Getting noticed at work is hard.
Unless you work for a tiny business, showcasing your skills to your boss, boss’s boss or even further up the seniority chain can seem like an impossible task. This is especially true for thousands of employees who don’t work behind a desk, as demonstrating excellent customer service or sales generation can be tricky when there aren’t many people around to witness it. Add to that shift patterns and staff members not necessarily being on the same communication platforms (such as email), rising through the ranks or gaining wider recognition in a big business can be tough.
This can be especially true for women. While awareness days like International Women’s Day should celebrate females in the workplace, it also flags up that there are still uphill battles to overcome. For example, according to the University of Delaware, women get less credit for speaking up in the workplace than men[1]. Little, everyday barriers such as this can help slow a career, making it evermore important for employees to cultivate a personal brand to help distinguish themselves in a crowded workplace.
But how can this be done? Here’s my advice on how to make some noise:
Look engaged
It may sound simple, but putting yourself out there can help get you noticed. For example, engaging with internal announcements or messages can help show your enthusiasm for your role. No matter what your job title is, employers value team members who show commitment and will act as ambassadors.
Our research shows that one of the simplest ways teams can demonstrate this is liking updates posted on internal messaging platforms, for example. Acknowledging updates is a sure-fire way to gain management’s favour. As an employer, there is nothing more frustrating than a wall of silence when you put something out there, so acknowledgments such as this, however small, will help get you noticed. Even if hundreds of people like the same update, it’s the willingness to engage in the first place that will help boost your profile.
Be vocal on every platform you can
Being heard isn’t just about who is in the room when you speak. Being heard and actively listened to are different things, and for women especially, research shows that it’s much harder to get cut-through. Despite the belief that women talk more – this is not true in a professional context. The authors of The Silent Sex found that men out-talked women even when the group was 60% female. Women only spoke as much as men when they outnumbered them four to one. Men are also more likely to ask questions in ‘town-hall’ style set ups, demonstrating the uphill battle many female staff in particular face. We also know from our platform that public posts aren’t the most popular medium – surprisingly enough, private messages are favoured by most users – perhaps due to their personal and instantaneous benefits.
However, a personal brand isn’t just about how you look, it’s how you portray yourself, so the medium you do this via matters too. Be this actively promoting company news on LinkedIn or social channels in the corporate world, through to sharing updates or success stories on internal communication channels, being top of a news feed equates to being top of mind. We know from our platform that news stories perform best on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, so jumping on opportunities such as this, no matter how small could help gain that recognition you’ve been waiting for.
Use initiative – share your learnings
Whilst people are normally willing to share success stories, it’s not always the case when it’s the other way around. However, coming to the table with a solution, no matter how you’ve got there is beneficial in business as others can learn. Even in a company of thousands, new hiccups will be encountered every day, and no matter how junior or senior you are, sharing learnings and helping others succeed will gain you favour, plus it shows you’re a team player. Everyone makes mistakes, but it’s what you learn from it that counts.
No matter how great you are at your job, there will be times that recognition isn’t forthcoming. Other, high-flying colleagues may get in the way, or you may feel you’re just lacking that X-factor to get over the line for that promotion. My message is simple – keep going. Don’t let standards slip but think about implementing these small tweaks to your personal brand and consider how you come across. Yes, it may feel forced at first and being ‘forward’ may not be your style, but it could just help catapult you to the next level.
[1] University of Delaware. “Women get less credit than men in the workplace.”
About the author
Guy Chiswick leads a diverse team of experts focused on the market expansion of Speakap into the UK and Ireland. Prior to joining Speakap in April 2018, Guy gained significant experience in some of the biggest brands in media, marketing and digital, including Haymarket Publishing, Exterion Media, dunnhumby and most recently at Webloyalty, where he was Managing Director, Northern Europe.
