MASTERS SERIES: Identity Loyalty: Unlocking the Key to Creating Productive, Hardworking and Appreciative Employees

A person’s sense of who they are affects what they do. If I believe I am a certain type of person, I will actively engage in behaviors that are relevant to “being” that kind of person, commiserate with others who share those characteristics, and throughout life, look for ways to reinforce that part of who I am. When brands connect with people in this way, it can create the curious situation where the person and the brand become one. That is, the person internalizes the brand as part of who they are. Identity loyalty is the result of this. Since organizations are brands, what are the HR implications of creating Identity Loyalty for companies? Wharton Professor and co-founder of Persona Partners Dr. Americus Reed, II describes how you can unlock your employees’ potential, commitment, productivity and loyalty—by strategically connecting your company’s values and identity to your employees—and creating a proud community of brand advocates who promote, praise and defend the brand. Many organizations have successfully created an employee culture that drives/reinforces the brand externally (e.g., NIKE, Zappos, Apple, Google, Ben & Jerry’s, & Starbucks), but there is a strategy behind, why, when and how this can be maximized. Learn how to:

• Diagnose your organization’s organizational identity
• Articulate it to your employees
• Identify those employees whose values best match your company values; and
• Nurture the relationship between your organization and the employee identity over time