Last month, we invited some brilliant employer brand, people and talent leaders to Wiser HQ for breakfast and a real, honest, and at times vulnerable conversation about employee advocacy and engagement. Our friends at Blank partnered with us, with hosts Scott Brown and Oscar Sadler steering the conversation. It was the sort of morning where everyone left buzzing with new ideas and fresh inspiration.
We didn't talk much about social strategy or vanity metrics. Instead, we got stuck into the real stuff: the moments that actually move people, and how those moments (when you get them right) turn employees into genuine advocates for your brand.
Because here's the thing: employee advocacy doesn't start with a share button. It starts way before that. With how you welcome someone. How you show up when things get tough. And how you make people feel like they genuinely belong.
Here are three things from the morning that really stayed with us:
1. Advocacy starts early. Really early.
Someone in the room (we keep our events to Chatham House Rules, by the way) said something that stopped us all:
"It's not about flashy, branded rollouts. It's the feeling you create when someone joins that matters."
We often jump straight to the visible stuff when we think about advocacy: content calendars, branded templates, LinkedIn posts. But the people around that table reminded us that the real journey begins much earlier. In someone's first week. Their first day. Sometimes their first hour.
Those intentional onboarding moments (a thoughtful welcome kit, a personal message from their manager, making them feel expected) lay the emotional groundwork for everything that follows. It sparks a connection and moment of true brand affinity that can’t be changed. The tone you set on the first day will stay with people long into their journey with you.
2. Pride matters. But vulnerability might matter more.
It's easy to celebrate the wins. The promotions. The milestones. But the moments that really build loyalty often happen during the tough times. When someone's struggling, or stepping away, or navigating something difficult in their life.
As one guest put it:
"We're so good at celebrating people when they get promoted or hit a milestone. But what are we doing when they're going on parental leave, or they've just started and feel a bit lost? Those are the moments where people actually need us."
Employee advocacy is built on trust. And trust is built when people feel seen and supported, not just when they're smashing targets, but when life happens in between, whatever it may throw at them.
3. Advocacy needs structure — but not a script.
"The experienced hires always ask me: 'What exactly can I say? Can I just post this exact thing?' But the grads? They'll just fill their day and post it. They don't overthink it."
We spent a while talking about the tricky balance between enabling advocacy and accidentally over-policing it. The consensus? You absolutely need structure (guidelines, toolkits, a bit of training). But the magic only happens when employees find their own voice, not yours.
Advocacy only works when it feels real. And real means a bit messy, a bit different, honestly human. People connect with people, not polished comms.
So, what now?
If any of this is ringing true for you, and you're wondering how to actually make it happen, we'd love to help.
At Wiser, we build advocacy programmes that turn your people into natural storytellers. We'll help you find your internal champions, give them the confidence and tools they need, and scale your impact in a way that's sustainable, measurable and genuinely human.
Your people are already your most powerful media channel. Let's help them find their voice.
Learn more about employee advocacy with Wiser.
