In October 2023, ecommerce company OLX wanted to refresh its employer value proposition, but this coincided with a period when many tech companies were laying off their employees. After decoupling part of the business and reducing in size, staff were concerned about their roles and future, so needed a strong, clear vision and to know they were still valued by the business. Rather than hiding away, OLX pivoted and reworked its EVP, seizing the opportunity to reposition itself and the possibilities open to its people.

With Tonic, the company undertook interviews with leaders to understand the direction of the business and took these learnings to employees through focus groups, where over 70% of participants approved the narrative. Employees praised the company for addressing the changes head on and said they felt listened to. From the research, they developed three pillars of people, customers and planet, and an EVP statement of ‘Every day, we connect millions of people’. An internal launch included a film, posters and social media assets, and these were supported by external communications including a hero film and six ‘pillar’ films featuring OLX leaders.

The new brand has received positive feedback internally and externally. The proportion of new hires interacting with OLX’s LinkedIn page has risen substantially, and 60% of engagement factors scored 60% or above. There has been a 10% increase in users clicking ‘apply’ on the careers site. The company’s engagement survey shows a 15% uplift in leadership communication, and 82% would recommend OLX as a great place to work.