How to make your employees your biggest brand ambassadors

When your current and past employees speak highly of your brand, it not only helps in attracting new talent but also makes your brand stronger and more effective.

Our recent study into what makes people feel good at work showed that sadly, not many brands are doing this well. Our Feel Good Index 2023 report showed:

• Only 1 in 4 workers across the industries we specialise in (Construction, Education, Health, Retail, and Hospitality) would promote their current organisation.
• 39% of workers would not work with their current company again.
• 39% of workers don’t see themselves working in the same company in 2 years’ time.
• Highly engaged workers are 20x more likely to actively promote their organisation than disengaged workers. But only 26% of the workers surveyed reported being highly engaged.

This means there’s a huge opportunity for employers to dig deeper into their employee advocacy strategies and ensure they are creating a positive experience for all employees, past, future and present.

What is employee advocacy?

Employee advocacy refers to everything employees do and say that represents their experience working for a company. This can be at a barbeque with friends and family on the weekend or in more professional settings. By sharing their personal experience, employees have the power to shape the reputation of your brand. A positive work culture and environment encourages employees to speak favourably about the company, while negative experiences can lead to damaging word-of-mouth.

The power of positive employee advocacy:

• Brand awareness: Word-of-mouth recommendations from employees enhance brand visibility and reputation.
• Positive association: People ultimately like to buy from companies that “do good”. If you treat people well and they share how their company cares for them, it gives a positive perception of the brand to potential customers.
• Education: Employees sharing their experiences help prospective candidates understand what it’s like to work at the company.
• Social proof: This will help attract more talented individuals to join the organisation.
• Employee engagement and retention: Engaged employees are more likely to promote their organization and contribute to its success.
• Better business results: A positive work culture and employee advocacy contribute to improved productivity and business outcomes.

What you can do to improve employee advocacy:

The Frontline Recruitment Group welcome pack

1. Conduct user surveys to ask for feedback: Use surveys such as engagement surveys. You can run your own internally or participate in global benchmarking surveys such as Great Place To Work. Remember to thank employees for their feedback, and act on suggestions, demonstrating a commitment to addressing concerns and fostering a positive work environment.
2. Recognise and reward your teams: This will help employees feel seen and valued. You can create an incentive program, but even the smallest gestures like saying ‘thank you’ more often can have a massive effect on morale and advocacy.
3. Send branded welcome packages to new employees: Not only is this a great way to welcome and recognise a new employee, but it also helps facilitates a sense of belonging and creates a positive first impression of the company. This gesture encourages new hires to speak positively about the company and proudly use the branded items outside of work. Here’s an example of ours:
4. Encourage employees to post on social media: Create branded content for them to share, encourage them to share their recent wins, share stories about their experience working at your company e.g. team outings, the culture etc, or you can even encourage them to share their hobbies and passions outside of work. This authentic content helps generate positive buzz and attracts potential candidates.
5. Cater to individual employee needs: Recognise that different generations and individuals have varying priorities. Take a personalised approach by understanding the unique needs and priorities of your employees. Here’s a few insights:

• How to hang on to your wisdom workers (older generations)
• The secrets to retaining your Gen X and Gen Y employees.

In conclusion, your employees have the ability to shape the reputation of your brand. By investing in their satisfaction and well-being, they can become your most passionate brand ambassadors. Seize this incredible opportunity to foster a positive work culture and reap the rewards.

To gain further insights into cultivating a positive team environment and understanding the current landscape across workplaces in Australia and New Zealand, don’t miss out on downloading our free 2023 Feel Good Index. Trust us, it’s a valuable resource you won’t want to overlook.