Fuelling business growth from within

Over the past decade, the balance of power in the marketplace shifted significantly towards consumers, primarily due to the proliferation of readily accessible information through social media, technological advancements, and consumer activism. For marketers, all eyes have been on the customer to power the growth of their business.

But more recently, it’s employees that have become critical in fueling business growth and enhancing brand reputation. Our latest CEO Report showed that for CEOs, employees are the number one stakeholder and customers, a very close second. Leadership teams have come to recognize that staffing is more than hiring. A high-performance organization doesn’t merely recruit and hire employees. It actively orients them to the culture and goals of the organization and turns them from outsiders into insiders and advocates.

Pivoting to empower internal stakeholders

Tasked with driving growth—among many other responsibilities—marketers have adapted to this new paradigm just as they have to their expanding role over the years. Internal stakeholders are now valued as much as external audiences, with employees recognized as key contributors to customer satisfaction and business success.

Just as marketers adapted to the rise of the empowered consumer, they have shifted to engage the empowered workforce—leveraging their strengths in audience insight, storytelling, communication, and digital enablement.

Take Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), where CMO Joe Paluska is shaping culture as a foundation for business success—keeping a highly skilled team engaged and motivated despite long-term horizons, all while doubling the workforce every 18–24 months.

Spun out of MIT in 2018, CFS made history in 2021 by successfully testing a “beta” magnet, securing a record-breaking $1.8 billion Series B. In under two years, the company transformed a 60-acre field into its headquarters, a magnet factory, and SPARC—its fusion pilot power plant—all while rapidly scaling its workforce and embedding a strong culture. With employees driven by a shared purpose and the potential for world-changing impact, Paluska has created immersive, multi-sensory experiences that turn everyday moments into extraordinary ones. This investment keeps teams aligned, enhances credibility, and ensures the organization’s internal values reflect its external mission.

During this crucial time, employees aren’t just part of the business—they’re driving its growth.

Aligning employee and customer experience

The alignment between EX and CX is essential for organizational success. A brand’s promise to customers can only be fulfilled when its employees are fully engaged and aligned with the company’s mission and values. CMOs recognize that a poor EX directly impacts customer satisfaction and brand perception. By ensuring employees are connected to the brand’s purpose, CMOs help strengthen both internal morale and the external brand image.

A tipping point for culture

The marketer’s charge has come to encompass building employee advocacy and brand ambassadors, enhancing customer service in line with the brand promise, adopting and integrating advanced technologies that improve communication clarity, and implementing programs that acknowledge and reward employees for exemplifying company and brand values to foster a culture of appreciation.

Another tipping point in business has arrived for business leaders. By fostering empowerment, providing advanced tools, and acknowledging contributions, CMOs can enhance both employee satisfaction and customer experiences, leading to growth and sustained success.