What is an employer brand ambassador?

More and more companies are adopting Digital Marketing techniques in order to enhance their image among candidates.

This image, which can partially be called employer brand(the reality is more complex), reflects the perception of a company as an employer to both an internal and external audience.

There are notions of corporate reputation, values, organization, communication, etc.

Thus, many companies, aware that the employees on the job can play a role in the recruitment of their peers, are mobilizing so that they become ambassadors of their employer brand!

An employer brand ambassador is an employee or possibly a close partner whose mission is to spread your employer brand message to your target audience.

Your employer brand ambassadors are the megaphones of your company

What are the characteristics of an employer brand ambassador?

Employer brand ambassadors are powerful vectors for getting the word out, they are the showcase for your employer brand.

It is essential that the people who provide this function are free in their choice to share or not share, the content you will give them access to. They get to decide which community they want to influence.

Freedom is therefore the first characteristic of an employer brand ambassador.

Another key characteristic of an employer brand ambassador is his or her authenticity. If those around him or her notice a disconnect between his or her personality and what he or she is saying, then they will doubt that over-involvement.

This is also the case on social networks. It is desirable to maintain the spirit of spontaneity and sincerity that is unique to social media. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to force the individual into a strict posting schedule.

Here again, naturalness is an essential component of promoting an employer brand through ambassadors!

One aspect that may be open to discussion is the issue of compensation.

It is preferable to have unpaid ambassadors...which is not to say that the individual is not paid while performing the ambassadorial role.

In fact, the role of the brand ambassador is held primarily during work hours, at professional meetings and social media activities.

The goal is not to develop a network of "professional" ambassadors.

In contrast, we are looking for individuals who already hold a position in the organization and who, in parallel, will share their daily professional lives with potential candidates.

How to choose your ambassadors

Not all of your employees and partners can be good ambassadors. Certain qualities are required to ensure the success of your employer branding strategy.

Here's a list of qualities to look for to make a good brand ambassador.

• Be a great communicator. The essence of an ambassador's job is to communicate. Favor employees who are comfortable speaking or writing, who have experience when it comes to conveying to others.
  Trust your impressions as well. Some people have a real facility for capturing the hearing of others.
  
  Being a good communicator can be learned, but it takes time. It is definitely easier to start the project with individuals who already possess this skill as softskills.
• Be passionate and enthusiastic. It is important that your ambassadors are truly convinced by your company and fully embrace your values.
  You are looking for true allies who can advocate for you and showcase you.
• Have a comprehensive understanding of the company's strategic issues. They are not expected to know all of your strategies. However, they should have an overview of the project that allows them to be cohesive and convincing when faced with any situation. (e.g., negative criticism, embarrassing questions, etc.)
• Mastering Social Media. You should expect your ambassadors to be able to create and maintain a community that is up to date with the latest information about your company.

Thus, not everyone can be an ambassador and that the results are truly dependent on the careful selection of individuals who collaborate on the project.

What are the benefits of becoming an ambassador?

What are the benefits to your business?

The first benefit you look for when launching an ambassador strategy is visibility: an employee-ambassador is likely to mention your brand on social networks, on the Internet or on his personal blog.

He can thus share your news and thus increase your visibility on the web.

The second essential aspect is credibility: the speech of a brand employee is more authentic and credible than a commercial speech. Thus, an employee's positive speech about his or her company makes his or her audience trust your brand.

Finally, a good network of ambassadors promotes recruitment: a candidate given a choice between two jobs at two different companies will prefer the one with the most positive testimonials about your employer brand.

If you don't think it's attractive enough, here are 5 keys to improving it.

Each of your employees can help spread the message associated with your employer brand. In fact, they are often even more credible than the organization's official spokespeople.

Your employees will speak truthfully about their "employee" experience at your company, which is why it's critical that your EVP lives up to your ambitions so you don't get negative feedback from your own employees.

They must therefore first be privileged witnesses to the employer positioning you want your employer brand to convey.

The employer brand ambassador: a valuable asset to your attractiveness strategy

For an employer brand to be effective, it must of course shine. This includes using your employees as a megaphone for your employer brand.

Succeeding with an ambassador campaign is first and foremost good selection of individuals who will showcase your company in the most natural and consistent way possible.