Digital signage program keeps CalSTRS staff informed

Among all the various channels internal communicators can employ, digital signage seems one of the least glamorous. Yet digital signage, when done well, can have a significant impact on employee awareness of important messages and even levels of engagement. That’s the case with the California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS), which has taken first place in the “Digital Signage” category of Ragan’s 2018 Employee Communications Awards.

CalSTRS adopted a strategic approach to the digital displays in 17 common areas throughout the organization’s West Sacramento headquarters and one in each of its six member service centers located throughout California. In addition to organizational messages, the signage mixes in local traffic, weather and other external content. Organizational content includes training calendars, social media feeds and more.

When an internal audit found less than half of employees regularly visited the intranet, CalSTRS communicators added a new feature, “3 Things,” a weekly list of the three most important things employees should know for the week; the feature was displayed on the digital signage, which drove employees to the intranet for details.

In most organizations with digital signage, the monitors are managed locally without central control, or the network is put in the hands of an intern. At CalSTRS, a full-time staff member manages the system with graphics contributions from the organization’s multimedia team. The team also identifies opportunities for repurposing content for social media.

Congratulations to the team of Kevin Gasser, David Gerberding and Tom O’Hair.