Investigate the source of each account
Test the initial explanation of employee perceptions before choosing an engagement response. A leadership team's brief reflects internal discussions and assumptions, so treat its account of the problem as a starting point rather than a settled diagnosis.
In a maritime engineering brand-perception project, internal stakeholder interviews revealed contrasting accounts. Many employees described the company as trusted and dependable. Almost a third of those interviewed described it as arrogant, expensive, uninnovative and slow to deliver, and said customers were looking elsewhere. Nearly all employees expressing the negative account had previously worked for the company's nearest competitor. Follow-up interviews established that the negative narrative had been cultivated as competitive propaganda. Identifying its origin helped guide the strategy towards employee engagement.
Ask employees what they believe about the brand, then investigate how those beliefs developed. Ragan Communications reported in 2025 that International explored what the Navistar and International names meant to employees, customers and dealers before its rebrand, with employee sentiment informing the messaging and tone of internal communications.