Cultivating Employee Evangelists

Recruiting and retaining a qualified and effective workforce can be challenging within the limitations of any sector. But many executives overlook their greatest asset in this effort - their employees. Employees who feel appreciated will naturally talk about their employer and the jobs they enjoy to their families, friends and colleagues. Internal communications plays a vital role in fostering this positive employee satisfaction.

On June 19, Sarah Lane (Internal Communications manager for the Office of the Attorney General) and I shared easy and inexpensive tips from our office's internal communications efforts to help communicators from any size organization make solid connections across their staff.

Key takeaways from our presentation:

• Help employees embrace change by:
  -- Listening to your employees
  -- Demonstrating commitment to them
  -- Engaging top leadership
• Recognize employee achievement:
  -- Set high standards
  -- Reward excellence
• Keep employees informed & maintain high morale:
  -- Develop connections
  -- Encourage innovation
  -- Demonstrate respect