There are three categories of new-hire announcements.
The first comes with a company logo but no photo of the person being hired. Maybe nobody had a suitable photo available. More likely, the company was simply in a rush to get the announcement out.
The second includes a traditional corporate headshot—the kind that might also appear in the local newspaper. These are often coat-and-tie portraits, though business casual is perfectly acceptable in today’s workplace.
The third includes a photo of the new hire participating in the activity most closely associated with the company and its products.
We see this last one a lot in the outdoor industry. Maybe too much.
Some companies almost never announce a new hire without including a photo of that person standing in a field, dressed in the requisite camo and posing with a harvested animal.
I have a question about this practice.
Can we please stop?
The hunting photo—sometimes it’s a fishing photo—is meant to show that the company hires people who understand the outdoor culture. But is that really necessary?
If you’re an established outdoor company, why promote your new product manager’s hunting experience over his or her professional track record?
Does your new head of engineering’s six-point buck mean your products will be more reliable, perform better in the field or be manufactured to spec?
If that kind of photo is so important to a brand, why don’t companies in the tactical market include a photo of their regional sales rep rappelling down the side of a building or clearing a room in full battle dress?
They don’t, because that would be ridiculous.
Of course, there are positions within the outdoor industry for which this kind of photo makes sense. Conservation organizations, for example, rely on regional organizers who must connect with local members—particularly when it comes to fundraising.
In that instance, the hunting photo really can be worth a thousand words, letting local members know at a glance that their newest contact speaks their language.
But that is a fairly specific use case for the hunting photo.
If you believe customers need to see your employees hunting or fishing, what does that say about your brand?
I’ll tell you what it says. It suggests your company isn’t entirely confident that its identity is coming through in its products and marketing. If you have to prove you’re an outdoor company by showing employees hunting and fishing, you might have a branding problem.
The quality of the products you make and sell should be all the proof your customers need.
And honestly, if I have to call your customer service department about a product problem, I don’t care whether the representative has shot a turkey or is an avid bass angler. I care about that person’s product knowledge and ability to solve my problem.
So, instead of rolling out another new-hire announcement with a camo-clad hunting photo, take a good portrait and include the person’s hunting, fishing and outdoor bona fides in the accompanying bio.
I’ll take your word that Bob is an outdoorsman and hunter when you tell me he’s a life member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation or Pheasants Forever. And if he works for your company, I shouldn’t have to wonder whether he supports hunting, fishing and the Second Amendment.
If I have to question that, you’ve got a problem no amount of hunting photos will fix.
– Paul Erhardt, Managing Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network