How to Improve Employee Advocacy
Any business leader worth their salt knows all too well the importance of marketing via word of mouth. Word of mouth is a crucial tool in any small to medium business’s arsenal. Besides simply adding revenue and increasing your base of clientele, word of mouth improves your brand recognition and builds your reputation.
Your customers become your brand advocates, essentially.
So, when it comes to building your workforce, the same goes. Word of mouth – or employee advocacy, as we in the staffing agency world refer to it – is an incredible tool for attracting the staff you need to your growing roster.
What is employee advocacy?
Employee advocacy is effectively the sum total of what your staff say about you to those outside of your organization. It’s what happens every time they tell someone, “I absolutely love my job,” or, “My company’s really great,” or eve, “My boss is awesome.” It’s every comment made about what it’s like to work for you – your business, your leadership team, and the culture you’re promoting.
What does a strong employee advocacy scheme do for you?
If we begin by saying…
- It can increase the number of employee referrals you gain,
- Decrease your time-to-hire,
- And ultimately help you recruit better talent faster,
…It’s merely the tip of the ice berg in terms of insight into what having your valued employees saying great things about your company can do. The benefits of building a host of internal advocates (AKA, quite simply, people who love working for you) may just solve some longstanding hiring issues, not to mention doing your company’s brand some good in the process. You’ll become known for the positive company culture you’re building, and fundamentally:
People will want to work here.
How to improve employee advocacy
There are a few quicker ways to make an immediate impact on employee advocacy, and some more slow burning. Have a read of our top tips for improving employee advocacy for your organization.
Get sharing on social media
Encourage your team to share snaps or videos while at work – safely and appropriately, of course – whether it’s a quick snap of a team lunch outing or a quick video of what’s happening in the office today. Build a social media presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, even Instagram, and have those who feel comfortable doing so getting involved and sharing.
It’s a really candid way of showing what it’s like to work for you, and from the very people who do just that. Keep it professional, but don’t be afraid to give the talent pool something to get excited about on a personal level, too.
Promote a transparent culture, where everyone has a voice
Employee advocacy means that your people are promoting your organization. They can only do so in a positive light if they feel that their opinion is one which is valued and heard in the workplace.
Transparency is key to a progressive company culture and a strong sense of employee advocacy as a result. Encourage open communication. Celebrate idea sharing. And listen to what your people have to say, whether it’s about the workplace itself, a way of innovating yet to be implemented, or otherwise.
Engage with a specialist agency who can advocate on your behalf
Think of us as an extension of your team – one who knows how to get your brand as an employer in front of the right people. When you partner with the team at Next Level Group, you’re engaging with a dedicated specialist who wants to build your next generation of employee advocates.
What do your employees say about you?
