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By now, we’ve all heard the term online influencer or social media influencer. It’s defined as “a person who is able to generate interest in something” by posting about it online. The reason I want to talk about influencers today is because LinkedIn recently published an article titled “25 Big Ideas that will change our world in 2025”. It’s an interesting read worth checking out.
Number three on this list is “corporate employees will emerge as the next wave of influencers”. Honestly, I must admit that this one might be a bit off the mark. Employees are not going to emerge as the next wave of influencers. Why? Because they already are organizational influencers. And the problem isn’t with employees. It’s with organizations that don’t realize their employees have that power and aren’t taking steps to cultivate it.
A great example is employee referrals. Yes, an employee referral bonus is nice. But no one is going to refer their friend, colleague, or family member to work with them for a terrible employer. Can you imagine referring someone only to have them come to you and say something like, “I can’t believe you told me to apply here. This place is a mess. And you made money from the referral.”? If organizations aren’t seeing referrals, they might want to find out why. The answer could be that their “employee influencers” aren’t willing to promote the company.
In all fairness, maybe organizations have always understood the value of employees promoting the organization but never thought of it in terms of being an influencer. Now that the term is out there, organizations should take some time to think about how they can help employees be better influencers for the company.
Build a culture component into onboarding. Organizations often tell employees about the company history during orientation but what about culture? This could be a great time to let employees know what the company’s culture is all about. And connect it to the company’s products and services. I’m still amazed at the number of organizations that do not offer an educational session to employees on what the company does – they just hope employees learn it on the job.
Teach employees how to use social media safely. Technology is very much a part of our personal and professional lives. We want our employees / influencers to embrace technology and use it safely. Offering training sessions on how to use technology responsibly helps the employee and the company. Employees can use their knowledge to share information about the company’s brand, products, and job opportunities. Oh, and when employees do this, other employees can share it to their networks.
Measure results. Recognize and reward behavior. Organizations that welcome employees using their influence should be able to see results. It could be more traffic to the company website. Or customers saying that they heard about a new product or service from an employee. Or employee referrals increasing. Then the organization needs to thank the employee influencers. This wasn’t a part of their job description. It’s not a mandate. They did it because they trust the company and like working there.
Don’t get me wrong. Encouraging employees to be organizational influencers doesn’t entirely replace the company’s marketing efforts. Or recruiting efforts. But it can have a positive impact. If the organization truly recognizes the value.
Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Washington, DC
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