Staff wellbeing and engagement have never been more important for businesses as workforces across the globe strive to battle on throughout an unforgiving climate.
Motivation and productivity go hand-in-hand with an employee’s performance and if they feel undervalued and unappreciated by their organisation, that could soon cause a downward spiral towards an extremely poor company culture – which is often incredibly difficult to repair.
With workplace unity very much on an HR manager’s agenda – alongside tackling time-pressures, budget restrictions and everything in between – how can they prioritise reinvigorating teams, fostering a positive internal environment, boosting the business bottom line, and inspiring colleagues to do more because they love their jobs?
A great starting point is by encouraging colleagues to become employee advocates.
Having a group of brand champions – who live and breathe the enterprise – might be considered the holy grail for many companies. That’s because it paves the way for a strong team culture that remains happy, productive and motivated. For some firms, this might be a simple transition, for others it could be more difficult.
That’s why a modern-day HR leader’s role is vital now more than ever before. They’re typically the glue that keeps organisations together – and it’s pivotal they communicate effectively with all teams so they can identify exactly how an Employee Advocacy Programme would work for their business.
Why HR should consider employee advocacy
In its simplest form, this scheme taps into the power of an enterprise’s people. Those on the company frontline are often the ones that are perfectly placed to develop deeper relationships with customers.
Empowering these colleagues – so that they generate meaningful content about the brand – can not only transform a firm’s online presence and ROI, but create a happier, more motivated working environment overall.
If an HR manager was to introduce an Employee Advocacy Programme into their organisation, it’s important that they set the tone from the off. This shouldn’t be designed to give people extra jobs to do, if anything it has to amplify the work they’re already doing.
A savvy leader will typically understand that it’s not a case of simply putting a framework in place and leaving it for staff to delve into every now and again. It must play a major role in the overall people strategy that makes the company tick – and help to give it the best chance of a long-term future.
Therefore, communication is key when underlining to colleagues how important it is to have a voice in their organisation’s direction – and how they’re a vital link in the chain reaction of positive workplace culture and engaging digital comms.
If an HR leader can get employee advocacy right, company-wide benefits could prove to be exponential. It could not only enhance a brand’s online presence, but transform the inhouse sales and marketing functions because they’re deepening those all-important customer relationships.
Prioritising staff morale is critical in today’s climate and by empowering teams to feel valued and encouraged to share content via their social networks, that should go a long way towards a positive, loyal and productive workforce.
For HR leaders keen to explore an Employee Advocacy Programme, download our free guide.
To continue the conversation about how your colleagues can generating leads via social media and create a thriving workplace culture, email: info@soampli.com or call 0845 2725990. Make sure you also connect with us via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
