Whether you’re a fresh new Web 2.0 corp. or a 100+ year old banking institution (stagecoaches come to mind), the policies you set for your employees will affect your corporate reputation as sure as an online scandal. For example, I worked for the home mortgage division of a nationally recognized bank. My time at said institution was a mixture of fun and torture – fun for all the interaction with my coworkers and torture for enduring the non-sensical policies of a massive, impersonal corporation.
After my tenure there (and after being turned down for a home loan by my employer), I chose to never use a single product – banking, investment, or otherwise – from this company. Not only did I go to the competition, I veered at least ten people away from that company as well. Not out of spite, mind you, but because I wanted to share my good fortune of a better deal with my friends, family, and acquaintances.
Granted, this bank has thousands of satisfied customers, whose existence I cannot deny. I don’t pretend that they’re the devil. But friends and family tend to stick together. Screw over one person, and you’ve just offended anywhere from 2-50 people. Not only will you lose their business, but you will earn yourself a reputation for being a poor employer. Employers with bad reputations tend to lose their customer base. We, the consumer, want to reward companies who treat their employees well because 1) we feel a level of kinship with employees everywhere and 2) a happy employee treats us better and makes our experience better.
Whole Foods Market is an excellent example of a company with a solid reputation for treating their employees well, and it shows on the faces of almost every employee I’ve encountered. The people that work at Whole Foods are the happiest, most helpful, and friendliest employees I’ve ever encountered. I love the experience because these people care about what I want. They’ll go so far as to offer free samples of healthy products to help you decide whether said products are worth purchasing in the future.
Cici’s Pizza is an example of a company that apparently forces its employees to act happy regardless of their circumstances. Upon entering the establishment, I am greeted with a booming shout, “Welcome to Cici’s! Thank you for coming!” This greeting comes from ridiculously unhappy and rehearsed faces at the front counter who are obviously quoting the lines they are required to say. While the first greeting can almost be appreciated for its novelty, the 10th time you hear that greeting to other customers entering the building, you’re ready to pelt somebody with green olives and salt shakers.
WAPT, an ABC affiliate, posted an article online about adverse affects of blog monitoring by employers today. While it’s always a good idea for a company to monitor its online reputation through news, blogs, forums, articles, and other websites, there is a point when invading the privacy of an employee breaks down the sense of free speech among hard working employees. There’s a big difference between a disgruntled employee and a corporate traitor. If an employee is saying something negative online, respond to the issue online. Consider that your employees have an audience who will know if you enforce a gag order or even fire someone for having their own opinion.
We’ll cover the delicate balance between corporate reputation management and free speech in an upcoming post. In the meantime, keep in mind that 75% of complaining employees do not complain for no reason. If you’ve found a blog that discusses negative practices within your organization, look at fixing the problem. The best way to solve a complaint is to fix the problem. It’s not unfair for you to be criticized for something you are actually doing.
Yes, do invest in full-time reputation management. Yes, do monitor what is being said about your company and executives. But by all means, take advantage of criticism by adjusting your organization to become an even better place to work. The resulting positive press and effects your decisions will make are well worth the effort and inconvenience.
