Introduction:
In your organization every team member plays an important role in the success of the company. From its strong leadership to vital support staff, your people contribute their unique skills and talent in collaboration to make the business a success. A great way to demonstrate collaboration and professionalism to your customers, partners and across departments is for individuals to represent themselves and your company with professional headshots.
Why Good Staff Headshots Matter
Staff headshots represent your team's professionalism, personality, and company culture. Therefore, having a consistent look and feel across the business is important, and here are three reasons why:
1) Build Trust with your Customers: First impressions matter! High-quality headshots across your internal and customer-facing website, LinkedIn, and promotional materials will make your company appear more approachable, trustworthy, and professional.
First impressions matter!
Good headshots Build trust with your customers.
2) Brand Consistency: Quality professional headshots help establish brand consistency and will strengthen your company's identity.
3) Employee Morale: Everyone in your team wants to feel appreciated and valued. A good professional headshot provides confidence and status, which will help boost morale and performance in a corporate setting.
What if you don’t have a central location, or your team work remotely:
What if your business doesn’t have a central location or your team works remotely? You may also have a team of individual providers and consultants working on different days of the week. We work with many companies in this situation. Instead of a headshot day, your team members will come to the studio for their headshot on a date and time that works with their schedule. This also ties back to new hires and people who miss a picture day at the office because they were out sick or on vacation. When we provide a headshot day at a business location, we use the same backdrop and lighting set up at the studio and it will look as though your team had their headshots on the same day!
This event company has many DJs and Emcees who work remotely so we provide their team with individual sessions in the studio:
Gift your team with a Professional Headshot Day:
Many organizations we work with treat their team to a Professional Headshot Day annually or biannually. It’s a huge benefit for employees because it keeps their professional profiles up to date and it saves time having to find a photographer and pay for a headshot session themselves. Also, the business is represented in its best light from the top down, with a professional, consistent look and feel. You may be thinking, but what happens when we hire new people after a headshot day?! Or what if someone is out sick or on vacation on a headshot day? Don’t worry! We have you covered.
How to Organize a Staff Headshot Day:
1) Choosing the Right Photographer: Whether you hire a professional photographer or use an in-house expert, have someone with the experience to capture the best angles, lighting, and overall feel. But it’s not just about the equipment. A quality headshot photographer will also help your team feel relaxed and at ease, which makes a huge difference to the outcome of your staff headshot photos
2) Setting Guidelines: Some people haven’t had a professional photo of themselves since high school, so they won’t know what to expect, how to prepare, or what to wear. You may want everyone wearing a company uniform. But if not, then what should your people wear for their headshots? Check out our article on what to wear for your headshots for some great outfit tips
Staff Headshot Examples With Company Uniform:
3) Allow plenty of time: Give your employees time to prepare. It’s important that your staff feel relaxed and not rushed. We have found that giving people at least three to four weeks’ notice will give them enough time to prepare and plan outfits, book their hair appointments, etc.
4) Encourage but make it optional: The ultimate goal may be to have everyone in the company have photos but it’s important not to make the process too pressurized or force people into it. Many companies we work with make this a fun event, often on a day or week of a company-wide meeting or annual event.
5) Choosing the right location: To ensure your team has the best experience with their headshot session, we recommend having us set up in a private room or space where there’ll be little or no disruption. This helps to keep a headshot day running smoothly and on time.
6) Session slot times: We offer a range of staff headshot sessions ranging from 1 to 10 minutes per person depending on your company budget for the project and how many people are in your team. Staff Headshots can also span over a few days, depending on the number of people and your company’s situation.
What happens after your staff headshot day?:
Your staff headshot day was a success, and everyone is excited to receive their new professional headshot photos. What happens next?
1) Password-protected proofing albums: We organize lightly edit (color correct) and upload everyone’s photo proofs into individual proofing albums. Proofing albums can be protected with passwords so your team members can only view and proof their photos.
2) Professional Retouching: Retouching can be optional or included in your staff headshot day, depending on the package you opt for. Your team members will choose their favorite proof, and we will retouch skin, hair, eyes, and teeth, fix clothing, and even take off a few pounds if you request it!
3) Team composite photo: What about a team photo? Sure, we can take a group photo on picture day but another way to approach it is to make a composite by blending individual portraits into one team photo.
Our studio has a small team but it was still difficult to align schedules so we made this composite photo instead which is also a fun way to represent your team.
4) Final delivery: Once all retouching is done, we deliver the completed headshot photos to the project lead at your company.
5) Update Your Website: Now it’s time to update the company website, intranet, email signatures, and professional social media accounts with your brand-new headshots! Your team will look its best and everyone will be happy and motivated.
In summary: Staff Headshot Days are a great way to enhance your company’s profile but it’s also a great way to benefit your staff and to show appreciation for their hard work and commitment. After all, everyone needs a professional headshot, right? It’s a win, win for everyone and it will promote a cohesive company culture.
Are you ready to set up your staff headshot day? Let’s talk!
For more tips on a successful staff headshot day, check out our article: How to have a successful Executive Headshot Day for your staff
