When it comes to employee advocacy, most businesses have tunnel vision. They check Glassdoor reviews, scroll through LinkedIn testimonials, maybe throw a few surveys into the mix, and call it a day. But as we discussed in this week’s Freeformers Unplugged live stream, that’s like judging the entire value of a film based on a single teaser trailer. You’re missing the full story—the deep, nuanced, often surprising narrative that can actually drive business growth.
What do we mean by employee advocacy?
At its simplest, employee advocacy is about employees speaking positively about their company. But true advocacy goes beyond just words—it’s reflected in behaviours and choices. As Emilie Forrest explained during the live stream:
“At this base level we’re talking about people saying nice things about your company. People being employees, current or former,saying nice things. Saying, “yeah, they are a good place to work”. Essentially that is what we mean by employee advocacy.”
True advocacy isn’t just about Glassdoor reviews. It’s about whether employees recommend their workplace to friends, keep shopping with the company as customers, or even return as ‘boomerang’ employees.
Employee advocacy as your north star metric
One of the boldest ideas we explored was whether employee advocacy could be the ultimate north star metric for HR teams. Typically, businesses set north star metrics—those single guiding numbers—based on growth, but most companies lean on traditional indicators like revenue or retention rates. What if, instead, we focused on advocacy?
I threw this idea out there, expecting some pushback, and sure enough, Emilie challenged me:
“Oh, you mean for your whole HR team? Oh my gosh. Hit me with the easy questions, why don’t you?”
The beauty of using advocacy as a north star metric is its power to quantify the intangible. It turns the quality of your employee experience into a measurable impact on your business—whether through customer spend, referrals, or the long-term brand loyalty of your alumni network.
The Tesco test: a £52,000 lesson in advocacy
A favourite story of mine (and yes, Emilie, I know I tell it a lot) is about my old boss, who left Tesco a decade ago. Not only did she leave as an advocate, but she’s continued to shop there ever since. With an average weekly shop of £100, that’s over £52,000 in revenue generated purely from being treated well as an employee.
On the flip side, another former Tesco employee I met had a rough last six months before leaving. The experience was so bad they not only stopped shopping there but also actively discouraged others from doing so. That’s £52,000 lost, plus who knows how much more from missed referrals and brand damage.
Imagine being able to take these stories and transform them into data. What if you could prove to your board not only how much advocacy is worth but also how much poor employee experience costs? Suddenly, HR isn’t just a support function—it’s a profit centre.
Beyond Glassdoor: measuring the full picture
Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Reddit—they’re all part of the puzzle, but they only capture a slice of the story. True measurement of advocacy means looking at behaviour:
- Are former employees still customers? In B2C, this could mean tracking ex-employee spend through loyalty programmes.
- Are they bringing in new business? In B2B, tagging leads as ‘ex-employee referred’ could reveal hidden advocacy channels.
- Are they returning to work for you? Every boomerang employee is proof that your company leaves a lasting, positive impression.
A quick shoutout to the incredible company we heard about during the stream—one that hosts monthly lunches for ex-employees. This simple act not only keeps the door open for returning talent but also provides invaluable insights into what’s working (and what’s not) within their employee experience.
So, what’s next?
At Freeformers, we believe in going beyond the traditional. Employee advocacy isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a strategic advantage. It’s time to start measuring it, understanding it, and using it to build better workplaces—where every employee leaves as an ambassador for your brand.
Want to explore how we can help your organisation make advocacy its north star metric? Get in touch, and let’s start creating a better world of work—for everyone.