How Do You Measure The Success Of An Enterprise-Wide Brand Engagement Initiative?
Every time I have a new business presentation or I am presenting at an internal branding/employee engagement conference, I inevitably get asked the same question, “How do you measure the success of an enterprise-wide brand engagement initiative?” I always answer this question the same way but I decided for today to actually write them down.
There are two primary ways of measuring internal branding and employee engagement: tangible methods and intangible measurements.
Tangible methods
Tangible methods include establishing measurable metrics, accountabilities and benchmarks that are evaluated periodically. For instance, we would recommend an Employee Brand Engagement benchmark study utilizing our proprietary research tool, ChangeFX™ This study would provide both pre-and post-launch measures of success as well as useful diagnostics on constituency acceptance, believability and behavioral change.
Other tangible measures include KPI and formulaic indexes of performance, customer satisfaction, employee retention and recruitment scores, “Best Places to Work” rankings, and training attendance / completion rates. Companies should also consider standardized measures of employee engagement from syndicated suppliers as well if they do not have their own capabilities or survey tool.
As a result of these tangible measurements, clients are able to determine through annual audits and employee feedback whether brand engagement goals have been achieved.
More recently, we’ve recommended that the research/surveys not be an annual event but instead, prorated across the entire year by quarter, or even by month, to provide responsive “pulse” findings over time.
Intangible measurements
Intangible measures are also valuable indicators of success. They include happier employees, people articulating what the company stands for, and an understanding of how to improve customer service. When there is high brand engagement and employees start living the brand promise, people notice and start holding each other accountable for their words and actions. A successfully engaged workforce feels and acts differently. There is a buzz and enthusiasm in the hallways. People feel anticipatory rather than anxious and are eager to collaborate instead of working in isolation. This emotional connection to the company and to each other creates a team mentality and enhances problem solving.
Strong employee brand engagement contributes to a corporate culture that is enabling rather than inhibiting. It creates fresh ideas and innovation, replacing fear and doing things the same old way.
Some clients even count the smiles on people’s faces as they walked through the door. When there is high employee engagement and enthusiasm, you just know it.
If you would like some help on identifying the best way to measure your employee brand engagement for your culture, environment and personality give us a call.