When employees are your brand’s biggest asset, here’s why to invest in workforce-first leadership

What do all successful brands have in common? With every major company doing things a little differently, it's not the product or the marketing methods that give them supreme competitive advantages.

It's the loyal customer base that returns time and again to the company. Why? Because they have been given excellent service by your employees.

So why are the employees your most valuable assets?

Connect with your customers

Studies show that companies with an active and happy frontline workforce who can form emotional connections with customers are important company assets when it comes to building customer loyalty. After all, in the service industry, it is these interactions that create bonds, encouraging clients to return to you rather than visiting a competitor.

With repeat custom being such an important facet of the sales landscape, it makes sense to hold onto the clients you have by making sure they feel they are being taken care of by your staff each and every time they visit your location. This can then result in word-of-mouth marketing and personal recommendations, which are both free and effective!

So, what can business owners do to become workforce-first leaders?

Effective strategies for valuing your workforce

Here are a few tips to make your workforce feel valued in your profession.

1. Offer opportunities for professional development

Whether you're offering technical education, an online program of study, or merely some additional workshops in those all-important soft skill sets, the best way to retain a happy, motivated workforce is to make them feel valued and that there is a chance for career progression at your company.

Providing opportunities for taking extra responsibility and promotion will prevent your valuable staff from being poached by rivals. The prospect of ascending up the career ladder is important to prevent your staff from feeling like they are stagnating, instead creating a sense of personal growth that we all crave.

2. Celebrate your team as brand ambassadors

Clarifying to your staff their importance couldn't be easier with today's technology. Gone are the days of a mere "employee of the week" sign in the staff room. Instead, you can present your staff's successes on social media channels or via company-wide messaging.

By considering your staff as brand ambassadors, you are inviting them to engage with the ethos of your brand. Featuring them in your multi-channel marketing and taking their points of view into account presents not only a unified image from a customer standpoint but also that you are an excellent employer, boosting your reputation within your own industry.

3. Offer extra perks

If it's possible, your staff will feel fully invested in your brand ethos if they feel they benefit from whatever your USP is. For example, staff members working for some restaurants and cafes enjoy a meal allowance, and those in the beauty industry try new products and receive discounts on treatments.

Beyond this, consider other aspects of the working world that you might be able to extend to your staff, such as insurance, flexible working, rewards Fridays, or even shares in the company.

4. Have an open-door policy

Make it clear that you, as an employer, are here to listen to your team when they need you by instigating an open-door policy. It need not be a constant drop in service—you could set certain hours for queries and inquiries from any member of your brand.

In ensuring your staff have an outlet for their concerns, you will be able to handle any problems that arise and prevent them from escalating. Everyone wants to feel their boss is in their corner, so by providing a safe space to talk through issues, you will foster this sense of company togetherness, which is so important for team cohesion.

Moreover, while you will undoubtedly want to offer feedback to your staff, allowing them to speak to you creates a reciprocal relationship that fosters a closeness you simply cannot synthesize without having a two-way conversation. You may even get a tip that helps your own progression as a brand!

5. Reward employee loyalty

Celebrating staff tenure is a very simple way of showing how much you value them. Just a simple email or handwritten note at various milestones throughout their career will show your staff how much you care about them and how they are appreciated as members of your team.

6. Create healthy competition

While you will certainly want to have a harmonious team that works to support each other, sales is an essentially individualistic area of work, so creating competition between your employees could provide motivation for members of your team.

If you are looking to incentivize your employees through formal competitions, a good way of doing this is by having real-time sales contests. Setting these up to run over shorter periods can be more effective than annual bonuses, as with each reset, everyone's chance to win is renewed.

Edge's platform can automate these for you, allowing you to set the parameters of the contest on the app, which will then handle the rest for you. Your employees can download the app, too, for regular updates.

The Edge platform collates Google reviews, so your workforce will be motivated to go that extra mile in customer service to win that coveted review and soar up the leaderboard.

See what Edge can do for your team

If you are wondering what our platform can do to put your team front and center, you can book a free demo of our platform today.

Our app updates in real time, giving your staff a chance to keep on top of their metrics and access the data at a time that is convenient for them

With over 5,000 businesses across various industries all using our technology, our team is highly experienced in helping you set up the platform to harness the power of Google Reviews to help your employees exceed their KPIs.