project was the result of great cross-functional collaboration, both internally and with our client, clear direction, and, of course, an agile mindset.