By Muneet Chohan, Director, Talent Acquisition, Robert HalfThe digital era has changed how we connect, share perspectives and give different platforms for individuals to share their views. And today’s employees are not just workforce members; they are also brand ambassadors whose voices carry weight and authenticity.When employees share positive experiences and insider views on social media and other public-facing platforms, it can enhance a company’s image as an employer of choice. Ideally, your employees and former employees should be your most enthusiastic brand ambassadors, actively sharing their positive workplace experiences with their professional networks.This is the essence of employee advocacy. It’s about using the genuine voices of your workforce to boost your employer brand and attract the candidates you need most.
Employee advocacy can take many forms on social media, from content sharing and hashtag campaigns, to sharing job openings and providing behind-the-scenes glimpses of the company’s culture. The concept draws parallels with the Net Promoter Score, or NPS. This metric is used in marketing to assess the likelihood of customers recommending a product or service. But in the case of employer branding, it’s your employees who can help elevate your brand, not your customers.
Some of the ways that employee advocacy can help you as a manager are obvious. For example, positive word-of-mouth from current and former employees can significantly influence a candidate’s decision to apply for a position or accept a job offer. But let’s look more closely at some of the other key benefits of employee advocacy.Reaching far and wideTo use a bit of social networking jargon, your employees and alumni are potential influencers. When they share content about your company, it extends the reach of your messaging far beyond what traditional recruitment advertising can achieve. This expanded visibility can attract a more diverse pool of candidates, some of whom might not have heard of you through conventional channels.Keeping it realIn an era where both consumers and job seekers crave authenticity, personal endorsements from employees carry weight. Job seekers are likely to see a recommendation from a real person, especially someone within their network, as more genuine and trustworthy than corporate messaging. More bang for your buckEmployee advocacy uses existing resources — your employees — to spread the word about your organization. While implementing and managing an advocacy program isn’t cost-free, the return on investment (ROI) in terms of attracting and retaining skilled talent can be significant. Hires better tailored to your needsWhen your employees advocate for your company, they’re likely to refer individuals who would thrive in your company’s culture. This can lead to hires who are more engaged, productive and likely to stay with your organization for the long term.Faster hiringWhen employees share job openings through their networks, that information can reach potential candidates more quickly, speeding up the hiring process. This speed can give you a competitive edge, particularly for roles where talent is scarce.
Of course, you’re not going to get very far with this approach if many of your employees are dissatisfied in their jobs. Creating a successful employee advocacy program requires more than just encouraging your team to share job postings on their LinkedIn profiles. It demands clear guidelines and an understanding of what might motivate employees to participate.Here’s how to make employee advocacy a powerful tool in your hiring arsenal.Build a corporate culture employees are proud ofA positive work environment that inspires advocacy is one where employees feel respected, appreciated, engaged and proud to be part of the organization.Publicly and privately praise employees’ achievements when they succeed on projects. And since team members are more likely to advocate for a business that aligns with their personal values and ethics, tailor company support for nonprofit causes. Also, make sure training and development programs don’t just meet the company’s needs but also are designed with employees’ passions and abilities in mind.Make the advocacy program as simple as possibleProvide your employees with the tools and resources to share their stories and experiences. This could range from offering a library of shareable content to conducting workshops on creating engaging narratives about their roles and the work environment. The objective is to lower any barriers to participation.Acknowledge and incentivizeRecognizing employees for their advocacy efforts can significantly boost participation rates. This doesn’t always need to be monetary; often, acknowledgement during all-hands meetings or video calls can be just as impactful.Don’t forget about alumniEx-team members can be fervent brand champions, spreading the word about their good times with you, and helping you draw in new talent. Keep in touch with former employees by setting up an alumni group, sharing special news with them and inviting them to talk about their achievements after moving on.
Despite all the upsides, employee advocacy is not without its challenges. One of the biggest hurdles is ensuring the program remains authentic.When advocacy feels forced or scripted, it loses its effectiveness. One way to address this is by making sure that employees have clear, accessible channels to voice constructive criticism outside of social media.These feedback platforms, such as suggestion boxes, town hall meetings or anonymous online forums, can promote an environment of trust and openness. Whenever possible, act on these concerns and let employees at large know when a policy change or new program was the result of worker feedback.Lastly, you need to figure out if your employee advocacy program is hitting the mark. Analytics tools such as those offered by LinkedIn or other employee advocacy platforms can help. However — and this is critical — employees may consider the practice disingenuous and manipulative if they are asked to share positive feelings about the company on social media and find out their activity has been tracked without their knowledge.So, make certain that you are transparent about all aspects of your employee advocacy program and clearly communicate your intentions regarding any tracking or monitoring. This will help teams feel more comfortable participating in advocacy efforts.Metrics to consider for measuring success include:Engagement rates: Track likes, shares, comments, followers and overall engagement on content shared by employees. High engagement rates and an increase in followers suggest that content is resonating with the audience.Reach and impressions: Measure the reach (how many people see the content) and impressions (how many times the content is displayed) of posts shared by employees. This helps you gauge the extent of brand exposure through advocacy.Conversion rates: Monitor how many leads, job applications or website visits employee-shared content helps to generate. Conversion rates can help quantify the direct impact of advocacy on recruitment goals.Employee participation rates: Track how many employees actively participate in your advocacy program. A high participation rate is a positive indicator of employee engagement and program reception. Create positive workplace experiences, and then motivate your employee advocates to spread the word across their networks.Making employee advocacy work for your organization requires a blend of strategic planning, a supportive company culture, and ongoing management. But the ROI can be well worth it. By harnessing your employees’ voices, you can attract high-quality hires who genuinely align with your corporate culture — no small feat in today’s competitive job market.Want more insight into strategies that can help you retain valued employees and navigate today’s hiring market? ReadRobert Half’s Demand for Skilled Talent report.
