In January 2025, Giles Heckstall-Smith – Director of Strategic Communications at Jobtrain – and Maureen Brown – Founder of MI-Say, led a webinar about employee advocacy.
As always with Maureen, it was a fascinating session talking about leavers and joiners, what motivates them, and how to refine retention and advocacy with your people. In case you don't have the time to watch it back, we've summarised some of the key points below!
Watch the video back 👇
What is employee advocacy, and why is it important?
Employee advocacy is all about how employees perceive their employer and how they communicate those perceptions to the outside world. Just as consumers trust recommendations from peers when making purchasing decisions, job seekers trust the experiences of current and former employees when considering a new employer.
Leavers and new starters, in particular, have a unique perspective. They have fresh insights into an organisation’s strengths and weaknesses, and if you can capture and utilise this feedback, it becomes a goldmine of insight. This data can shape your employer brand, recruitment strategy, and even customer perception.
Unfortunately, many organisations fail to measure employee advocacy or underestimate its significance. Employers frequently focus on customer advocacy while neglecting the voices of their employees – a costly oversight in today’s job market.
The role of new starters and leavers in advocacy
Recruitment teams and employer branding specialists invest significant time and resources in developing compelling Employer Value Propositions (EVPs), career websites, and engaging recruitment campaigns. However, if the experience of a new starter doesn’t match what was promised during the hiring process, advocacy can quickly turn negative.
New starter check-ins provide a crucial opportunity to ensure the onboarding experience aligns with expectations. Similarly, exit interviews should go beyond simply asking why someone is leaving. Done well, these interviews can uncover critical insights into what an organisation is getting right and what needs improvement.
Leavers can be your biggest advocates if they feel they were treated well and valued. The rise of platforms like Glassdoor and TikTok’s “Quit Talk” trend highlights how employees who feel unheard will find alternative ways to share their experiences – sometimes to the detriment of an employer’s reputation.
Measuring employee advocacy: The power of Net Promoter Scores (NPS)
One of the most effective ways to measure employee advocacy is through Net Promoter Scores (NPS). While many companies use NPS for customer feedback, applying the same methodology to employees can be incredibly revealing.
By measuring Starter NPS (how new hires perceive the company) and Leaver NPS (how departing employees reflect on their experience), organisations can track trends over time and identify areas for improvement.
For example, MySay – an employee research business – has found that the average leaver NPS hovers around -30, whereas starter NPS tends to be much higher at +52. Ideally, your starter NPS should always exceed your leaver NPS, ensuring new employees experience the company positively from day one.
How to build a culture of advocacy
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Create regular feedback mechanisms – Implement structured new starter, leaver, and stay interviews to capture meaningful insights.
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Go beyond engagement surveys – While annual engagement surveys are valuable, they don’t provide the same real-time insights as exit and onboarding feedback.
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Encourage leadership accountability – Make advocacy a key metric in executive discussions, ensuring leadership teams prioritise employee voice.
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Own your employer brand narrative – Don’t rely solely on Glassdoor and LinkedIn reviews to define your reputation. Be proactive in sharing employee stories and testimonials.
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Consider using an independent partner – Employees are more likely to provide honest feedback if they feel it is anonymous and independent of internal bias.
The commercial impact of employee advocacy
Employee advocacy isn’t just about creating a positive work environment – it has tangible business benefits. Research shows that employees who are engaged and advocate for their employer are more productive, stay longer, and contribute to a stronger employer brand, making recruitment easier and more cost-effective.
Additionally, past employees who leave on good terms often return, bringing new skills and experiences that benefit the business. A strong alumni network of former employees who continue to advocate for your organisation is an incredibly valuable asset.
Making the case for leadership buy-in
HR professionals often face challenges when trying to gain executive buy-in for initiatives like employee advocacy programmes. The key is to build a strong business case, demonstrating how advocacy impacts metrics that matter to leadership, such as retention, recruitment costs, and customer perception.
For example, organisations facing high attrition should consider the financial impact of employee turnover. With estimates placing the cost of hiring between £6,000 and £30,000 per employee, investing in advocacy to reduce unnecessary turnover makes clear financial sense.
Employee advocacy is a strategic advantage that too few organisations prioritise. By listening to employees at key moments in their journey – from onboarding to departure – businesses can build a powerful employer brand, improve retention, and ultimately drive better commercial outcomes.
As the employment market continues to evolve, organisations that take advocacy seriously will stand out.
The question is: are you listening to your employees, or are you letting platforms like Glassdoor and TikTok tell your story for you?