Graphic Media Alliance

02/11/2026

What’s Your Employee Mission (EVP)? A Printing Industry Wake-Up Call

Source: Dr. Ralph Williams, February 4, 2026

Company mission – who we serve, what products/services we provide, and the value we provide – was vital to the printing companies I led. We put our mission on posters, talked it up, and applauded mission-related accomplishments. In one company, we focused on satisfying our customers’ “intangible” needs, including on-time deliveries, prompt and clear answers to questions, listening, and personal communication. Recently, in a phone chat with a former employee from that business, she quoted our mission. One Friday afternoon, when things were quiet in the office, I walked in and saw a CSR calling customers to touch base and ask about upcoming needs. That action aligned with our mission. Company mission was important in the printing market then, and it still is today.

However, printing companies face a challenging market today that we did not encounter several years ago – the labor market, the employee market. Demographically, the supply of new employees is shrinking. And (as you all know), baby boomers are retiring from printing companies, so the demand for new printing employees is growing. Indeed, what’s missing in the photo above? People!

Therefore… An “Employee Mission” that reflects the value your company provides to employees is vital. The academic phrase for “Employee Mission” is “Employee Value Proposition” (EVP), which we will use going forward. An EVP states the value, rewards, benefits, and gains employees receive from their commitment to serve the company…both in monetary and nonmonetary ways.

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