Is your company among the best places to work in Indiana?  PRSA Hoosier Chapter members recently had the opportunity to learn from a panel of current Indiana Chamber Best Places to Work in Indiana winners, as well as from Tom Schuman, Indiana Chamber of Commerce vice president, communications, about best practices for employee engagement and internal communications to create Best Places cultures.

What is employee engagement?
Employee engagement, as noted by many in the audience, seems to be the buzz term du jour in communications. But what does employee engagement really mean? The consensus from this panel was that employees who are engaged in their work are enthusiastic about their jobs. This enthusiasm leads to employees who proactively address problems within the company and enjoy working with their colleagues to find solutions.

According to the Gallup Research 2012 Q12 Meta-Analysis of Employees, employee engagement affects nine performance outcomes. Among those are absenteeism, quality incidents, and productivity. In comparing business units that scored in the bottom quartile of employee engagement with those at the top, Gallup found:

• 37 percent lower absenteeism
• 41 percent fewer quality incidents
• 21 percent higher productivity

Employee engagement can improve these and other key performance areas for businesses. So how do managers and communications professionals foster employee engagement? The panelists at the event shared their methods for creating a culture of employee engagement. For example, many companies have a culture committee; however, the committee needs to be comprised of outgoing members to be successful. The culture committee members should serve as the internal ambassadors within the organization, drawing on their internal networks to share information and gather feedback.

The panelists also discussed the need to create fun events to alleviate tension and to incorporate employee families into the culture of the workplace. Some of the ideas shared were a family day at a local sporting event, a beanbag toss tournament and an unexpected catered lunch or treat. Members of the audience noted that some of these events are met with cynicism by employees. The panelists pointed out that the fun events should be built around a project completion or other achievement to alleviate employee cynicism.

Employee communication was also an important tenant of engagement for the panelists. Many companies have implemented intranets or other digital communication systems; however, the traditional tactics of break room posters and print newsletters should not be ignored. The panelists emphasized the importance of sharing the company message across multiple platforms in order to meet the needs of various employees with differing work styles. The importance of communication with management and its impact on corporate culture is further evidenced by the fact that communication is among the core focus areas of the Best Places survey.

Employee engagement will continue to be a hot topic for communications professionals, as more employers will want to take advantage of the benefits of an engaged employee base. Thanks to the Indiana Chamber for facilitating this panel discussion.

Making Your Company a Best Place to Work Through Employee Engagement Panelists:

• Tom Schuman, vice president, communications – Indiana Chamber of Commerce
• Chris Olson, chief operations and HR officer – Blue & Company
• Josh Woody, director of HR and recruiting – BlueSky Technology Partners
• Jon Loftin, president – MJ Insurance

Learn more about the Best Places to Work in Indiana program at www.bestplacestoworkIN.com and learn more about PRSA Hoosier Chapter Professional Development at http://prsahoosier.org/events-page/other-prof-dev/.

Do you have a best practice for employee engagement that you would like to share? Please post it in the comments.

The luncheon will begin with a 15-minute presentation about why and how to conduct focus groups. After lunch is served, representatives from 8-10 nonprofits – one at each table – will present their tablemates with a research issue. Perhaps it’s that they’re seeking qualitative or quantitative data and just don’t know where to start; they’re looking for new ideas to collect data; or hoping to iron out issues with existing efforts.

One representative from each nonprofit selected will receive free luncheon registration ($25 for members, $40 for guests).

Want to be considered? Fill out this application form (AdvocacyApplication) and submit it to Kristen Fuhs Wells (kwells@indianahumanities.org), Hoosier Chapter advocacy director, by Friday, March 15.

We will notify the selected organizations by Friday, March 22. If luncheon registration numbers are higher than expected, we may contact additional organizations and invite a representative to participate.

Questions about the luncheon or application?  E-mail Kristen Fuhs Wells at kwells@indianahumanities.org or call 317.435.3095.

Thank you for your participation.

I recently had a new client express his happiness at getting his press release picked up by so many industry websites. His usual experience was that one or two might run his release. I believe the main reason his story had so many pickups this time was because it was written using the AP Stylebook.  AP is the journalism standard. If your story is one that an editor can just copy and paste, it has a much better chance than one that needs editing. With so much content online, there is a constant need for fresh news, and this is an opportunity for our clients. Editors don’t have time to rewrite everything submitted, and one of the most fundamental things we must do is ensure we are following AP guidelines.

Since standards evolve, it’s important to buy an updated book whenever it comes out, or better yet, register for the online stylebook at www.apstylebook.com.  This way, you receive the latest updates and can receive email updates of any changes. I write almost every day in my job, and I still use the guide constantly because I know I don’t know everything. It’s not prudent to just use what you’ve seen others do. There are other stylebooks, but in journalism and PR, we use the AP, so it is the final authority.

Here are six common mistakes I see:

• Nonprofit is correct and so is not-for-profit.
• It’s a website, but it’s found on the Web.
• It’s President John Doe, but John Doe is president of the company.
• You receive a Bachelor of Arts in journalism, but you have a bachelor’s degree (It’s also correct to have a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism).
• It’s OK in AP, but it is not okay.
• Do not capitalize a Word just because you think it’s important—all nouns are not created equal.

Feel free to add your own to the list.

I am an advocate for research at the beginning of a project and in the corresponding evaluation research at its conclusion. The recent session “The Value of PR: Analysis, Measurement and Metrics for the 21^st Century” (presented by PRSA Hoosier Chapter’s Professional Development Committee on October 23^rd) raised the level of awareness on measuring PR and educated seminar participants on how vital it is to our industry.

From die-hard champions of research to those just starting to measure their campaigns’ effectiveness, the learning opportunity provided industry-wide standards, case studies and tools to use in our practices every day. If you could not attend, here are key points on measurement you missed:

• Shared knowledge from Ketchum Global Research and Analytics, complete with a white paper shared at the recent national PRSA conference.
• Review of the Barcelona Principles and the role they play in guiding all industries toward standardized measurement.
• Encouragement to visit www.AMECorg.com to learn more about international standards on measurements and evaluation.
• Reasons why we must guide our clients and fellow PR practitioners away from evaluating public relations programs by equating them with paid media.
• Readiness to measure outcomes of a campaign and not outputs.
• A presentation of three thorough case studies from Miller Brooks (Zionsville) representatives.
• Case studies that offered key tools to measure outcomes of a PR campaign and how to do it with cost and time management in mind.
•  Guidance from Rebecca Deemer, Director of the PR Program at University of Indianapolis, on how to create a better survey to evaluate a program.
• A plan of action on how to develop a theme for a survey, construct questions, and elevate questions to a standard level.
• How and why a better survey provides PR professionals with true tools to evaluate and help improve campaigns and programs.
• A reminder by all presenters was echoed throughout the session: If you are not going to measure it? Do not do it!

I readily admit that the above does not do justice to the wealth of information each presenter provided the more than 30 PR professionals who were lucky enough to attend. Hopefully, the above bullet points challenge you or your organization to re-examine what and how you measure.

I encourage you to find someone who was there and take the opportunity to quiz them on what they learned from the seminar.

This summer, PRSA Chapters, Districts and Sections are invited to submit  pro bono and community service campaigns for up to $2,500 in prizes. PRSA Chapters are also invited to work with a local Rebuilding Together Affiliate on campaigns. For more than 30 years, Rebuilding Together has provided extensive home rehabilitation and modification services to homeowners in-need.

For more information, including available prize amounts, tip sheets and a link to contact your local Rebuilding Together Affiliate, visit the PRServing America™ website. Submission Deadline – Aug. 31, 2012.

As part of the Hoosier Chapter’s commitment to the community and local non-profit organizations, luncheon attendees will brainstorm ideas to assist representatives from local non-profits improve their special events.

The luncheon will begin with a 15-minute presentation about special event planning from a well-known local event planning firm. After lunch is served, representatives from eight Indy-area non-profit organizations – one at each table – will present their tablemates with their special event issues, whether they’re looking for new ideas or hoping to iron out issues with existing annual events. Attendees will brainstorm ways for the non-profit to tweak their event plans.

One representative from each chosen non-profit organization will receive free luncheon registration.

Want to be considered? Fill out this application form and submit it to Andrea Farmer (andrea.farmer@borshoff.biz), Hoosier Chapter advocacy director, by Friday, Aug. 17.
We will notify the selected organizations by Friday, Aug. 31. If our luncheon registration numbers are higher than expected, we may contact additional organizations and invite a representative to participate.

Questions about the luncheon or application? E-mail andrea.farmer@borshoff.biz or call 317.631.6400.

Sponsor: Bandy Carroll Hellige

Luncheon Announcements:

• Exciting news: Hoosier Chapter has a new College of Fellows member – Julie Vincent, APR, Fellow, PRSA, and former president of our chapter.
• Volunteers Needed: Judging chapter award programs is handled by a
  reciprocal agreement between chapters. We need a number of people to help. Please call Linda Jackson, APR, if you’d like to help judge! Great way to network and brainstorm. Sessions right now are scheduled at the Borshoff office downtown from 5 to 8 PM Thursday, August 9 and Monday thru Friday, August 13 thru 17.
• Membership Promotion: Interested in joining PRSA? Join PRSA during July or August and have your $60 Hoosier Chapter fee waived! To take advantage of the special offer, use promotion code SUMMER12 when filling out your membership
  application at prsa.org. National membership dues are $255 annually plus a $65 initiation fee. Questions? Contact Diana Nolting, our chapter’s Director of Membership.

Next Luncheon: Join us in August as we go racing. Our August 8th luncheon will feature a panel of auto racing PR experts: Doug Boles from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Mike Kitchel from Panther Racing and Curt Cavin from The Star. We will learn how the three entities work together to create an engaging and informative month of May, how the 2011 passing of Dan Wheldon impacted the 2012 season and how in a market of declining viewers they keep racing relevant and personalities engaging. Please note that our location for August will change, we will share the new location as plans finalize. Details - http://prsahoosier.org/ev/august-2012-luncheon/

Introducing our next continuing education event: Teching It Up –The Latest and Greatest Technology for PR Professionals

Schedule of Events below: 

5 – 5:30 p.m. – Welcome, networking and dinner

5:30 – 6:25 p.m. – Keynote: Brand Management in the Digital Age (Presenter:
Eric “Ike” Eicher, IKECONIC/MediaFuel )
Find out how to holistically leverage digital tools (i.e. mobile, tablet, video, websites, microsites, and social media integration) into your business strategy and communication with a keynote that will discuss utilizing traditional channels as drivers into digital platforms; explore current trends, facts, and figures in the digital world; and feature new technology and how to use it, including iBooks, mobile app development, and changes in
the social media landscape.

6:35 – 7:10 p.m. – Don’t Trust Social Media Experts (Presenter: Despi Ross, Despi Ross Web Consulting)
Walk away from this session with actionable steps to improve your social media strategy for your own business and your clients’. By focusing instead on targeted audiences and clearly defined goals, a more effective and much less expensive plan can be built using simple tools you already have on your computer (or can get for free). In this session, we will break down the process, identify the tools and construct a plan for building a social media strategy that is adaptable, affordable and effective.

7:20 – 7:55 p.m. – Adopting Modern Technology to Increase Productivity
(Presenter: Mike Reynolds, SpinWeb)
Step up your productivity output in the workplace by conquering new technologies and reframing new platforms and applications into existing, easy-to-understand paradigms. Discover new techniques through live demonstrations of radical productivity from existing systems and introducing new technology to any audience.

7:55 – 8 p.m. – Closing

Additional Info:

APR:
This seminar is worth one APR credit for those who are working to maintain APR status.

Cost:
$10 students, $20 PRSA members, $30 guests

Location:
Franklin University of Ohio
8415 Allison Pointe Blvd.
Indianapolis, IN 46250

Registration:
Deadline to register is Wednesday, July 25 

The one and a half day conference marks the first time the Midwest has offered this opportunity for PRSA members and it comes at a very competitive price. Learn more about the conference on their website. We hope to see you there!