Everyone likes to be appreciated and recognised for their triumphs and successes. This is because recognition serves as a positive affirmation. When employees are recognised for their achievements and contributions, they are driven to be more engaged and achieve more.
However, on the other hand, underappreciating employees can be detrimental to an organisation. One of the primary reasons employees quit is because of underappreciation. Studies show that 66% of employees who do not feel appreciated quit their jobs. This is especially the case for millennials.
Hence, your company must give your employees the recognition they deserve and what better way to do this than to have an employee spotlight?
What is an Employee Spotlight?
An employee profile or spotlight is compelling content that highlights an employee’s accomplishments, anniversaries, successes, personality, background etc.
It showcases your employees and puts them front and centre for everyone to appreciate and take note of.
The benefits of employee spotlight
Employee spotlight brings several benefits to the organization both internally and externally. Internally, they are:
Internally
- They give your employees exposure among their colleagues and recognition for their efforts
- They motivate your employees to work harder and continue to give their best
- With teams working remotely, they are an effective way for you to share what is happening within the company
- Employee spotlights can help build stronger interpersonal relationships within the company
- They can lead to higher engagement and better collaboration among colleagues
- They can help build a positive company culture of appreciation and mutual respect within your organisation
Externally
Employee spotlight brings several benefits to the organisation externally. They are:
- Spotlights can help convert a job-scouting candidate from passively interested to an engaged job applicant
- They can add a fascinating new dimension to your employer branding story
- They can be used as marketing material for your company, during recruitment, client/ customer engagement etc. (as they are more authentic than marketing fluff produced by the organisation)
- They can humanise your company and help clients and customers have more faith and confidence in it
- They can give a sneak-peak into your company culture
Fun and Exciting Ways to Create Employee Spotlights that your Team will Love
Employee spotlight serves to retain your best talent and increase productivity. It can also serve as an excellent tool for your employer branding and a method for attracting new talent and standing out from the competition.
1. Employee Spotlights on Social Media
This is a popular way of creating employee spotlights and does not require too much investment and time. Get a nice pic of the employee, get them to write a comment in a line or two and post it on all the company’s social media pages (with all the relevant hashtags) for all the company’s followers to see. It is as simple as that. A simple social media shout-out can go a long way in making the employee feel special and appreciated.
2. Videos that Highlight Employees
Videos are one of the highest consumed formats of content. Hence, videos make effective employee spotlights. However, some employees may be shy to be on a video. But for those who are ok with it, it is an excellent way to go. You can get someone from your company who can shoot and edit a simple video to handle the job, or you could even get a professional to do it- if your budget allows.
3. Spotlights through Podcasts
Podcasts are also a great way to create an employee spotlight and are ideal for listening instead of watching. However, like a video, this takes a bit of preparation in terms of what questions you will cover in the podcast and what you want your employee to communicate while sharing their story.
Since this is purely audio, make it as fun and enjoyable as you can. The great thing about both videos and podcasts is that they can be converted into blog posts and used for other platforms when required.
4. Blog Spotlights
This is one of the easiest ways to create an employee spotlight.
All you have to do is either come up with a series of relevant questions for your employee to answer and create a short blog post out of this or get your employee to write a post themselves. You could even get a superior or another colleague to write a short article about the employee who is being appreciated. This can also be shortened and shared on some social media platforms.
5. Annual or Quarterly Recognitions
Having small events once a month/quarter or even a big event annually where you showcase your employees is also a great way to do an employee spotlight. Get them upfront and centre or on stage and let them tell their story or even answer questions and engage with other colleagues.
Things to remember when creating spotlights
- Every person in the organisation should get a fair chance to be in the spotlight- not just upper management or prominent employees.
- Make special efforts to recognise the unsung heroes and people not customarily taken notice of- after all, every person plays a vital role in your organisation.
- Try and create a spotlight to celebrate the employee’s achievements as soon as possible- celebrating old achievements does not hold much meaning.
- Try and choose a format that your audience typically uses- try and gain maximum reach when sharing a spotlight.
- Sometimes, having a professional handle the spotlights for your company can be worth the cost.
Conclusion
Your employees need to feel appreciated to keep up the excellent work and stay engaged.
Maintaining a healthy and positive relationship with your employees is necessary to build a sustainable organisation. Appreciation creates mutual respect between employers and employees, which creates better working relationships in the long run and contributes to improving overall productivity. Hence, employee spotlights work both for the employee as well as the company.
If you do not have an employee spotlight programme, you should consider starting one as it is worth the effort.
Now it is your turn! If you have any ideas on how employee spotlights can be done fun and innovatively, let us know. Leave us a comment. We will be delighted to hear from you.
