What does it really take to convince a generation that questions everything to stay, grow, and believe? In this conversation, Sonali De Sarker makes it clear that while the language of EVP may be new, the human fundamentals are not: respect, growth, belonging, and being treated as a whole person. From employees who return despite a 40% pay difference to a CEO who declares his calendar open to all, her stories reveal how culture moves from slogan to lived reality. At Epsilon, AI-powered learning, internal mobility, and deeply human policies sit side by side, shaping an experience where careers are not managed, but owned. The result is not just engagement, but emotional equity, the kind that keeps people for decades, not just job cycles.
Employer branding today is being shaped by a generation that questions hierarchy, tenure, and even traditional career paths. From your vantage point, what fundamentally changed in how organisations need to think about EVP when Gen Z entered the workforce?
This question keeps evolving. Today, we call them Gen Z; earlier, it was millennials. But if we go back to the fundamentals, it is really about having an organisation built on strong management principles.
If I reflect on why people choose to join an organisation, it has not fundamentally changed in the last 20 or 30 years. People want to be in a workplace where they are valued and respected as individuals. That goes deeper into human emotion and the basic need to belong. People also want to continuously learn, develop, grow, and have opportunities to progress. Those expectations have remained constant.
What has changed is that companies have started talking about these aspects more openly. Earlier, not every organisation consciously focused on them or articulated them. But if I look at Epsilon, these elements have always been part of who we are. Epsilon was founded in 1969, and even today, we have employees who have been with the organisation for 25, 30, or even 40 years. People do not stay that long unless they truly feel a sense of belonging, have a voice, can make an impact, and experience flexibility as the world evolves. We are also very open to enabling people to move across roles, even if they are not a perfect 100 per cent match, because growth and exposure matter.
The workplace has shifted, especially after COVID, and we now operate in a hybrid environment. Epsilon has adapted well to this change.
I would say our culture and EVP have not fundamentally changed. What has changed is the need to verbalise it more clearly. As other organisations began formalising their EVPs, we too articulated who we are and what we stand for, so that people outside could understand. Otherwise, how would they know?
Once that shift became clear, how did Epsilon translate its EVP from an aspirational promise into something employees could actually experience in their day-to-day work?
If I look at Epsilon’s EVP, we speak about being more than just a team — being a force for innovation. We talk about flexibility, enabling creativity and collaboration, driving success, and overcoming every challenge to create growth opportunities. But an EVP only matters if an employee can actually feel it in their everyday work.
One of the biggest shifts has been recognising that people want to bring their whole selves to work. Earlier, work and life were compartmentalised. Today, the lines are blended, and organisations must respond to that reality.
That is where hyper-personalisation comes in. Different things matter to different people, and we try to reflect that in practical ways. For instance, when it comes to wellbeing, someone may want to use the gym at the office, while another may prefer a fitness membership closer to home, or even something like Zumba. We support multiple options because no single format suits everyone.
The same applies to learning. Through platforms like Marcel, employees can choose what they want to learn based on their role, their interests, or purely personal curiosity, even something unrelated to work, like learning a new language. Learning is not narrowly controlled; the idea is to enable growth in ways that feel meaningful to the individual.
Mentorship is another example. Employees can seek mentors across the broader Publicis ecosystem of over 1,00,000 employees globally, choose who they want to learn from, and explore development areas they may not even want to discuss directly with their manager. That degree of choice makes development feel safe and self-driven.
We also focus on inclusion and allyship, ensuring people feel seen and supported for who they are. These are not just policy statements; they are lived through communities, programmes, and everyday practices.
The translation of EVP happens in these daily touchpoints: flexibility in how people work, choice in how they grow, support for wellbeing, access to mentorship, and an inclusive environment. That is how an aspirational promise becomes something employees can actually experience.
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Gen Z employees tend to ask, ‘What am I becoming here?’ far earlier than previous generations. How does Epsilon respond to this mindset in the first 18–24 months, when engagement and attrition risks are both at their peak?
If I look at this from a Gen Z lens, the first 18–24 months are really about transition, confidence, and identity. A new graduate entering the workplace is not just learning a role; they are learning how to be a professional. So the journey starts with helping them shift from campus to corporate, understanding expectations, accountability, ways of working, and what professional ownership looks like. That foundation matters.
Alongside that, we ensure they are trained for the actual work they will do. Early competence builds early confidence. When someone feels, “I can deliver, I add value,” that directly answers their question of what am I becoming here? They start to see themselves as contributors, not just learners.
Growth conversations are also handled differently. We do not anchor development around traditional performance ratings. Instead, the focus is on continuous development and feedback. Employees have the ownership to seek feedback directly from anyone they have worked with, and that input comes to them transparently, not filtered through layers. This helps them understand their strengths and areas of growth in real time.
Then comes mobility and exploration. After 12 months in a role, employees can apply for internal moves. So, in the second year itself, they can pivot, explore a different function, or work on something that excites them more. For Gen Z, learning variety is crucial, and we actively enable that.
We also create opportunities beyond formal roles. Hackathons, for instance, allow people to work on problems outside their domain. For example, in one of our global hackathon, an HR-led team with largely non-technical members chose to solve a sales business challenge and reached the final stage. Nobody told them to stay in their lane. That freedom to experiment signals trust and possibility.
Programmes like DevelopU further open up focused learning windows where employees can choose what they want to build skills in. It reinforces that growth is not linear or prescribed, rather exploratory.
At the same time, belonging is equally important. Engagement platforms in sports, music, dance, and creative pursuits allow people to connect beyond work. There are teams, competitions, and even initiatives like creating an Epsilon anthem. These experiences help employees feel seen as individuals, not just job titles.
Finally, care policies send a very strong cultural signal. For example, if an employee is undergoing cancer treatment, their job is protected for a year, with pay and benefits, and the focus is on recovery. If someone is a primary caregiver, work schedules are adjusted. Support systems like concierge services and broader wellbeing provisions recognise that employees have lives beyond work.
In those early, high-risk months, we are not only asking what role someone is playing, but we are also helping them see who they are becoming: a skilled professional, an explorer of opportunities, and an individual who is supported as a whole person. That combination is what sustains engagement.
For Gen Z, growth is often the strongest currency. With AI-powered, hyper-personalised learning through platforms like Marcel, how do you ensure learning remains meaningful rather than overwhelming or transactional?
That is a great question. Today, AI tools available through Marcel allow employees to explore learning in ways that are highly personal and intuitive. We also provide every employee with access to advanced AI tools, including premium licences, which is a significant investment. These tools help individuals understand their own work patterns and learning needs more clearly.
For example, I can use AI to analyse the kind of work I do, the emails I handle, and the projects I am involved in, and then receive recommendations on relevant learning programmes within Marcel based on both my professional needs and personal interests. That makes learning feel tailored rather than generic.
What makes this meaningful is that the platform goes beyond formal training. Someone interested in something completely outside their role, for instance, cooking or global cuisines, can discover communities and courses aligned to that interest. Learning, therefore, becomes part of a broader experience that includes curiosity, connection, and personal enrichment.
Marcel also supports well-being. There are tools such as short Thrive videos that help employees pause and reset, even if only for 30 seconds. Whether it is nature visuals, calming patterns, or simple mindfulness aids, the platform recognises that productivity and mental well-being are closely linked.
Another important dimension is community. Marcel connects people across geographies based on shared interests. I have even received prompts introducing me to colleagues globally with similar interests, encouraging connections beyond formal work structures. That sense of belonging and shared learning prevents the experience from feeling isolating or transactional.
At the same time, AI reduces digital overload. Instead of manually scanning messages or information across platforms, employees can use AI to summarise, prioritise, and focus. This frees up cognitive space for actual learning and creativity rather than administrative effort.
Importantly, learning is also linked to mobility and opportunity. As Epsilon employees, we can see roles across the broader Publicis ecosystem globally, and initiatives like Work Your World allow employees to work from different locations for short periods, where feasible. The world feels more open, and learning connects directly to new experiences.
Hence, learning does not become overwhelming because it is not pushed in a one-size-fits-all way. AI helps filter, personalise, and connect, making growth feel relevant, human, and integrated into everyday work and life.
When culture becomes more co-created, leadership itself has to evolve. How has working with Gen Z influenced your own approach to trust, autonomy, and performance management?
One of my biggest learnings from working closely with Gen Z is that learning alone is not enough; unlearning is equally critical. We often become conditioned to believe that certain approaches will always work because they have in the past. But the world is shifting constantly, and what becomes difficult is letting go of what once felt certain. That mindset shift has been deeply personal for me.
The second realisation is around identity at work. People no longer come in as just professionals, an HR leader, an engineer, or a marketer. They come as whole individuals with multiple dimensions. If the organisation creates spaces and programmes that connect with those different facets, people choose to stay, and even return. We have seen this through several “boomerang” employees who left and later came back, sometimes bringing others with them. That reinforced for me how powerfully culture influences belonging.
There was one experience that truly crystallised this. A candidate chose us over another organisation because of the culture, then declined when they received an offer that paid 40 per cent more. We respected the decision. But within a week of joining the other firm, the person called back asking to return, fully aware that the compensation would not change. That was an eye-opener. We often repeat that culture eats strategy for breakfast, but this was culture outweighing a significant pay differential. That moment made the impact of culture very real for me.
This also changed how I think about trust and autonomy. When people bring their whole selves to work, performance management cannot be purely transactional. It has to acknowledge motivation, purpose, and emotional connection. Culture cannot live in policy documents; it must be experienced daily.
We see this even in how we approach community engagement. Some employees connect through animal welfare, others through education and mentoring. We try to create multiple avenues so individuals can give back in ways that feel personally meaningful. That flexibility signals trust; we recognise that purpose looks different for different people.
Leadership behaviour also matters enormously. Our CEO, in his very first town hall, said, “My calendar is open.” Anyone could book time with him. That simple act embodies what an open-door culture truly means. It is not symbolic — it is lived.
For me, working with Gen Z has reinforced that culture is not a static construct. Certain values remain constant, but how we express them must evolve. Trust, autonomy, and performance today are rooted in human connection, not hierarchy. When people see, feel, and experience that consistently, that is when culture becomes a genuine differentiator.
How do you measure the success of employer branding and EVP when Gen Z expectations are evolving faster than traditional metrics can track?
I do not believe expectations can outpace metrics if organisations are willing to let their metrics evolve. Measurement cannot be static when the workforce is not. The key is to continuously go back and understand what truly matters to employees, and that applies across generations, not just Gen Z. We operate in a multi-generational workplace, and any meaningful EVP must work for all.
When I think about measuring employer branding success, I look first at behavioural signals rather than only traditional engagement scores. Are people coming back? Boomerang hires are a strong indicator of lived culture. How easy is it for us to hire? How long do people stay? How much internal mobility do we see? Nearly one-fifth of our roles are filled internally, which tells us people see pathways for growth within the organisation.
We also rely on structured listening. We run a global Moments That Matter survey twice a year to understand what is moving and what is not. In addition, we gather feedback at multiple lifecycle points, shortly after joining, six months in, and then annually on every work anniversary. We ask employees directly whether expectations are being met and how their experience is evolving. That longitudinal view is important.
Learning is another lens. When new programmes or trainings are rolled out, we track participation, not just mandated usage, but voluntary uptake. If people are not engaging, that is a signal. Even more importantly, we look at whether the learning is being applied. No value in learning remains theoretical. Behavioural shifts and on-the-job application are what matter.
Recognition also plays a role. We have ‘Spotlight Points,’ which allow managers to reward and recognise contributions in real time, alongside peer appreciation. When people feel seen and valued in tangible ways, it reinforces whether the EVP is being experienced, not just communicated.
I believe the real answer is this: metrics must morph. The fundamentals of what people want, including fairness, respect, growth, and recognition, remain consistent. What changes is how we track whether we are delivering on those promises. Organisations that continuously evolve their listening mechanisms and behavioural indicators will never be outpaced by expectations.
On a personal note, how has working closely with Gen Z reshaped your own philosophy?
First, it has reinforced the idea that people do not come to work as just professionals; they come as whole individuals. A person may be a young parent, a caregiver to ageing parents, someone managing personal challenges, or someone pursuing passions outside work. I have become far more conscious of the role organisations play in enabling people to manage these different facets of life. When employees feel supported beyond just their job role, they can focus, contribute, and grow with far greater commitment.
Second, it has deepened my belief in the importance of unlearning. We often say change is constant, but the harder reality is letting go of methods that have worked well in the past. What delivered success earlier may not be relevant in a different environment. Leadership today requires the humility to question one’s own assumptions and adapt, even when past approaches have proven effective. That shift in mindset has been one of my biggest personal learnings.
At the same time, Gen Z has also reaffirmed something important: strong fundamentals never go out of fashion. Principles such as fairness, respect, empathy, and treating people as individuals rather than by hierarchy levels still define good leadership. When leadership is values-driven and genuinely people-centric, it resonates across generations.
The evolution has been about balancing both: being flexible enough to change what no longer serves the context, while holding firmly to the timeless principles of good management.
Sonali is an HR leader with over 30 years of experience driving organisational transformation across India, APAC, the Middle East, and Africa. She brings deep expertise in talent strategy, leadership development, and critical talent programmes across global markets. At Epsilon, she leads people strategy with a strong focus on collaboration, empowerment, and culture-building. Her career spans organisations such as Automation Anywhere, NetApp, AMD, and TATA Elxsi. A gold medallist from Madras University, she is widely recognised for her impact on leadership and people practices.
