How to Attract Talent to Your Organization with Employee Advocacy

Today’s job market is a constant battleground between companies trying to outdo each other in the race for talent, while striving to build a strong employer brand and engage in regular communication with the market. Candidates no longer visit the “Careers” tab on employers’ websites but increasingly search the web and social media for authentic employee reviews.

When it comes to opinions about a workplace, who’s the most trustworthy? The people who work there. There’s no better way to harness this potential than to invite employees to join an ambassador program.

🟡What is contained in the following article?

• What Employee Advocacy Is and How It Can Help You Manage Talent Within Your Organization
• Reaching Candidates Through Brand Ambassadors – Leveraging Talent Within Your Organization
• Three Key Points to Remember About Employee Advocacy
• How an Employee Advocacy Program Works
• Employer Branding as a Competitive Advantage
• How to Build a Strong Employer Brand: EB as Part of Your Organizational Culture
• Key Benefits of Investing in Employer Branding
• Summary

When people ask us at Sharebee why employee advocacy matters, we always say: “There’s no more authentic brand than one that speaks through its people.”

Employee Advocacy is a strategy that focuses on authentic communication of brands with their surroundings: customers, potential employees, and partners. It involves empowering employees to act as brand ambassadors. They become influencers in the positive sense of the word – they are the trusted voices who understand the company’s values, know its products, and stay up to date on industry trends.

The difference is that the message comes from real employees, not from the marketing or communications department. That’s what builds trust and credibility.

An ambassador program can bring your company’s information directly to potential candidates. Employees’ networks often include people with similar skills and professional experience – former classmates, colleagues, and industry connections. Targeted ads are no match for the personal networks that ambassadors have built over the years. But connections alone aren’t enough – you need to reach them with published content.

Here, too, employees have an advantage. According to LinkedIn, content published via personal profiles generates up to 8 times more reach and engagement than company pages.

It’s a win-win: ambassadors build their personal brand while showcasing the projects and competencies that the employer enables them to pursue.

86% of employees involved in employee advocacy programs report a positive impact on their careers.                                                                      (Hinge Research Institute)

Every person starting their journey as a brand ambassador should have a clear plan, and it should include the following three essentials:

1) Voluntary Participation

Nothing should be forced. When you start recruiting for the program, focus on the people who want to get involved – don’t pressure anyone to participate.

Choose individuals whose skills meet certain criteria, especially willingness to share knowledge and ability to do so comfortably. LinkedIn workshops are a great way to build these competencies.

2) Strategic Approach

Planning and structure are critical. Ask yourself: Why are we doing this? What organizational goals do we aim to achieve?

3) Consistency

An ambassador program is a marathon, not a sprint. Ensure that it’s managed by someone who will not get discouraged or bored after a few weeks. Results typically take 6-9 months to emerge.

Employee advocacy can take many forms depending on the organization’s culture and needs, as well as employee preferences. Regardless of your method, remember that commitment is the key. Here are some of the most common forms of activity.

One of the easiest and most popular ways to engage employees is by having them share company-related content – products, news, updates, achievements, events – on their personal profiles. This allows the company to increase its reach and attract new audiences through its employees’ networks.

As experts in their fields, employees can share valuable information that not only enhances their image as professionals but also strengthens the company’s position as an industry leader. This makes for great content that can be reused across social platforms.

Employees can represent the company at trade shows, conferences, or industry meetings. Their participation in panel discussions, presentations, or even networking sessions is          a way to promote the company as an attractive employer and a top business in its field.

Employer branding is a foundation of all talent acquisition strategies. Today’s employees want more than just compensation – they care about values, mission, and workplace culture. Companies with transparent practices in employee development, well-being, and sustainability are more likely to attract the best applicants.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that 61% of employees would consider changing jobs for a company with a stronger employer brand                                      (Gitnux, 2023).

With today’s market conditions, however, securing qualified employees is the biggest hurdle, as they tend to have high expectations and are usually committed to their current roles. Promises of future growth or leadership opportunities may not be enough.

So how do you attract exceptional talent? By showing real people doing meaningful work and developing their natural aptitude in your organization. It’s all about recognizing your employees’ potential and addressing their individual needs so they feel inspired to participate in the recruitment process by posting job opportunities and sharing their perspectives.

We have selected three pillars of successful employer branding:

Consistent Communication:

All messages – whether from marketing, internal comms, or HR – should align with your company’s core values. Authenticity attracts talent that shares your vision. Know what matters to your employees and address it.

Online Visibility:

Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X are excellent for showcasing your company’s culture and achievements. Make your content stand out by being inventive, creative, and most importantly, genuine.

Key roles in the program should be assigned to team members from specific departments. Invite talented employees who enjoy sharing knowledge. Make sure the program leaders are visible, as they represent the entire organization. They need a strong personal brand, or boss branding, in addition to leadership skills.

Employer Value Proposition (EVP):

Your EVP is what you offer employees in return for their engagement. It should include not only salary but also professional development, organizational culture, work-life balance, and benefits. Survey employee satisfaction regularly to keep your EVP aligned with expectations.

Employer branding activities take time, consistency, and coherence, but the results are well worth the effort.

• • You will build an appealing employer image on the labor market and thus attract new employees who are aware of their skills and want to participate in building effective teams that work for the company’s success.
  • You will increase employee engagement – when the team members identify with a common set of values and goals, loyalty and productivity grow and turnover drops.
  • You will improve your company’s image, which will help you attract business partners, investors, and new customers. Employees’ communication of strengths translates into business results and brand credibility.
  • You will reduce recruitment costs thanks to inbound applications and organic branding.

At a time when recruiting the best candidates is more challenging than ever and the call for talent management is high, organizations need new strategies to stand out in the market.

Employee advocacy is one of the most effective ways to do that, as it’s rooted in authenticity, trust, and direct employee involvement.

Fostering a culture where employees become ambassadors doesn’t just bring in more applicants – it strengthens internal engagement and loyalty. If you’re interested in starting an ambassador program but don’t know where to begin, reach out to the experts at Sharebee. We’ll be happy to help!