Employee advocacy has become a vital tool for creating authentic brand impact, especially when it comes to attracting and recruiting top talent.
Vineet Tandon, Director of Global Talent Marketing at HCLTech, is leading the way with a human-focused approach that highlights employees and their stories while staying true to the company’s core values.
For employer branding professionals, the importance of the human approach is clear: 84% of job seekers say a company’s reputation is essential to their decision-making process (Glassdoor). This makes authentic employee voices a critical element in shaping that reputation and building trust with both current employees and potential hires.
During our recent LinkedIn Live conversation, Vineet shared key insights into how HCLTech’s employee advocacy program has developed, including how it has delivered measurable business outcomes, and why this approach is stronger than the brand logo.
Here’s a closer look at how you can build a network of brand ambassadors and put culture at the heart of your recruitment strategy.
Why employee advocacy matters
Employee advocacy is more than just sharing posts, it’s about empowering employees to voice their experiences and insights. It’s also not just about the number of employees you have as brand ambassadors, it’s about having the right ones.
As Vineet shared, “Our program is really small in that sense, we have roughly around 200-220 members in total, but we also wanted to go slow.” Vineet explains, “we wanted to have a personal touch and feel and connection with every ambassador so that we can create a difference in the program.”
For HCLTech, their #SuperChargedAmbassadors program plays a key role in attracting top talent, reinforcing the company’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and employee growth, all while building a genuine connection with potential candidates.
Companies with strong programs are not only better at attracting talent but also at retaining it. In fact, according to LinkedIn, companies with an effective employee advocacy program are 58% more likely to attract top talent and 20% more likely to retain employees.
Investing in employee growth and advocacy
Building and maintaining a thriving advocacy program lies in identifying the right advocates and managing participation to keep the program dynamic and impactful. It requires investment from both employer and employee.
In our LinkedIn Live, Vineet shared some great tips to ensure the program's success:
- Finding the right ambassadors: Start by using a mix of approaches to identify potential advocates. Look for employees who are naturally active on social media, invite referrals from leaders, and consider direct invitations to those who embody your brand values. Inclusivity is key. HCLTech, for example, ensures representation from 25 countries to reflect its global presence, even prioritising geographical diversity over activity levels in some cases.
- Investing in ambassadors: Advocacy is a two-way commitment. Equip ambassadors with the tools, training, and resources they need to succeed, such as LinkedIn workshops, content creation guidance, and exclusive perks like welcome kits and merchandise. This investment strengthens their role as enthusiastic representatives of your brand.
- Exiting inactive members: Ensure the program remains dynamic by tracking activity levels through your advocacy platform. Set clear criteria for participation and regularly review ambassadors’ contributions. For those who become inactive, send reminders and offer support to re-engage. If there’s no improvement, respectfully transition them out to make room for someone more active and committed.
Building a community and recognising top voices
Vineet proudly noted the remarkable success of their ambassadors. “We have eight ambassadors who, within the last eight to ten months, have become LinkedIn top voices,” he shared. This recognition highlights the growth and influence of HCLTech’s ambassadors, a testament to the company’s commitment to investing in their development.
The key is to have a program that encourages engagement and contributes to a culture of advocacy. This process not only strengthens employee involvement but also helps identify passionate brand ambassadors who genuinely believe in the company’s values.
Studies show that when employees share content about their company on social media, 63% of consumers are more likely to trust the brand (Dusted). This trust is built by consistent, authentic storytelling, which has become a cornerstone of HCLTech’s advocacy program.
This doesn’t just work on consumers, but potential hires as well, meaning it plays a critical role in reducing recruitment costs. We dive further into this in How employee brand ambassadors reduce your cost per hire.
Success story: the recruiter influencer network
One of the standout successes Vineet shared was the creation of the Recruiter Influencer Network. The initiative aimed to shift recruiters from simply posting “we’re hiring” to becoming powerful storytellers.
HCLTech use employee storytelling to attract candidates.
Vineet explained how they turned their recruiters into storytellers by aggregating them into a small project. For three months, they did only 11 stories with this group, and the organic reach exceeded 2.5 million.
This success story demonstrates the power of employee advocacy in talent recruitment. Vineet noted that while their general employee base isn’t always in a position to influence high-value deals directly, this program was tailored to the specific audience, recruiters, and produced exceptional results.
The organic reach of 2.5 million impressions from just 11 stories not only generated awareness but also created a ripple effect that enhanced the company’s recruitment efforts.
The role of AI in employee advocacy
AI is beginning to play a key role in employee advocacy programs, but the human element continues to drive strategy and community building. Vineet’s insights from HCLTech’s employee advocacy efforts highlight how AI is integrated and where it adds value:
- Human-Led Strategy and Goals:
While AI supports execution, strategy remains human-driven. At HCLTech, the leadership team works closely with marketing to define goals and ensure the program aligns with broader business objectives. This ensures that the program stays focused on what truly matters. - AI in Content Creation:
AI tools like Copilot, Grammarly, and ChatGPT assist advocates in refining and rewriting content. These tools help ensure brand-approved messages are grammatically correct and shareable while allowing advocates to add their personal touch. Although AI can’t fully replace creativity, it significantly boosts efficiency and quality in content creation. - AI in Advocacy Tools:
Advocacy platforms, such as Octopost, use AI to generate different variations of the same content, ensuring that posts from multiple advocates don’t appear identical. This variety helps maintain engagement and interest within the program.
Measuring the success of employee advocacy
A successful employee advocacy program is built on strong foundations and measured through meaningful metrics.
- Leadership Support:
Advocacy programs thrive with executive sponsorship. At HCLTech, leaders actively engaged with ambassadors, fostering alignment with the company’s vision and sustaining long-term enthusiasm. - Ambassador Participation:
Measure the percentage of active ambassadors to track engagement. HCLTech’s focus on value-added activities, like leadership sessions and expert discussions, enhanced participation and saw eight employees named LinkedIn Top Voices in ten months. - Business Alignment:
Align advocacy efforts with business objectives. HCLTech ambassadors supported 15 campaigns in a single quarter, demonstrating how advocacy can amplify organisational goals. - Measurable Reach and Value:
Evaluate organic reach and compare it to paid campaign costs. HCLTech achieved over 22 million impressions through advocacy, saving significant marketing spend.
The power of your people
When trust and attention are deficient, the real strength lies not in your logo, but in your people. HCLTech’s approach to employee advocacy demonstrates how involving employees in shaping the company’s narrative creates lasting impact.Through a human-centric advocacy program, HCLTech has built an engaged, loyal workforce that drives business success.
When you prioritise authenticity, culture, and inclusion, you create a community that amplifies your company’s message, attracting top talent and strengthening your reputation.