Public relations and communications is not only what you show to the outside world through press releases, your website or CSR projects. Although this is all important to create and maintain a certain image, there is another crucial part that is forgotten or overlooked all too often: the inside opinion. What the staff think of their company and its leadership impacts a business’ image and its performance in several ways of which the article below outlines the four main ones.
Employee Retention
The most obvious way leadership can impact employees is by making them stay or go. Today it is known that transformative leadership, a style where department heads and managers let staff take part in decision making, encourage them to voice ideas and actively train them to build their skillsets, is the most effective when it comes to keeping staff, especially rising stars, on the team. Studies have shown that when people feel they are moving along and developing at their job they are more committed, creative and motivated to work hard. Over time this can lead to a strong and well-established team, reduced turnover and consequently reduced recruitment and training costs.
Growth and Performance
If team leaders and department heads let staff express their thoughts, make them part of important decisions and give them tasks that make them feel more important and valued, this creates an environment full of stimulation, growth and creativity. Employees will happily rise to the challenges they are presented with and see themselves as an important part of the team. They will also feel more inclined to share thoughts and suggestions, something that could lead to a new product or service being developed or a persistent problem finally being solved. This, in turn, can lead to increased profits and boost a company’s image as innovative and forward thinking, making them the go-to partner for potential clients.
Internal Reputation
Employees talk to each other. They share what kind of projects they are working on, how it’s going and what their leadership is doing to help or make things more difficult. If your staff feel stimulated and valued, are working on interesting tasks and feel they are supported by their managers and division heads, they will share this with their colleagues and end up motivating and encouraging each other. This contributes to the positive environment at work and continues to keep people engaged and willing to do their best to move the company and their team forward.
This works in the other direction too. If people think they don’t have their management behind them or are feeling stifled by the lack of interest in their ideas and suggestions, they will talk about it to each other. This can quickly build a negative internal reputation which in turn will undermine management and adversely affect performance, productivity and employee retention.
Public Reputation
Of course, employees talk to people outside the company they work in as well. This can include industry colleagues and outsiders such as friends and family members. What they say can have a very strong impact on how people see the business as staff experience and opinions can be more believable than the PR department’s expertly crafted communications.
In an age where people want to buy from and work with firms which are known to treat their staff well, this can be a vital point to boost your reputation and increase your reach. It’s also a great way to attract new talent. Job seekers looking for a challenge and have heard of the great atmosphere and potential for growth and development in your organization will line up to join your ranks.
To raise awareness of the importance of good leadership and give professionals the tools they need to build this vital skill, Midas PR Group has partnered with Singapore-based investor and best-selling author Kenneth Kam as well as with visionary life-coach, public speaker and former CEO of Lalique USA, Guillaume Gauthereau. Together they will host the first-ever Elevating Purpose Summit in Bangkok, Thailand at the Westin Grande Sukhumvit, on Tuesday, November 7, 2017.
At this event, executives can learn new ways to overcome the challenges they face in their senior management positions, how to create an aligned purpose for the good of all within their organizations and how to get the buy-in of all within the company.