In
an era where social media plays a decisive role in shaping corporate
reputation, many organisations continue to struggle with a persistent
challenge: employees remain largely disengaged from participating in their
company’s digital narrative. While this is often attributed to fear of making
mistakes or lack of social media skills, experts suggest the root cause lies
deeper—employees are not sufficiently involved in the company’s vision.

“Employee
disengagement on social media is rarely a communication problem—it is a vision
problem,” said Pavan Kaushik, Co-Founder, Gurukshetra Consultancy. “When
employees are not involved in shaping or understanding the company’s vision,
they lack the emotional ownership required to advocate for the brand publicly.
Social media participation is an outcome of belief, not instruction.”

Employees
are most effective advocates when they clearly understand why the organisation
exists, where it is headed, and how their individual roles contribute to that
journey. When vision remains limited to leadership discussions, presentations,
or annual strategy documents, employees often experience work as transactional
rather than purposeful. This disconnect weakens engagement and directly affects
voluntary behaviours such as social media participation.

“Employees
speak up only when they feel connected to where the organisation is headed and
confident that their voice aligns with its purpose. They are part of the growth
story,” Kaushik added.

Fear
is frequently cited as a key barrier to employee advocacy, but Kaushik believes
it is largely a symptom of deeper disengagement. Without clarity of vision,
employees worry about misrepresenting the organisation or saying the wrong
thing online. In such environments, silence becomes the safest option.

“No
policy, incentive, or advocacy tool can substitute genuine engagement. If the
vision remains limited to leadership decks and boardrooms, employees will
remain spectators rather than storytellers,” he said.

To
address this challenge, Kaushik emphasised the importance of structured and
consistent internal engagement mechanisms. Regular leadership-led town halls,
open forums, and interactive strategy sessions allow employees to not only hear
the vision but also question, interpret, and internalise it. 

“Vision
must be a continuous conversation, not a one-time announcement,” Kaushik
noted. “Regular town halls, cross-functional discussions, and leadership
storytelling help employees see themselves in the organisation’s future.”

He
also highlighted the role of managers as vision carriers, encouraging two-way
communication and helping employees contextualise the company’s purpose within
their own roles. Recognising employee contributions and creating safe
guidelines for social media engagement further build confidence.

“True
brand advocacy begins when employees see the company’s success as an extension
of their own professional identity and they are part of growth story,”
Kaushik said.

As
organisations invest heavily in external branding and digital marketing,
experts argue that equal attention must be given to internal alignment. “In
today’s digital economy, vision is not just a leadership statement—it is a
shared narrative,” Kaushik concluded. “When employees feel involved in
that narrative, social media engagement becomes organic, credible, and
powerful.”

For
companies seeking stronger digital visibility, the message is clear: before
asking employees to amplify the brand, ensure they are genuinely connected to
the vision behind it.