itting in the board room, I’ve heard discussions focused on customer service, brand management and growing sales. Much less frequently have I heard discussions about associate relations surveys or concern for employees’ view of the company. Too often, such conversations only surfaced when there was an impending lay off or a plan to seek an “employer of the year” award.
Yet when you recognize that employees are brand ambassadors, you quickly realize that time dedicated to reviewing the organization’s reputation with this audience and investing in ensuring a positive image is produced is definitely time well spent:
Taking time to listen: Many businesses use tools such as employee engagement surveys and anonymous opinion polls. This research can help identify critical issues, such as productivity and retention. These tools even can help identify barriers to innovation, spot at-risk populations or uncover potential workplace violence issues.
It’s equally as important to train supervisors to listen to their teams to learn about issues of concern, the level of satisfaction and the degree of trust in leadership.
But to effectively use this methodology, you also must be prepared to listen.
Keep in mind that monitoring the Internet produces a picture of employee satisfaction. You can discern if there is a small percentage of unhappy employees or if the list of discontented associates is overwhelming. After all, people feel much safer sharing their views on the Web, so carefully listening to this chatter can provide excellent insight as to how much education needs to be done on a particular topic or which subjects are running rampant through the grapevine.
Now that you have the data: You may like what you’ve heard and are satisfied with your reputation as an employer. You may discover you have excellent communication and — even if your employees don’t always agree with you — they understand the corporate mission and strategy. They trust you are headed in the correct direction.
But you may have some revelations in regards to how you are viewed by those who represent you every day. And if those attitudes are not positive, the interaction your employees have with your customers, vendors, the community or government representatives could undermine the image these other groups have of your company. If this is the case, it’s time to develop plans to address the negativity.
Whether employees don’t think you care about their welfare, a single supervisor is creating problems within a department or individuals feel there is no future advancement opportunities, this knowledge is invaluable in helping you frame future communication, position modifications to policies, or introduce new ideas and methodologies.
In addition, by knowing the level of discontent and how your company’s reputation is being tarnished, you have a chance to correct misconceptions by providing additional information and perspective.
The key is, if you don’t like what your employees are saying about you, then you must take steps to address this.
Don’t forget the on boarding process: Because there are more applicants than jobs, it is easy to forget the necessity of making a positive impression on potential and new employees. This group is forming an opinion about the company based on the interaction that occurs during the hiring and early stages of employment.
Depending upon these feelings, your new team members will determine if your organization will be “a long-term commitment” or somewhere they can “get a paycheck as an interim gig.” Knowing how much it costs to search, hire and train an employee, you want to make a positive impression and know this “candidate turned employee” is ready to represent you positively and dedicated to the organization’s agenda.
Remember: You company is only as good as the employees. To ensure you are getting the highest quality of work, long-term commitment and excellent brand ambassadorship, you need to invest in your reputation as an employer.
Ruth Ellen Kinzey, The Kinzey Company is a corporate reputation strategist, consultant, and professional speaker. Want to hear more about a specific topic? She can be reached at (704) 763-0754 or http://www.kinzeycompany.com.
