Employee advocacy is effective for spreading a company’s message and values. Marketers have many ways to share their company’s values, and traditional methods remain effective. While digital innovations have certainly expanded marketing to untold heights, there’s always a certain charm and reliability with face-to-face communication.
H.R. plays a significant role in ensuring employee advocates share the company’s values and goals with consumers. Any employee can become an advocate, but not every employee should be expected to carry the company’s name full-time. After all, employees still have their roles. Even so, for the times when an employee has to represent the company, it is HR’s responsibility to get them ready for an audience.
Why Employee Advocacy Still Works
At its core, employee advocacy works because it’s a “people-first” initiative. Nobody likes talking to machines or having advertisements invade their personal space. People crave authenticity. When employees share their experiences through social media, word of mouth, or other channels, it feels more genuine than traditional advertising.
Employee advocates have a first-hand perspective of the company’s goals, which gives them the foundation to be trustworthy ambassadors. However, not every employee has the skills of a marketing professional. H.R. can help employees become better advocates through the proper methods.
How HR Trains Employees for Advocacy
HR has many roles, but employee advocacy falls under their umbrella, at least somewhat. When done alongside a strong marketing team, employee advocates can be a double trouble for efficient workers and ambassadors. Here is how you can develop the next batch of company advocates.
Cultivate a Positive Work Environment
HR can harness the power of positivity to enact real change in company culture. When employees feel valued, respected, and supported, they are more likely to become advocates for the company. HR can achieve this by fostering an inclusive and collaborative environment where everyone’s contributions are recognized and appreciated. This foundation of positivity encourages employees to speak up about their positive experiences internally and externally.
Identify The Best Fits
Not every employee will naturally take on the role of an advocate, and that’s okay. HR can identify employees who are most likely to excel in advocacy roles by looking for those who are passionate about their work, highly engaged, and have strong communication skills. These employees are often already informal advocates, and with some guidance, they can become powerful voices for the company.
Provide Proper Guidelines
Once you identify potential advocates, equip them with the right tools and knowledge. HR should provide clear guidelines on how to represent the company effectively. Employees must understand the company’s values, messaging, and goals. By providing this information, HR ensures that employees are aligned with the company’s vision and can confidently share their experiences in a way that reflects positively on the brand.
To further enhance the effectiveness of your efforts, consider drawing inspiration from successful employee advocacy campaigns. Analyze strategies that have worked for other companies and adapt them to fit your own approach.
Support with Proper Resources
HR should also provide employees with the necessary resources to succeed as advocates. Management should provide advocates access to official social media accounts, content creation resources, and networking contacts. By offering these resources, HR empowers employees to share their stories and insights in a way that resonates with their audience.
Encourage Creativity
Encouraging creativity is another important aspect of training employees for advocacy. HR should allow employees the freedom to express themselves in their own unique way, whether through social media posts, blog entries, or other forms of communication. This creativity makes their advocacy more genuine, on top of a diverse range of voices and perspectives.
Set Boundaries
While creativity is important, it’s also crucial to set clear boundaries. HR should communicate what is and isn’t appropriate when employees speak on behalf of the company. Strict boundaries prevent any potential issues that could arise from miscommunication or misunderstandings. Setting these boundaries ensures that employees know how to advocate for the company properly while respecting the employee’s voice.
Reward Advocacy Efforts
Finally, HR should recognize and reward employees who actively advocate for the company. This could be through formal recognition programs, incentives, or simply acknowledging their efforts in team meetings. Rewarding advocacy not only motivates employees to continue their efforts but also shows that the company values their contributions. When employees feel appreciated, they are more likely to continue promoting the company in a positive light.
Final Thoughts
Employee advocacy requires a guiding hand that HR can provide. Advocates often become the face of the company while working. Speaking at conventions, closing sales, or even just doing their job as they always have, these employees will help the company reach the next level in the eyes of other parties.
Yet this is only possible if HR steps up, and to do that, they need experience, knowledge, and a willingness to uplift the company. Ciel HR provides some of the best HR professionals in the industry, ready to help employees become the best company advocates they can be.
