How to tell when it’s time to get new employee headshots

When you look at your company's collection of headshots, do they seem a little lackluster? Headshots are not just a one-and-done deal. Best practices state they need to be updated regularly.

There are many reasons teams should get updated headshots to enhance their business profile and company branding. How do you know when to have Lifetouch out to host a professional headshot event? Here are six red flags that your employees are due for fresh headshots.

Dated images

Do some of your employees' images look a little too retro? If the pictures feel like they were plucked from the '80s or '90s, it's time for some updated headshots. So much changes every decade — from fashion to hairstyles to facial hair trends — and you want headshots to showcase that employees are forward-thinking, just like your company. Ideally, an employee will get a fresh headshot every two years, assuming there haven't been any major changes to their appearance.

New looks

While two years is a good guideline for how often to get updated headshots, keep in mind people change, which means their appearance does also. This goes beyond aging. Employees choose to change their looks periodically and the best headshots will reflect the person as they would look if you met them today. So if an employee made a major change to their appearance — such as going from a big beard to no facial hair at all — this would be a good time for an updated headshot.

Changing styles

Business fashion may not change at a pace as quick as high fashion, but attire does evolve over time, so it's important that headshots reflect current trends. If you look through images and it seems like you're flipping through a business clothing catalog from yesteryear, it's time for updated headshots.

Staff changes

When employees move on to new opportunities, it's fairly easy to remove their singular headshot so you are showcasing current staff. The problem is when you have images of teams that include ex-employees. Do you have a former manager's image on your website? It's time for an update of team photography so you're putting your best visual foot forward to clients.

Inconsistency

Flip through your employee directory and look at all the images. Do they seem to be a hodgepodge of different poses, backgrounds and styles? This inconsistency seems disorganized and certainly doesn't present a cohesive company brand. When some images are more formal and others are more relaxed, not to mention a variety of backgrounds, it can just be confusing. You want to present clear, coherent company branding, so it's important to have some level of consistency with employee headshots.

Subpar selfies

When you review employee headshots, do they look like they were taken by a professional or a cellphone? You can usually quickly tell the difference and this can convey the wrong message about your company. From subpar selfies to lousy lighting, a do-it-yourself image is usually less than ideal. Now is the time to work with Lifetouch to give all employees high-quality headshots everyone can be proud of.