In a previous column (Don't make them sink or swim), I explained the new-employee orientation that I personally conduct for everyone who joins our company. Another way we develop our company culture (and integrate new employees) is through our monthly newsletter.
We launched the newsletter called The Airbag in May 1997, and I’m proud to say we haven’t missed a month. Part of our culture is building consistency within all aspects of our operation, so I’d view it almost as a sign of weakness if we didn’t consistently produce it. We have more than 150 employees, including some who have been with the company since 1997 (and some even longer), and they now know they can expect to see the newsletter every month. The Air Bag has morphed into an almost-iconic representation of the company. It’s more than just information. It symbolizes stability and consistency within our organization.
We’ve always produced the newsletter in-house. It was something I personally worked on for many years. About three years ago, I was fortunate enough to be able to turn responsibility for it over to my wife, Alison, who works with our marketing director.
What do we include in the newsletter? Some things are included every month. We list employee birthdays, for example, and show our key performance indicators for each of our 11 locations. We include dates for important meetings or training.
We also highlight what’s been happening within our company. A recent issue spotlighted one of our locations that had been recognized by a large insurer as having the best CSI for a particular quarter.
The newsletter gives us a chance to thank our staff, who donate and volunteer their time within for the communities we serve. Recently we were asked to help a local Ronald McDonald House repair their Ronald McDonald bench. After years in the elements, it was going to take a talented group of individuals to bring Ronald back to life. It was also a fairly intricate job given the unusual composite used in its construction. Our team donated their time to do this for the kids who love to sit on that bench with Ronald McDonald. Seeing their photos and story in the newsletter validates the long hours and artistic talents of those who contributed to this project.
Sometimes the main article of the newsletter might be less about our business and more about bringing useful information to employees and their families. Alison recently wrote an article about ways to make the most of your weekend to ensure it’s a relaxing way to recover from the stresses we all encounter at work.
The newsletter also includes a monthly contest, often a trivia or numbers-related quiz question; the first employee to bring the correct answer to their location manager wins $25. This helps get employees engaged with the newsletter and creates some good-natured competition. (If two people come up with the answer at the same time, the manager asks some questions about the other content in that month’s newsletter, and the employee who knows the most about it gets the prize.)
It would be easy to send an electronic version of the newsletter to each employee, but we still use snail mail. Sometimes being old fashioned is a good thing. We could distribute it with employees’ paycheck stubs, but I’m not sure that it would be read or make it home. By mailing them, we find spouses and even their kids read them. It’s a simple way to consistently stay in touch with our staff and families.
We also mail it to our board of directors and about 50 other key industry contacts. An executive from one of the largest insurance companies has come up to me at industry gatherings with the answer to that month’s quiz in the newsletter. That tells me that in addition to bolstering our company culture, the newsletter is helping share our news with some of the others impacting our business.
If you would like to see a electronic sample copy of the newsletter, send me an email request.
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