Do the Right Thing…

• In April 2013, a garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed killing 1,134 people and injuring thousands of others. The deadliest disaster in the garment industry sparked awareness of human rights abuses and worker safety issues in the fashion industry.

• In November 2017, Bell Canada employees went public saying they were pressured into using questionable sales tactics and deceiving customers.

• The Good on You app offers ratings, information and news about ethical and sustainable fashion using rankings based on labour practices, environmental impact and ethical treatment of animals. Within eight days of its launch, 10,000 people had downloaded the app.

How you treat your people matters. Most of us have jobs and many of us can relate to the pain caused by a bad work environment. Naturally, consumers are starting to realize that supporting companies that treat their employees poorly is not cool. In fact, it is not a reflection of their values and it won’t help make the world a better place. So, they are consciously choosing brands that treat their employees well.

In a competitive world where brands strive to distinguish themselves from their competitors, how you treat your employees can make a difference. And treating people right can have a powerful impact on your external brand.

While I am the first one to admit that internal communication isn’t the only thing that needs addressing if you are going to be a five star employer, I will say that I still don’t see a lot of organizations investing in their ability to communicate and connect with their employees. Instead I see gimmicks and trends like free lunches and fido Fridays that don’t address people’s basic needs to understand and be understood.

Being a five star employer is about doing the right things and making employees a priority, which includes making sure that your internal communications are modern and meaningful, that you are transparent and open, and making sure your employees have a voice (hello Ottawa Senators).

At Vision2Voice Communications, we are in the business of creating more companies that do the right thing. Need help getting it right, send us an email and we’ll set up a free 30-minute strategy call.