Sept. 28, 2026

#102: How to Build an Employee Creator Program ft. Heike Young

Show Notes

Most employee creator programs start in the wrong place. Companies focus on getting as many employees posting as possible, hand them approved links and captions, and call it employee advocacy. That may create activity, but it does not create thought leadership.

After leading content and social media at Salesforce and Microsoft, Heike Young believes companies should move beyond copy-and-paste advocacy and invest in a smaller group of committed employee creators.

In this episode, Heike joins Rhona to explain how to build an employee creator program around clear business goals. They discuss how to choose creators across roles, seniority levels, and regions, what motivates employees to participate, and why companies need to provide training, time, recognition, and clear expectations.

They also dig into the infrastructure companies often skip, including updated social media policies, job descriptions, content usage after an employee leaves, and collaboration between HR, marketing, and communications.

Heike also breaks down her people-generated content model, which connects employees, industry creators, and customers to one broader brand strategy.

For companies trying to build an employee creator program without turning employees into extensions of the corporate account, this conversation lays out what needs to be in place first.

What You’ll Learn:

How to define your goals before selecting employee creators
How to choose creators across roles, seniority levels, and regions
What motivates employees beyond direct financial compensation
Why training, tools, recognition, and community keep creators involved
How to make content creation part of someone’s actual role
What companies should decide about content usage before employees leave
How employees, industry creators, and customers can support one content strategy

Resources Mentioned: