Why implement employee advocacy?

The trend at the start of 2019 is employee advocacy, or employee engagement. This concept comes with several challenges in terms of communication and human resources management.

It is not always easy to understand or communicate internally the benefits of an employee engagement initiative. In this article, we outline the main advantages of such an initiative.

The impact of digital transition on professional relationships

The digitization efforts of companies have evolved significantly in recent years. Digital technology has become an essential component of their strategies. Until now, efforts have largely focused on the relationship between the company and its customers.

Today, it is indeed the relationship between the company and its employees that is also being impacted by the digital transition. Indeed, many services can be affected.

Take human resources, for example, where recruitment processes are constantly evolving alongside the emergence of new tools (LinkedIn and Glassdoor, for example). Human resources departments are facing new challenges, similar to those faced by marketers, with the aim of cultivating their employer brand image in a competitive and demanding job market: how can they become more attractive and draw in new talent? How can they attract millennials to their company?

Restoring meaning to the "WHY" generation

This requires, in particular, restoring meaning to the "WHY" generation by attributing more positive and human values to the organization. Implementing an employee engagement program can help to make progress on these aspects, thereby increasing the company's appeal and retaining its talent.

Employees play a major role in the development of a company. (A. Rouffet, webinar:Employee advocacy, the new black gold of business, 2019). Creating conditions that promote employee engagement and well-being should not be seen as an additional "effort" for the company, but rather as a natural part of continuous improvement.

Paradoxically, in a specific context such as that of digital transition, it has become necessary to adopt a more human approach to management by establishing quality relationships between the company and its employees. It has become clear that relationships are one of the drivers of a company's performance.

A win-win situation for employees and the company

Viewing employee engagement as a win-win strategy is also key to success for all stakeholders.

On the one hand, for the company, this can have a positive impact on its employer brand image, but that's not all. Generally, the challenge of communication is to implement a relational strategy that attracts, satisfies, retains, and even delights customers so that they become ambassadors and promoters. While it is understood that this approach is essential, it should not be forgotten that your first ambassadors are your employees. They can have a major influence in terms of communication.

While dissatisfied customers tend not to express their dissatisfaction (only 5% do so), dissatisfied employees are much more vocal and can cause real damage within their immediate network. Employees can be the best ambassadors, but they can also be the worst if they do not buy into the approach. Taking care of and valuing your teams helps to protect your reputation and your e-reputation.

In addition, it is important to keep in mind that what happens internally is visible externally and influences the perception your customers may have of your organization.

Integrate, involve, and engage your employees

Therefore, doing your best to integrate, involve, and engage your employees is good practice. It is important not to overlook the influence of employees, which can also help to increase visibility and reputation and boost the company's trust capital.

On the other hand, for employees, the engagement process can be seen as a factor contributing to well-being at work. An engaged employee is an informed and integrated employee, but also a key player in communication within the company. By becoming a key player, employees take on more responsibility, which makes them feel valued and fulfilled.

A happy employee is a more productive and efficient employee. They will also be more proactive and more likely to take initiative. This is the whole point of the win-win approach.

Be careful, however, not to present the initiative as an additional workload, but to view it from a more positive and supportive perspective. This initiative will prove to be a real added value, both for the company's image and for team productivity.

The benefits of employee advocacy

For human resources

• Reduction in hidden costs associated with negative behavior by dissatisfied employees
• Reducing turnover by valuing employee experience
• Enhancing your employer brand: Attracting new talent, becoming an attractive entity.
• Improved circulation of internal and external information
• Improved efficiency and performance, thanks to happier teams and more responsible employees.

For communication

• Maximize your trust capital and increase your visibility thanks to the influence of your employees.
• Development of richer and more varied communication channels thanks to the involvement of the entire team.
• Improved customer perception thanks to a supportive policy toward your employees that is reflected externally

Now you know some good arguments. To learn more about the employee ambassador approach, we invite you tofollow our news!