Boosting Employee or Franchise Engagement Will Boost Brand Success

Employee engagement is not just a buzzword. It’s very much on the minds of top business leaders today. In fact, according to research by The Harvard Business Review, almost three-quarters of all CEOs surveyed know it’s critical to a company’s success, resulting in lower absenteeism, reduced safety incidents, fewer quality defects and more. Yet, only 24 percent of those same CEOs feel that their employees are highly engaged.

Remember the old sales adage about how an unhappy customer is likely to tell at least 10 friends about an unsatisfactory experience? If only that was the case today! Social media now amplifies each and every unfortunate interaction to thousands within minutes, potentially torching a brand’s reputation with a flurry of clicks. Yep- a culture that creates or ignores disengaged employees is a culture playing with fire.

One could say the same about franchised businesses. Team-building can’t stop once the ink dries on the sales agreement. Franchise Owners are buying into a brand identity when they purchase their business, and it’s up to the franchisor to reinforce its values through consistent interactions with the franchise system. Each interaction is like a deposit into a bank of goodwill. The more deposits you make as an employer, the more likely you will have a workforce that appreciates and protects the investment.

Companies must be intentional about building a culture of employee engagement, and these four tips are a great start:

Promote self-discovery. If your company hasn’t worked on a common vision, mission and values, it’s time to gather your leaders and invest time in this self-reflection. Today’s employees and customers increasingly want to be aligned with brands that share their values. And, this exercise will give you a litmus test for hiring and many other important business decisions. But don’t stop there. Harness the power of your workforce by getting to know the individual personalities, strengths and blind-spots of your staff. Knowing your employees on a deeper level will not only benefit your company, but will also help them begin to identify their passions, which can take your team to a higher level.

Establish open lines of communication. The Harris Poll recently found that when employees and leaders have open communication, employees are more likely to see a brighter future for the company. Workers who are confident about their employer are much more likely to inspire deep trust with customers and create authentic connections that can translate into brand loyalty. Your front-line employees are the ones who can make or break customer interactions, so be sure to listen to their ideas, provide them with tools to solve problems and help them understand how valuable they are to the company’s success.

Encourage community service.  A mindset of generosity inspires confidence. When employees and customers see a company giving back to society they are proud to be associated with that brand. In fact, 54 percent of employees who work for philanthropic companies are more likely to be engaged as brand ambassadors for their employers. These employees tend to be more loyal because they equate corporate giving to corporate integrity. If a company follows through on its promise to do good works, it is likely to follow through on employee promises, too.

Build a legacy through mentorship. Companies with established mentor programs invest in professional development that helps each employee establish a career path in the organization. They provide their workers with tools that help them unlock their inherent strengths and show them how to use these strengths to advance the organization. The companies on the “Best Places to Work” list also provide role models who serve as leadership guides and culture ambassadors who perpetuate the brand’s mission, vision and values from one generation to the next.

If people are a company’s great asset, doesn’t it make sense to invest in them?