My job description recently expanded to include both Marketing and Human Resources responsibilities.  A rare combination, indeed.  As a result, I’m beginning to feel as though my new hybrid role has placed me on a professional island.  Where are my Marketing/HR peers?  Do you exist?  I don’t think you do…but I think you should.  And here’s why…

 

Marketing and Human Resources – traditionally, two separate departments operating in functional silos.  Yet the more exposure I have with both areas of the business, the more I believe they should be tightly integrated.  Generally speaking, the Marketing people are responsible for shaping and monitoring your customer’s experience with your brand.  And generally speaking again, the HR people are responsible for shaping and monitoring your employee’s experience with your company.  Shouldn’t these experiences be the same?  If your Marketing folks don’t talk to your HR folks, the inherent results are inconsistent experiences and diluted messages. 

 

To help clarify my point (…and because I enjoy lists), I developed my Top 5 reasons why Marketing and Human Resources should work closely together:

1.  Testimonials of any sort are powerful.  Yes, we like to write case studies and issue press releases with the positive comments from our satisfied customers.  But if our employees are not echoing the same positive tone about the company, we lose that credibility. 

2.  Referrals…referrals…referrals.  Unsolicited referrals are infinitely powerful.  When someone likes you/your product/your service so much that they go out of their way to recommend you to someone else, you’ve hit the jackpot.  We tend to place our focus on customers, however our employees are just as capable of producing these revenue-generating referrals…but they will only do so if they are

satisfied with their job and they believe in their company.

 

3.  Walking billboards are a good thing.  We like to adorn our valued customers with logo-inspired goodies – t-shirts, coffee mugs, pens, hats, etc.  We distribute these items liberally at every chance we get, yet sometimes we forget our own employees.  They are walking billboards too, and should be given the same items to further spread brand awareness.

4.  Word of mouth goes a long way.  Do ALL of your employees know about your next seminar?  Trade show?  Sponsored event?  Open House?  I suspect your Sales and Marketing teams have these dates and topics memorized, but what about your Accounting department?  If your entire organization is not aware of your upcoming marketing initiatives, you are missing out on a great opportunity for them to spread the word.

5.  Social Media changes the game.  In the Web 2.0 world we’re living in, everyone has a voice.  And it’s not just a small voice.  It’s a voice that has the potential to reach hundreds if not thousands of ears – instantly.  A blog post by a disgruntled employee can impact a prospect’s decision to do business with you.  The negative tweets from a frustrated customer may prevent a candidate from accepting your job offer.  Marketing and HR must work together to ensure the collective Web 2.0 voice is painting a consistent and pleasant picture.

So there you have it, my Top 5 reasons for bridging the gap between the Marketing and HR islands.  What do you think?  I would love to hear your thoughts.