As our practice teams help to drive brand value and recognition in our hospitals every day, they also play an active role in the client relationship. Nevertheless, consumers make choices and decisions that may make or break their relationship with your business on far more than the services and products offered. Driven by increasing public demand for transparency coupled with widespread instant access to information has provided a fertile ground for the growth of social movements with a potentially significant impact on businesses. Consider speaking with your employees about these potential circumstances, revisit your organization's code of conduct (dependent on your state laws), and always encourage them to be thoughtful and considerate representatives for themselves and the brand.
It’s now becoming common that public and private scrutiny of our employee’s behavior has significant potential to spill over and reflect more broadly upon the optics and branding opportunities of the business organization. It seems every day there is another employer announcing its reaction to, and disagreement, with the conduct of an employee of their organization. Most identifying that the actions of the employee do not align with the values of the company; often followed with a termination of the relationship. While many examples could be conveyed to your team of risky or unsavory behavior, the more positive and spirited approach would be to engage and encourage your employees to be thoughtful in their actions and behaviors inside and outside the walls of the practice. Since we can’t control what people may perceive, we can always consider thoughtfulness in our presentation to lighten perceptions accordingly.
With the advent of easy access video and voice recording via smartphone, it’s not farfetched that your employee’s personal behavior could be easily captured and uploaded for the world to see. Often negative public response has been to delve into the details of the individual in question, which a lot of information can and likely will surface in that process. Maybe the employee, in the process of a questionable situation/behavior was wearing a company uniform or visible logo at the time, or others recognized them, either way, its common that personal information of the individual will be exposed often including who they are, where they live, what they do, and WHO they work for. Understand that any “press” isn’t always good press. Our clients (current and prospecting) may be watching and making value decisions about the brand through the eyes of behaviors or conduct they are witnessing. Speak with your team about the prospect of fallout in these situations and consider updating your code of conduct (depending on your state laws) to include appropriate expectations.
We built hospitals with visible teams, placed them on our websites and social feeds, including biographical information and pictures. Our employee teams have become representatives and stewards for the brand, whether in practice, online, in the news or directly within the communities they serve. We want our clients to know and remember our teams! As such, we must remember that as a strong team, unified, with everyone playing an important role, whether on or off the clock, that we can either contribute to building or diminishing the trust we cultivate through our services and care. Understanding that along with this paradigm comes a certain level of visibility, affiliation, and responsibility between the organization and employee. We’ve all worked hard to build a visible brand and a better practice environment for all. Talk with them about what is happening in the news and online and encourage them to carry themselves thoughtfully and in a manner that best represents themselves and the company brand in all situations.