Some approaches you may choose to select champions are outlined in the table overleaf. THEME/AREA/ DESCRIPTION ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES PROJECT Reward Champions are Can support an organisations May enable champions from selected or a holistic learning and certain teams and services, or on-going development offering. rather than across an piece of work or to Opportunity to share and organisation. support a specific develop employees’ Recruitment is based on project or work strengths and assets and certain skills rather than stream in which share these with other generally good employee they are highly employees. advocacy. skilled. Becoming a champion is There may be other reasons recognised as something teams are disengaged and other employees should and it’s important to have could aspire to. employee champions from all employee groups and work bases not just a few. Self-selection/ Employees Employees are generally Champions are typically nominate already motivated and within pockets of an themselves / engaged. organisation and not express an interest Inclusive approach, which representative of the whole. volunteers in becoming a empowers employees to It’s typically harder to champion/ take ownership and get recruit remote/mobile volunteer. involved. workers as champions using Employee-led approach with this strategy. colleagues not feeling forced Less engaged employees to become a champion. may not put themselves Forms a good platform from forward and it is often these which to drive bottom up whom you need to reach. messages and feedback for leadership. Utilising Some If you are working in a The champions whom you organisations may communications or HR role, recruit may not be existing already have utilising your existing representative of your full networks/ advocates or networks and contacts organisation. connections champions or have across the organisation can You may have potential had these help encourage colleagues to champions who are outside previously and become champions. of these areas who you want to build on Research shows that don’t recruit. this network and typically employees trust Your existing groups may have a broader what their colleagues say have preconceptions e.g. range of more than senior managers highly engaged/disengaged employees hence peers could encourage which may affect your becoming others to become recruitment. employee champions. champions. Helps facilitate a more structured recruitment process that could be beneficial in large, complex
Some approaches you may choose to select champions are outlined in the table overleaf. THEME/AREA/ PROJECT DESCRIPTION ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES Reward Champions are selected or a or on-going piece of work or to support a specific project or work stream in which they are highly skilled. Can support an organisations holistic learning and development offering. Opportunity to share and develop employees’ strengths and assets and share these with other employees. Becoming a champion is recognised as something other employees should and could aspire to. May enable champions from certain teams and services, rather than across an organisation. Recruitment is based on certain skills rather than generally good employee advocacy. There may be other reasons teams are disengaged and it’s important to have employee champions from all employee groups and work bases not just a few. Self-selection/ volunteers Employees nominate themselves / express an interest in becoming a champion/ volunteer. Employees are generally already motivated and engaged. Inclusive approach, which empowers employees to take ownership and get involved. Employee-led approach with colleagues not feeling forced to become a champion. Forms a good platform from which to drive bottom up messages and feedback for leadership. Champions are typically within pockets of an organisation and not representative of the whole. It’s typically harder to recruit remote/mobile workers as champions using this strategy. Less engaged employees may not put themselves forward and it is often these whom you need to reach. Utilising existing networks/ connections Some organisations may already have advocates or champions or have had these previously and want to build on this network and have a broader range of employees becoming employee champions. If you are working in a communications or HR role, utilising your existing networks and contacts across the organisation can help encourage colleagues to become champions. Research shows that typically employees trust what their colleagues say more than senior managers hence peers could encourage others to become champions. Helps facilitate a more structured recruitment process that could be beneficial in large, complex The champions whom you recruit may not be representative of your full organisation. You may have potential champions who are outside of these areas who you don’t recruit. Your existing groups may have preconceptions e.g. highly engaged/disengaged which may affect your recruitment.
Using-champions-to-communicate.docx