Why Employee Advocacy is Crucial in Building an Authentic Employer Brand
Ready to turn your employees into rockstar brand ambassadors? Discover the benefits of employee advocacy and learn how to create a legacy that extends beyond your company walls. Warning: may cause increased trust, engagement, reach, and reputation – and potentially uncontrollable fits of happiness.
As the ancient Chinese proverb goes, "If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody." In the context of building an authentic employer brand, empowering employees to be brand ambassadors can bring long-lasting benefits. It can improve trust, credibility, employee engagement, reach, and reputation. So, let's dive into the advantages of employee advocacy and how to implement it in your organisation.
Trust and Credibility
In today's digitally connected world, trust and credibility are essential to a company's reputation. According to Nielsen, 92% of people trust and believe information about a company from a person they know or are familiar with, rather than from the company itself. By having employees share their experiences and insights, it creates a more authentic and trustworthy perspective of the company.
Employee Engagement
When employees feel valued and appreciated, they are more engaged in their work and are likely to stay longer with the company. Employer advocacy programmes can provide employees with the opportunity to be part of something bigger than themselves and contribute to the company's success. This, in turn, can lead to higher employee satisfaction and retention rates. In fact, one survey reported that about 86% of employees who are part of an employer advocacy program have reported that their increased social presence has had a positive effect on their professional growth (postbeyond.com).
Expanded Reach
Your employees' personal networks can expand your company's reach even further. By having them share messages about the company with their connections, it can increase your brand's exposure to new and diverse audiences. A survey reported that 79% of companies experienced enhanced online visibility after introducing an employee advocacy programme. Additionally, 65% of firms reported an increase in brand recognition as well (sociabble.com).
Brand Reputation
Employer advocacy can also help shape the perception of the brand. By having positive messages consistently shared by employees, it can improve the overall reputation of the brand online. This can lead to more interest from potential candidates and even customers.
So, how can you implement an employee advocacy programme in your organisation?
Train and prepare employees: Provide training and guidelines on how to share messages on social media and other platforms.
Recognise and reward participation: Make the programme rewarding and celebrate employees who participate in the programme.
Share engaging content: Provide employees with engaging content that they can share with their networks.
Encourage feedback and suggestions: Listen to the feedback and suggestions of employees and adjust the programme as necessary.
As you reflect on the benefits of employee advocacy, consider this: in a world where people are increasingly craving connection and authenticity, giving employees the opportunity to be advocates for your company can create a powerful ripple effect. By building a culture of trust and engagement, you can create a community of individuals who are empowered to make a difference and share the values that drive your organisation. In this way, employee advocacy has the potential to not just improve your employer brand, but to create a lasting legacy that extends far beyond the walls of your workplace. So, take the first step towards building an authentic employer brand by enabling your employees to be your greatest advocates.
Create a workplace culture that inspires and retains employees. Talk to the Adavanti team.
