One segment less frequently discussed is the employee audience, whose activism is quickly emerging as perhaps the most critical one. In a world where social media like Facebook and Twitter have established an increasing presence and value within business, some might conclude that employee activism there carries with it a high risk of harming an organization’s brands and reputation. That might be the case where such activism is not understood or appreciated by leadership, or where employee engagement and internal communications are not high priorities.
In an
insightful in-depth report just released, it becomes readily apparent just how
critical this audience segment is, and how businesses can best assure that the
activism of their employees reinforces their goals and the business’ purpose,
while supporting their brands and reputations.“Employees Rising: Seizing the Opportunity in Employee Activism” presents the findings of Weber Shandwick and KCR Research, which surveyed some 2,300 employees around the world at companies with more than 500 employees. While their findings may not surprise those of us in the field of employee engagement and communications, they should really open the eyes of business leaders and managers.
Employee Engagement
Let’s start from the premise that a healthy business is one that engages its employees, where internal communications is part of the fabric of the organization. Anonymous quotes throughout the report provide helpful insights into how typical employees define employee engagement.
In an earlier blog, I defined employee engagement as “the ability of an organization’s workforce to assimilate, comprehend and act on the priorities and needs of the business in a timely and effectual manner.” I think that is pertinent in this context.
Employee engagement in a healthy operation is a continuous state of affairs where information flows readily up, down and across the organization. It’s where people feel valued, regardless of their role, where their ideas, suggestions, and solutions are encouraged and welcomed.
So if your employees are truly engaged in the business, if your communications are open, honest and frequent, then employee activism outside the business is likely to break to your advantage. As the report notes, “…employees are already taking matters into their own hands and, left unattended for too long, will define their employers’ brands and reputations on their own. Social media enhances this risk, but also the opportunities.” (Emphasis mine.)
So why not leverage that?
Weber Shandwick’s 24-page report goes into great depth examining the value of employee activism, as well as its drivers, its upsides and downsides, various social media outlets, how employee activists are using them, and how to encourage appropriate employee activism.
The Value of Internal Social Media
While much of the report’s focus is on the external social media we all know and use, in its prescriptive section, the report alludes to internal social media as a means of engaging and communicating with employees.
In fact, there is more advantage to it than that. Internal social media, such as Yammer or Jive, help people better understand and appreciate what their peers are saying about the organization, its products/services, and its customers. In that sense, it becomes a valuable learning and cross-fertilization tool.
At the same time, internal social media channels can also serve as sources for people to mine for their own external commentary. Lastly, these media allow employees to get accustomed to and comfortable with writing about their employer in a social media context.
The meat of the report and its greatest value comes in its second half where it delves into the six different types of employees (“The Workforce Activism Spectrum”) in the context of their relative activism, and how these various segments of employees can be encouraged to become “social stewards” for the organization.
The paper parses the six types and their characteristic behaviors, and provides ideas and approaches for engaging them, communicating with them, and leveraging the positives while minimizing the impact of the negatives.
Certainly employees who defend their companies in personal conversations with friends and family, and who proselytize for its products and services in one-on-one circumstances carry very high credibility.
I’d venture to say, however, that credibility is not as high in the context of external social media. Left unsaid in the report is the fact that, in public social media, positive external comments about one’s employer are often taken with a grain of salt. After all, why would someone bad-mouth the company that gives him or her a paycheck?
That’s not to say it has no value, but employers who put too much weight in positive social media commentary by their people should take a broader view.
It really comes down to developing and sustaining an engaging internal environment, one where employees feel their ideas and insights are sought and welcome, one where every employee feels valued, able to contribute to the company’s long-term success.
In that context, no matter the venue, you can rest assured that your employees’ activism will support your company and its brands, while enhancing your reputation.
