Building a successful, profitable company in today’s economy means tackling a multi-variable equation - you cannot rely on a simple, cause-and-effect sequence of events to produce the results you are looking for. Everyone in your organization needs to work collaboratively toward a clearly articulated vision.
So, how do you communicate that vision? How do you build trust and enthusiasm with your target audience? How do you create an emotional connection to your brand, your products, and your services?
Why not let model employees and loyal customers do it for you?
Employee Stories: A little recognition can go a long way.
Research in the UK has shown that dairy cows with names (Buttercup, Betsy, Daisy, etc.) produce more milk for their owners than their anonymous counterparts. Interestingly, the same holds true for employees whose contributions are recognized by their supervisors and peers.
Recognition is one of the key ingredients of employee engagement. It should come as no surprise that employee engagement is a critical to your bottom line. But how would a two-minute Facebook video about an enthusiastic new advisor from Winnipeg make you more profitable?
By profiling model employees, you are not just recognizing and rewarding great behaviour; you are making a powerful statement about your corporate values and principles, your definition of leadership, your best practices, and most importantly, your brand. The practice sparks a chain reaction, or ripple effect, that aligns and connects people across your organization to common themes.
Employee stories bring life to your brand
So, what makes a model employee? The answer to that will be different for every organization. One thing is certain; model employees are not hard to spot. Just about every working group or department can identify at least one model employee.
Formally recognizing these brand ambassadors, exploring their work ethic, and sharing their perspectives across the company will resonate positively and loudly with your stakeholder groups – from employees to senior management, from new recruits to customers. Your audience will connect to these employees (and ultimately to your brand) in a relevant, emotional way.
Employee stories are highly effective communication tools that can be featured on your corporate intranet, your careers website, or used in your executive town hall meetings, sales conferences, and road shows. When employee stories weave in concepts like teamwork, workforce diversity, corporate responsibility, and regional focus, their power multiplies exponentially.
Look for my next article on customer stories, coming soon.
