by MakeUsWell
Today, companies that think about the future and have talented operators are:
-
Attentive to social media postings on “hot button” issues.
-
Able to divine employee sentiment on these issues.
-
Skilled in striking the right messaging notes on them.
Key Case: Ohana
For a top-notch employee-well-being client, MakeUsWell analyzed how Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, spotted the freedom-of-choice, abortion issue back in early September, 2021, well before any of his peers.
His Twitter posting that the firm would welcome Texas-based employees to California to exercise their right to reproductive choice was powerful in triggering positive responses. It calmed employees across the nation — not just at Salesforce.
The power of our words within the context of cultural events can have an emotional impact on users that tangibly increases joy and reduces stress.
Our analysis of emotional impact showed the Benioff tweet increased joy and reduced vitriol for certain segments by ~18%.
Our analysis also accurately predicted — months ahead of time — the significant future impact of the tweet and the effectiveness of Mr. Benioff's language on the entire landscape of the abortion polemic within the American business world.
Now months later, in response to the abortion controversy, major companies (including Amazon, CitiGroup, Kroger, and dozens more) are making employee assistance for out-of-state employee reproductive healthcare a standard benefit.
And, in a recent survey, 88% of respondents indicated they thought Marc Benioff’s 9/10/21 tweet helped employees in corporate America. It remains a powerful export of SalesForce culture over time.
By addressing his tweet to “Ohana,” Benioff invited the world to see Salesforce through his eyes. He conveyed a healthy company culture with a single word. With a single tweet, Benioff soothed his employees, while simultaneously attracting international approval for his company.
Companies aspiring to high performance cultures need to master the process of spotting issues, identifying sentiment trends, and knowing how to respond as early and effectively as possible.