Getting the Most Out of Your Employees

I’ve found that some of the most successful organizations are the ones that distribute recognition throughout their company. Remarkable corporations stand out by not only accelerating in revenue and growth, but by displaying team-oriented qualities and acknowledging their employee’s individual contributions to their industry by portraying them as experts in the field.

Here’s an example - typically when companies are featured in the media, it’s a member of the executive level that is the elected author. While positive exposure is great, those companies are not revealing their true depth. Organizations are comprised of employees possessing exceptional knowledge and expertise in many arenas that should be shared with other industry professionals. Withholding your greatest assets from educating others in their field is one of the biggest opportunities for building leadership and recognition a company can miss out on.

So when the opportunity presents itself, try highlighting various other personnel in your company in things like media releases to showcase the large number of expert sources in your organization, not just executive personnel. This also makes businesses appear larger since the President or CEO’s name is not the only one showing up in the press. Spreading the wealth and giving recognition to others is also a phenomenal way to demonstrate their expertise while also validating that talent can come from all levels within a company.

Moreover, by spotlighting different employees, you are giving yourself an advantage over your competitors by displaying your depth and greatest assets, which other organizations rarely do. A good way to make this part of the regular routine is to organize monthly meetings where employees and management can brainstorm ideas, discuss on-going projects and article topics. This not only allows for greater company involvement, but is another way to show respect to your employees by acknowledging that you value their thoughts and opinions enough for them to represent your company in the public eye.

Recognition of staff members goes a long way, not only in PR efforts, but also for internal morale and productivity. The impact can be very positive and long-lasting, and costs little more than leveraging the talent that already exists within your organization. It’s truly one of the best “win-win” scenarios around.

About the author: Alyson Rybar is the Program Manager for Stalwart Communications, a San Diego-based PR and Marketing firm that delivers measurable results through the Pay-on-Performance model. Clients include Red Door Interactive, Sport Clips, TV Ears, Sentek Consulting, Certona, San Diego News Network and Groovy Like A Movie. E-mail her at alyson@stalwartcom.com or follow on Twitter at http://twitter.com/arybar.