Many companies talk about becoming an “employer of choice,” but very few can honestly claim it. Being an employer people want to join and fight to stay with, isn’t about ping pong tables or free snacks. It’s about building an employee experience so strong, so consistent, and so intentional that your reputation becomes a recruiting magnet.
Your employee experience is your brand. It’s what people say about you when you’re not in the room. It’s how your team feels walking into work each day. It’s the filter through which every decision, interaction, and problem is judged.
When you get it right, everything gets easier:
- Fewer performance issues
- Stronger culture alignment
- Better communication
- Reduced turnover
- Higher-quality applicants
- And a workforce that’s engaged, committed, and proud to be part of your team.
This is the Employer of CHOICE framework and it’s built on six pillars.
Why Employee Experience Matters More Than Ever
Today’s workforce has options. They’re not just comparing wages. They’re comparing experiences.
When employees don’t know where the company is going, don’t trust their leadership, don’t feel seen, don’t see a future, or don’t feel engaged, the door stays wide open for the next opportunity.
Employee experience matters because it determines:
- How long people stay
- How well they perform
- How safely they work
- How committed they are
- How they talk about your company
- How easily you can grow
And here’s the kicker: You already have an employee experience, whether you’ve intentionally built it or not. But becoming the employer of choice requires intention.
What It Really Means to Be the Employer of CHOICE
An Employer of CHOICE isn’t perfect. But it is predictable, consistent, trustworthy, and growth-oriented.
To become the employer people want to work for and fight to stay with, you have to focus on six areas:
C: Clear Vision, Values & Purpose
H: High-Trust Leadership
O: Opportunities for Growth
I: Industry-Leading Reputation & Momentum
C: Competitive Pay & Stability
E: Engaged Workforce
Together, these create an environment where top talent thrives, and culture misfits naturally filter themselves out.
Let’s break down each of the six core pillars.
C: Clear Vision, Values, & Purpose
People stay where they understand the destination and their role in getting there. Frontline workers don’t care about revenue, profit, or gross sales. They care about:
- Where are we going?
- Why does this company exist?
- How do I contribute?
- What’s in it for me?
Your vision, values, and purpose must be so deeply understood that every person on your team can explain them without thinking.
A Vision That Makes the Future Clear
Your company’s vision is incredibly important to frontline staff. If they don’t understand where your company is going, they don’t know where they’re going. So, when an opportunity arises for a couple more dollars an hour, they’re easily swayed.
They need to understand that there are opportunities for them to grow as a professional and as a person with your company. They don’t care about your revenue or profit. They need to understand what’s in it for them.
Values in Action, Not Values on Walls
Good core values are something you can see in action. You see them in your team’s behaviors.
Values shouldn’t be basic assumptions like “integrity.” They should be behavioral.
Your team should be able to say: “When we behave this way, here’s where it takes us.”
Every decision should be made in alignment with your company’s values. Your employees should demonstrate the values in their daily work.
The Power of Purpose
Purpose is the reason your company exists beyond making money. And your team needs to feel it. When employees understand the “why” behind the work, everyday tasks become meaningful, decisions become easier, and loyalty grows.
Purpose creates pride. It connects people to something bigger than their job title and helps them see the impact of their effort. When your team knows the purpose, they don’t just clock in. They show up committed.
Your Cultural GPS
In order to get your team aligned with your vision, values, and purpose, you have to understand where they’re starting from. Think of it like a GPS. If you don’t know your starting point, you can’t chart a route to your destination.
Quarterly surveys help you understand where people actually are: emotionally, mentally, and culturally.
Low participation? That’s a trust problem.
Turnover in the first 30 days? A sign that those hires never aligned with your values in the first place.
When you survey your team regularly (at least quarterly), you will start to get a clear idea of where people are at. As you put more and more focus on having a clear vision, values, and purpose, you may notice that people quit. Bad hires were inevitably made before your vision, values, and purpose were clearly rolled out.
When you get really clear on your company’s vision, values, and purpose, your team will be more engaged, more committed, and better aligned with your company goals.
H: High-Trust Leadership
Without trust, everything breaks down.
Patrick Lencioni’s model is clear: teams built on vulnerability-based trust perform better, make decisions faster, and resolve conflict more productively.
In a high-trust environment, employees can say:
- “I need help.”
- “I messed up.”
- “I have an idea.”
- “I disagree.”
…All without fear of retaliation.
Trust is the foundation of a strong workforce. Especially for frontline staff. When employees believe their leaders are competent, honest, and have their best interest in mind, engagement soars and retention falls.
When trust increases:
- Decision-making is faster.
- Conflict becomes productive.
- Leaders feel more confident.
- Teams feel safer.
- Performance rises.
And just like going to the gym, trust is built through consistent, small reps. Not one big “trust workshop.”
O: Opportunities for Growth
Employees want to see a future with a company that invests in their growth. A structured approach to training, mentorship, and career progression makes sure they stay engaged and committed.
Ask yourself today: Do you have career paths for everyone inside your company?
If your business isn’t growing, it’s dying. The same is true for people. Your entire company needs to understand what opportunities are available.
Career paths should be simple, visual, and available to everyone. Not just the top performers or favorites. If someone wants to move up, they should know exactly:
- Where they are now
- Where they can go
- What skills or behaviors they need to get there
- How you’ll support them along the way
Once you know who’s interested in growing, you can coach them. If they want to advance their career, now they know what to do to work toward their goals.
I: Industry-Leading Reputation & Momentum
If your employees don’t know:
- The company is growing,
- Your reputation is strong,
- Clients love your work,
- You’re doing meaningful projects,
…they start imagining worst-case scenarios: layoffs, decline, instability.
Show your team your company’s momentum. Show them that you’re focused on the future.
A strong reputation makes hiring easier. When a company is known for treating employees well and delivering high-quality work, people seek them out, eliminating the need for constant recruiting efforts.
Already, you’re starting to see the waterfall effect of being the employer of CHOICE. You’re doing amazing work AND you have opportunities for growth AND your employees trust their leadership AND they’re onboard with your company’s vision, values, and purpose.
C: Competitive Pay & Stability
This one is simple: Employees need to know their paycheck is secure and competitive.
Competitive pay doesn’t mean overpaying. It means paying the market rate and providing stability.
In order to be the employer of choice, you have to normalize money conversations. Encourage employees to talk to you before they chase a few extra dollars elsewhere.
It’s time to disconnect your annual reviews with raises. Pay people for the value they create, not because of the date on the calendar. Redirect the conversation to growth and career progression. When employees bring more value, you can pay them more. That shouldn’t wait for the end of the year raises.
A strong compensation strategy ensures employee loyalty and long-term retention, taking you one step closer to becoming the employer of choice.
E: Engaged Workforce
Low engagement costs U.S. companies $2.8 trillion per year. That’s 8.4% of revenue off your bottom line every year.
Let’s say your company does $50 million in revenue. If low engagement takes 8% of that, you’re bleeding $4 million a year. That’s money ripped straight from your bottom line!
If you’re not sure how engaged your employee are, it’s time for a pulse survey. This will help you understand:
- What people need
- Where the bottlenecks are
- How to improve the experience
Once you review your survey data, you might be surprised that sometimes, it’s the small things that mean the most:
- Opportunities to build friendships at work
- Verbal recognition from a supervisor
- Better communication
- Clear expectations
Engagement isn’t fluff. It’s fuel. Engaged employees:
- Stay longer
- Work harder
- Care more
- Build a stronger culture
- Save you a lot of money
It’s time to stand out, lead boldly, and be the employer of choice.
The Bottom Line: It’s Time to Become the Employer of CHOICE
When you combine all six components, you create a flywheel:
- C: We’re doing meaningful work.
- H: I trust my leadership.
- O: I see my future here.
- I: I know we’re winning.
- C: I’m paid fairly and feel secure.
- E: I’m engaged and proud to be part of this team.
This is how you reduce turnover. This is how you attract better talent. This is how you scale. This is how you become the employer of CHOICE.
If you’re serious about becoming the employer everyone wants to work for, we can help you get there. Let’s talk. Schedule a call with Core Matters to get started today.
