Building employee engagement and reputation through storytelling

Organisational storytelling can be used as an effective means to improve engagement between employers and staff by communicating and reinforcing the employee opportunities, developments and benefits associated with working for the organisation. The characteristics of storytelling make it an excellent medium for the organisation to engage with employees on a more personal level and can aid in the retention of information valuable to building an employee-focussed work culture. Employer of choice (EOC) for Australian organisations is an emerging issue, as it relates to the way organisations provide a safe, healthy and progressive work environment. By informing employees about their EOC structure through stories, a stronger commitment can be fostered towards their organisation, resulting in improved reputation, both internally and externally. The use of organisational stories as an internal communication instrument may result in employees becoming reputation champions for their organisation. Narration that positively represents the organisation can be adopted by staff and adapted to become more relevant to the particular stakeholders they encounter through their work. Staff who are more engaged with, and have a deep trust for, their employer are likely to feel more buoyant about their work and conduct themselves in a constructive manner. This often results in improved productivity, a healthier brand and a decreased risk of losing staffing.