Meghan Hickey
Business Editor
[email protected]

You know that person who never fails to be wearing his company’s apparel to any given outing? First, it’s a shirt, then a hat, maybe even a reusable bag…next think you know he’s driving up in a company logoed truck. It may seem like he’s constantly pushing “marketing swag” on you, but nine times out of 10 if you talk to that person about his company, there’s an emotion behind his answer that can’t be taught in a press release or sales pitch.

That’s because a company’s employees are its most powerful advocates. It’s one reason that large companies like Facebook or Google create cultures where employees are said to “drink the Kool-Aid.” It’s why business and corporate communications professionals today are taught that company employees are just as important stakeholders as its customers, investors, etc. 

For the 22 companies who participated in the Best Companies to Work For feature this year, the results show that this could not ring truer. In a small business community, competition for talent is fierce. To hear tales of 45-year tenures with companies and companies that have been there for an employee through the toughest situations shows the commitment to personnel that these companies exude. That’s a commitment that not only creates a workplace that is competitive, but one that undoubtedly spreads even further, to companies’ customers and the community. 

And the managers know the responsibility that they hold. Some managers confidently gave their companies the highest scores, knowing that they have done their best to create the optimal environment for their employees. Then some scored their companies a bit lower, knowing that in a competitive market, they are striving to always make themselves better and more appealing to top talent. Both scores showed that the management is in tune with their employees needs and are working to provide all that they can to make their companies the best environment to work in.

Some say that data is the most powerful proof of persuasion; some say it is emotion. What Guam Business Magazine applauds the Best Companies to Work for this year is having both. It’s a useful reminder to both participants and those reading the feature in this issue that a company can invest thousands or millions of dollars a year into a product or service, but it’s the people behind the brand that, when invested in and cared for, will speak the loudest on your behalf.