The Power of Healthy Employee Stories

“The people, Mark.”

Before I deliver a company keynote or host a team offsite, I ask employees why they love their company. Their answers help set the tone for my talks, especially when I can weave in their responses throughout. 

The answers typically come back to one thing: “the people.”

It’s a great, yet incomplete, response. What does “the people” mean?

As communicators, we have the distinctive skills to tell the stories of our employees in a way that seåparates us from others. 

I’ve adjusted the question to: “Can you please share an example in which you felt appreciated at work?” That question alone gets the conversation flowing!

Regarding employee well-being, there are several ways to tell compelling stories to inspire your colleagues and future colleagues.

Here are six tips to tell impactful, healthy employee stories:

1. Tell the story through at least three different mediums. 

Package your employee stories so every employee can read them — including executives, board members and shareholders — in a way that they’ll understand their impact. And don’t minimize the potential impact of short audio-only stories. 

2. Put yourself in a box and focus on key themes. 

Look at your recent employee engagement surveys for inspiration. For example, if belonging at your company is challenging, put on your journalism hat and identify examples of friendships and bonds formed across teams.

3. Give color in story angles we might overlook. 

One of the most popular types of social media videos is “day in the life” content. This works well for your internal channels as well. Think about your company and the roles everyone plays. How aware are your colleagues of what everyone does on a daily basis?

4. Highlight healthy teams.

Is there a workstream piloting a new approach to work? Are they working four days a week instead of five? Reducing the number of video calls significantly? Spending in-person time exclusively on ideation? This is a perfect opportunity to share their adjustments and how they have impacted their well-being. 

5. Tie back to the company benefits. 

Does the story involve the use of employee resources or benefits? Companies offer many different benefits, but are your employees aware they exist? Employee stories are an excellent opportunity to add awareness. Work with your HR team on the specific wording and call to action for employees to learn more.

6. Take your internal stories external. 

Look for ways to maximize the content beyond your internal walls. How can those stories be delivered throughout your website, discussed during interviews and beyond? Your recruiters, hiring managers and other influential employees should be aware of these stories so they can highlight all the great ways your employees are staying healthy.

These are just a few tips, but I’d love to hear how you answer the question: “Why do you love your company?”