The Blurring Lines: When Employees Become Company Advocates
Theโ rise of the “creator economy” is prompting a significant shift in the relationship between โขemployees and their employers, raising questions about personal branding, workload, and the future of corporate advocacy. A โฃrecent example at Morning Brew, โwhere revenue-sideโค employee Noel is now hosting a podcast, highlights the growing trend of companies leveraging their staff asโฃ public-facing creators. While presented as aโค voluntary opportunity, thisโ move underscores a โpotentially unsettling evolution in workplaceโข expectations.
According to industry analyst Liederman, severalโข key issuesโค need consideration whenโ employees take on creator โroles. These include fair compensation, the freedom to decline participation without โrepercussions, and โขthe impact of theโค added workload on existing responsibilities. In Morning Brew’s case, Noel receives a revenue share, though details remain scarce, โand reportedly volunteered for the role. The โคcompany also emphasizes that she remains โฃan employee, not “talent” โฃin a contractual sense, and โwill be supported by producers for scripting.
However, even with these safeguards, the decision to utilize revenue-generating staff as creators signals a basic change in how companies navigate the boundary between personal and professionalโ lives.Increasingly, an employee’s online presence is โinextricably linked to their profession, meaning both digitalโ and real-world actions โcan reflect onโค their employer. The recent Coldplay “kiss cam scandal,” where a personal moment quicklyโค became a brand marketing issue, serves as a โstark reminder of this interconnectedness. The distinction between personal โand professional identity is rapidly diminishing.
Thisโฃ raises a larger, existential question: in a world where attentionโข is currency, every social media post is a form of influence. While we’ve largely accepted this voluntary participation, the shift towards required employee advocacy is concerning.Are we heading towards a future where employees areโฃ expected to be public boosters โขfor their companies? In many ways,we already are – every LinkedIn post subtly promotes an employer.
The case of Lara Sophie Bothur, Deloitte’s first “corporate influencer,”โข offers a glimpseโข into thisโ potentialโ future. Bothur explicitly functions as a company ambassador, articulating Deloitte’s views through her personal social media channels.She believes internal advocates humanize โฃthe companyโค and build trust. While currently atypical, this โฃmodel could soon become the norm, particularly for executives.
the expectation for CEOs to be vocal advocates is alreadyโ well-established. In โฃSilicon Valley, founders routinely appearโค on podcasts hosted by peers, consistently promoting their startups. The popularity of podcasts like TBPN, dedicated to platforming technology โexecutives, demonstrates this trend.
This begs the question: how long before revenue-side leaders are expected to โactively participateโข in the “attentionโค economy”? Those without a public platform couldโ be perceived as failing to maximize their expertise and leaving potential benefits on theโ table for their employers. While โthis scenario may seemโ distant, it’s a trajectory that appears increasinglyโข likely. The line between employee and advocate is blurring,and the futureโ of work may demand a more public,andโ potentiallyโ obligatory,embrace of corporate promotion.
