From Employees to Advocates: RISK's Approach to Brand Engagement

In today's corporate landscape, if you want to build a strong employer brand, forget about traditional top-down communication approaches. Your most powerful brand voices aren't your marketing materials or corporate statements—they're your employees. But here's the challenge: you can't buy authentic advocacy, and you certainly can't force it. What you can do is create an environment where it flourishes naturally through mature, win-win relationships.

At RISK, we've pioneered a gamification approach that's shaping how companies can inspire genuine brand advocacy. Today, Helen Velychko, RISK Head of Employer Brand and Communications, shares insights into transforming employee engagement into authentic brand storytelling.

The Power of Mutual Value

"If you want your employees to become genuine brand ambassadors, you need to understand a fundamental truth: all internal communications eventually become external," Helen begins. "But it's not about pushing your people to speak about the company—it's about creating an environment where both sides benefit from shared success."

This mature approach recognizes that authentic advocacy emerges when employees feel genuinely valued and supported in their professional growth. At RISK, we believe in a clear value exchange: when employees contribute beyond their daily duties, we support their personal brand development and professional growth through meaningful recognition and opportunities.

You might think gamification is about turning work tasks into games, but that's missing the point entirely. The real power lies in recognizing and celebrating contributions that go beyond daily responsibilities. When you acknowledge the extra mile your people go, you create a ripple effect of engagement and pride.

The RISK SQUAD: Building Your Foundation

The journey began with a simple yet powerful observation: we're all essentially grown-up kids who enjoy unusual activities and achievements. This understanding became the foundation of our gamification strategy. "Before diving into the core program, we wanted to test our assumptions and refine our approach," Helen explains. "That's how the RISK SQUAD was born – our pre-gamification ambassadors team."

The RISK SQUAD became our testing ground, helping us understand what resonates with our people and how to integrate engaging activities without disrupting daily workflows.

This select group of enthusiastic employees helped us shape what would later become our company-wide initiative.

Understanding the importance of equipping our SQUAD members with proper tools, we developed an exclusive SMM course specifically for this pilot group. "These ambassadors needed to be well-versed in social media strategies to effectively share their experiences," Helen explains. "The SQUAD's success in building their personal brands would later inspire others to join our broader advocacy program."

"Many of our employees didn't have an understanding of how to manage their LinkedIn accounts when they started," Helen notes. "We saw this as an opportunity to support their professional growth while strengthening our employer brand." This realization led to a comprehensive support system where employees can seek guidance in developing their personal brand and professional presence.

To ensure brand voice consistency while maintaining authenticity, we developed comprehensive guidelines about social media communication. These guidelines cover everything from appropriate photo and video content to communication tone, helping employees understand what enhances our brand reputation and what might compromise it.

"It's not about controlling voices," Helen emphasizes. "It's about providing clear frameworks that help our people confidently share their experiences while maintaining professional standards." All employees received a detailed rulebook and even completed testing to ensure they understood our communication tone and brand values.

Understanding that guidelines alone aren't always enough, we've established a robust support system. "If an employee feels they need additional guidance, our support team is just one click away," Helen shares. "Whether it's helping set up a professional social media profile or reviewing posts for brand relevance, we're ready to provide targeted assistance, especially during those crucial first steps."

This support system reflects our commitment to deep brand engagement rather than mere brand awareness. "It's about fostering a profound understanding of our brand," Helen explains. "When our people truly understand and connect with our brand values, their authentic voices naturally align with our brand voice."

Developing Your Gamification Platform

If you're considering implementing a gamification system, remember that authenticity is key. At RISK, we developed our platform in-house over several months, ensuring it reflected our unique culture and values. "Your platform should feel like a natural extension of your company culture, not a forced corporate initiative," Helen advises. "It's about creating a mature ecosystem where both the company and employees thrive."

The program shouldn't focus on work functionalities—instead, create opportunities to recognize those special moments when employees go above and beyond. Our platform includes a comprehensive list of activities through which employees can contribute and earn RISKoins—our internal currency. Whether it's mentoring colleagues, participating in community initiatives, or sharing knowledge, each activity has a specific RISKoin value attached to it.

"The beauty of this system lies in its transparency," Helen explains. "Everyone can see exactly how many RISKoins they can earn for different contributions. From writing a blog post about their professional experience to speaking at industry events, or even organizing internal knowledge-sharing sessions—each activity is valued and rewarded accordingly."

These earned RISKoins can then be exchanged for exclusive corporate merchandise, creating a tangible reward system that celebrates contribution. "We've put significant thought into our merchandise strategy," Helen continues. "These aren't just generic corporate gifts—they're specially designed items that our people actually want to use and show off. What makes our merch special is that it can't be bought—it can only be earned through active participation and achievement in our gamification system."

The exclusive merchandise collection has become a symbol of achievement within RISK, with each piece telling a story of personal growth and contribution to the company's success. "When you see someone wearing or using one of our exclusive items, you know they've accomplished something meaningful," Helen notes. "It's a visible reminder of their commitment to going above and beyond, and their role in building our company culture."

Building Trust Through Transparency 

Your gamification program should create a transparent environment where everyone becomes visible. At RISK, we've established a clear connection between contribution and recognition. When employees go beyond their daily responsibilities, they earn exclusive opportunities and rewards that reflect their commitment to our shared success.

"Think of it as creating a stage where every employee can shine," Helen explains. "When you recognize and celebrate individual contributions, you inspire others to step forward and share their stories too. But it's not just about recognition—it's about creating genuine value for both the company and our people."

Evolving Through Feedback: A Living Program

At RISK, we understand that a successful gamification program must be flexible and responsive to participant needs. "This isn't a rigid system set in stone," Helen emphasizes. "We're constantly gathering feedback and adapting our approach based on what resonates with our people."

The program's adaptability has become one of its greatest strengths. When employees suggest new ways to contribute or different types of recognition they'd value, we listen and implement changes. This responsive approach ensures the program remains relevant and engaging while meeting both company and employee needs.

"Our people are our best source of innovation," Helen shares. "They understand what motivates them and their colleagues better than anyone. By staying open to their suggestions, we've discovered new opportunities for recognition and engagement that we hadn't initially considered."

The program is still in its early stages, but the results have been remarkable. "The enthusiasm we're seeing is incredible," Helen notes. "It's beautiful to watch people discover their voice and share their RISK journey with pride. This isn't about corporate messaging—it's about real people sharing real experiences."

"We're creating something special here," Helen reflects. "It's not just about points and rewards—it's about building a community where everyone feels empowered to share their story. When our people succeed, when they grow, when they achieve something meaningful—we want them to feel proud and supported in sharing those moments."

"This is just the beginning," Helen concludes. "As more RISKers discover their voice and share their experiences, we're seeing a beautiful ripple effect. Our people are becoming our greatest storytellers, not because we asked them to, but because they genuinely want to share their journey. That's the kind of authentic advocacy that no marketing campaign could ever buy."

At RISK, we're proving that when you create a culture of genuine recognition and empowerment, brand advocacy follows naturally. Our gamification program isn't just changing how we engage with our employees—it's transforming how our story is told to the world, one authentic voice at a time.

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