Investigate where different accounts come from
Conflicting employee accounts of a brand need follow-up, not an immediate choice about which version to accept. In a project for a maritime engineering firm, internal stakeholder interviews explored a brand-perception problem that leadership wanted to change. Many employees described the company as trusted and dependable. Almost a third of those interviewed described it as arrogant, expensive, lacking in innovation and slow to deliver, and said customers were taking their business elsewhere.
Nearly all the employees giving the negative account had previously worked for the company's nearest competitor. Follow-up interviews revealed that the negative perception had been cultivated as competitive propaganda. Identifying where the account came from helped guide the strategy towards employee engagement.
Use employee interviews to explore both what people believe and how they came to believe it. When accounts conflict, investigate the experiences and previous employment behind them before treating confident assertions as a straightforward account of customer experience.