About the Episode
Have you been looking for ways to foster positive cultural change at your institution? This episode is for you. Our guest expert, Frederick Martin highlights the pivotal role of employee culture in shaping a brand's reputation. The 'Great Resignation’ taught us not to wait on culture and employee experience—losing valuable talent puts your institution's brand at risk. Listen in for invaluable insights and practical steps that empower you, as a marketer, to lead cultural change within your institution, fostering a more vibrant, engaged, and resilient community.
Key Takeaways
- Employee experience is the foundation of institutional success: A positive employee experience drives better student outcomes and reinforces the institution’s brand.
- Brand and culture must align: The lived experiences of employees should reflect the institution’s values and mission to avoid disconnects that harm reputation and retention.
- Ask what you don’t know about your culture: Start with identifying gaps in your understanding of the existing culture and use this as a foundation for transformation.
- Marketers can drive culture through storytelling: Marketers can craft compelling narratives that align institutional values with authentic employee experiences.
- Start small, but stay deliberate: Begin with achievable initiatives and use intentionality to scale efforts institution-wide.
- Use data to guide and measure transformation: Combine qualitative insights from focus groups with metrics like net promoter scores to track cultural health.
Episode Summary
Why Culture Matters in Higher Ed
Frederick Martin underscores the critical role of culture in shaping employee experience and, by extension, institutional success. While higher ed often prioritizes student experience, Frederick highlights the importance of focusing on employees, especially amid challenges like the "great resignation." He explains that a misaligned culture—where the institutional brand doesn’t match employees’ day-to-day realities—creates dissatisfaction and turnover, particularly among top talent. For marketers, this disconnect poses significant risks to brand credibility.
The Link Between Culture and Brand
Culture and brand are deeply intertwined. A strong brand might attract talent, but if the internal culture doesn’t deliver on the promise, employees will leave, often sharing their negative experiences publicly or within their networks. Frederick emphasizes the importance of aligning brand messaging with the lived experiences of employees, ensuring that every part of the institution—from leadership to HR—fosters a cohesive, values-driven culture.
How Marketers Can Lead Cultural Transformation
Frederick identifies storytelling as a key tool for marketers to support cultural change. By gathering qualitative and quantitative data, marketers can create narratives that authentically represent the institution’s culture. Videos, testimonials, and compelling content can highlight the human side of the organization, fostering emotional connections with potential employees and reinforcing internal alignment.
However, marketers shouldn’t go it alone. Collaboration with HR, leadership, and other stakeholders is essential to ensure culture change initiatives are well-supported and sustainable.
Strategies for Effective Cultural Transformation
- Start with the Unknown: Focus on what you don’t know about the institution’s culture. Conduct focus groups or use third-party assessments to gain unbiased insights.
- Resist Tradition for Tradition’s Sake: Avoid leaning on legacy practices and assumptions that may no longer serve the institution’s goals.
- Use Data as a Compass: Measure employee sentiment with tools like net promoter scores and use cultural assessments to identify actionable gaps.
- Be Deliberate and Collaborative: Start small, align stakeholders, and build initiatives that reflect shared values and goals.
Success Stories and Lessons from UVA
Frederick shares a case study from UVA’s HR transformation, where deliberate efforts to address cultural challenges raised their net promoter score from 50% to over 85%. This success, he notes, came from intentionality, collaboration, and a commitment to aligning practices with values.
About the Guest
Fredrick holds the esteemed position of Sr. Director for Change Management at the University of Virginia. In this role, he spearheads the development and execution of change management strategies, with an emphasis on transforming Human Resources within both the Academic Division and Health System.
Boasting over 15 years of expertise in fostering business and cultural change in large, intricate, and multi-dimensional organizations, Fredrick is a trusted figure in the industry. His previous tenure as the Master Change Agent for Ascension Health—a leading non-profit faith-based healthcare system encompassing over 2600 care sites, 151 hospitals, and a workforce of 130,000 across the U.S.—saw him craft and roll out pivotal change management tactics that addressed both local and nationwide concerns. Fredrick's leadership has been instrumental in reshaping organizational cultures, enhancing patient accessibility, ensuring patient-centric care, and elevating the overall employee experience.
Academically, he holds a BS degree and an MBA from the University of Phoenix, an Executive Master's in Healthcare Leadership from Cornell University, and he proudly carries the title of a certified Master Change Agent.
About the Enrollify Podcast Network
The Enrollify Podcast is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Our podcast network is growing by the month and we’ve got a plethora of marketing, admissions, and higher ed technology shows that are jam-packed with stories, ideas, and frameworks all designed to empower you to be a better higher ed professional.
Our shows feature a selection of the industry’s best as your hosts. Learn from Jaime Hunt, Allison Turcio, Dayana Kibilds, Dustin Ramsdell, Terry Flannery, Mallory Willsea, and many more.
Learn more about The Enrollify Podcast Network at podcasts.enrollify.org. Our shows help higher ed marketers and admissions professionals find their next big idea — come and find yours!
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