3 minute read
President’s Message
Greg Gdowski, PhD University of Rochester RES President June 1, 2020 - May 31, 2022
Why join the RES?
As the President of the RES, I have often been asked to speak about the value proposition of the organization and why a company should consider joining as a corporate member.
One of the most difficult things to do in Rochester is to get public exposure for your company and your employees -- especially for your engineers. The RBJ is a great business journal, but it is not a place where you can easily highlight the technical achievements of your company and your staff! You can certainly advertise your achievements on your own web pages. But let's face the facts, one of the biggest motivators for companies and employees is to be held in high esteem by their peers.
Employee recognition is the key to making employees happier, it improves employee retention, it functions to cultivate a culture of self-improvement and it boosts morale in the office. It is great if you are already doing some of these things within the confines of your company, but imagine what the impact would be if you did all of that in public? The RES is a place where your technical staff can be publically recognized by their peers! If you strive to be a great place to work, employee recognition has to be high on your list!
That is why we take all of this very seriously at the RES and we have been doing it at a high level for more than 100yrs! Here are some of the ways we do that:
1. Has your company wanted to publicize a project and had nowhere to publish it?
We provide a monthly magazine to the engineering community that showcases local Rochester projects!
2. Has your company struggled to publicly recognize the remarkable accomplishments of your engineers and data scientists?
We issue professional awards and highlight staff promotions!
3. How do you keep your employees engaged and foster continual learning and selfimprovement?
The RES provides engaging events that help to broaden the skill sets of your employees. Many of these events are designed specifically for professional engineers that are annually required to take short courses with PDH credit. These courses are also a great way to highlight the skills of your current staff that are willing to provide short 1hr lectures to the community!
4. How do you find local talent from within the community?
The RES publishes job ads to the local community that link directly to your website!
5. Has your company wanted to provide scholarships to your own employee’s kids or to the Rochester community?
We can help manage and award the scholarships. We have done this for both college and high school students. Remember these faces! They may be your next employees!
6. Has your company considered giving back to the community and wondered how?
The RES has provided the infrastructure for facilitating tutoring opportunities at the Dr. Walter Cooper Academy for the last eight years. You supply the people, we provide the opportunity! The RES has attracted and employed well over 60 different volunteer tutors over the years! If you want your employees to have direct community impact, this is a remarkable opportunity offered through the RES!
When you recognize that joining the RES is all about helping you to recognize your employees, the membership fees become inconsequential. After all, your employees are your most important and most expensive asset! Start recognizing them through the RES and start making your company a great place to work! Corporate membership fees start as low as $300/yr!
Greg Gdowski, PhD President, RES
