When times are tough and budgets are tight, organizations should be looking to expand their recognition programs instead of cutting them back. Employee recognition isn’t a luxury, and it isn’t a program you can slash to save a few dollars. With these tough financial times, employee rewards schemes are often the first to go. While this can have some instant budget savings, the lack of an effective employee incentive scheme often costs the business more in the long run.
Recognizing the value of employees is an essential part of success in any organization, and an effective employee reward program will pay for itself over and over. Enhanced employee appreciation reaps results in numerous ways. Most important, it allows organizations to retain their best and most effective employees, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Research shows that recruiting and training a new staff member can cost as much as the original employee’s annual salary. In the current economic climate it is more important than ever to inspire, engage, and retain talented employees.
Cash incentives and elaborate company parties are no longer part of most budgets, however if you want your employees to stay and perform well with your organization, it’s important to show them that their service is valued and appreciated. You do this by recognizing it, and in doing so, you build employee relationships that are fulfilling for both the staff and your business.
Implementing a Recognition Framework
Get started by following these five steps:
1. Get Management on Board—The easiest way to gain management support is to show your management team the bottom-line impact of a recognition program.
2. Design Your Strategy —Discover what motivates your employees, and use their motivators to design an effective recognition program.
3. Provide the Tools —Make it easy! Provide management and employees with all of the tools required for the recognition program. This can be as simple as keeping a small supply of note cards and gifts on hand for recognition opportunities.
4. Share the Success—Spread the good news. Let the staff know about great examples of who has been recognized and rewarded; this encourages others to work toward these goals, and it builds excitement about the program.
5. Be a Recognition Champion! —Set a strong example by looking for opportunities to reward and recognize in meaningful ways. Encourage others to follow your example.
The Role of Leaders
Leaders play a key role in ensuring that employees receive the vital recognition required to win both their loyalty and their maximum creative effort in helping to realize the goals of the organization. Leaders are challenged with the daily task of bolstering morale and inspiring employees. The answer is simple. If leaders look after their people and their customers, they will maximize profits.
Recognizing employees is the most effective way to motive them. This encourages them to improve performance and results in an increase in the bottom line. We have spent many years observing the results of getting the formal side of recognition right—with appropriate, exclusive rewards that employees truly value. Some tried-and-tested recognition strategies include:
Establish a Club—The concept of a club is one I truly recommend—they work! Examples include a “length of service” club for those who have been with an organization for five or 10 years. This can work alongside a “people with potential” club, or a “circle of excellence” club. Don’t be afraid to develop an exclusive club or elite group based on meeting productivity goals. Induct members into the club who have attained a specific level of success or time. It is important the criteria are challenging yet attainable. Programs should be open to everyone who can meet the criteria. The mantra “Every player wins a prize” works for a reason!
Make the Moment of Recognition Memorable—Don’t lose the momentum of recognition—make it unforgettable, and its magical power will make the recipient a loyal, engaged employee for years to come.
Celebrate Milestones—Like any relationship, celebrating significant milestones, work-related goals, and personal achievements, is important. Don’t forget to take the time to celebrate! When a formal recognition program is working right, there’s a sense of anticipation as employees work toward the milestones and achievement goals that have been established. This results in true celebrations when these goals are reached. Whether you stage a formal recognition event, or just take the time to tell an employee that you appreciate their efforts, there is no question that honoring an employee’s contribution is essential to effective management.
Implementing Low-Cost Strategies to Ignite Passion
A little praise can go a long way toward building long-lasting relationships. Recognition is one of the cheapest investments in your employees, yet it can make a huge impact on their performance. Recognition can bring you a significant return on investment at a much smaller out of pocket expense. In many organizations the only time an employee is acknowledged by management is when something goes wrong. Crisis management has taken over from positive recognition.
To build a productive working relationship requires managers take the time to notice when employees are doing things right instead of when things go wrong. In fact, the best managers praise twice for every constructive criticism they offer. People like and respond to instant feedback, and they need validation and affirmation in their workplace.
We have seen the incredible power of reward and recognition— it can change attitudes and inspire workers to become engaged team members with shared visions. We have participated in numerous programs over the years where building an effective incentive program has dramatically impacted the positive direction of an organization. Like laughter, motivation can be contagious. Reward those who achieve results, and the others will follow.
Ann-Maree O’Neill is a human resources consultant who has worked with a variety of attractions, including Warner Bros. Movie World, Wet ‘n’ Wild Waterworld, Paradise Country, and Sea World. Shaun McKeogh is the training development manager for Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and a member of the IAAPA Human Resources Committee. He will be speaking at IAAPA Attractions Expo 2010 during “Engaging Staff to Improve FEC Service and Profits,” Monday, Nov. 15, 10 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
Six Low-Cost Recognition Tools
After writing “Reasons 2 Reward,” we were keen to develop low-cost recognition tools that organizations interested in retaining talent and improving employee engagement could adopt. Here are six ideas you can put to use now:
Meet New Employees—Most team members vividly remember their first few days at a new job. If they are met with a warm smile and someone who shows a keen interest in them, chances are they will stay. When a new employee starts with the organization, take a few minutes to drop by their desk or work area and say hello. If you have a formal orientation this is a great time to meet new team members.
Day-to-Day Recognition—Day-to-day recognition is simple and quick. Managers can change the way people work by congratulating them for a job well done. It can be as easy as stopping by a work area to say “well done” in person or by making a quick phone call.
The best recognition tools are time and attention. We are big fans of hand-written notes and spending time with those who deserve plaudits. A card offering unique greetings is the perfect way to show that care. By simply writing a few words or a short message on a sticky note, recognition ticket, or milestone card, managers can change the work environment, reduce turnover, and create an atmosphere of teamwork.
Recognition from the Top —A powerful way to recognize an employee who has made an outstanding contribution is to have a chief executive or general manager write a personal note of praise and personally give it to the employee. This results in the employees feeling appreciated that someone “high up” has taken the time to recognize their efforts.
Make Goals Achievable—People are keen to achieve goals rapidly, so devise programs that allow for bite-sized measurements to be rewarded.
Display it!—A physical award that a high achiever can display in their work area or take home to show friends and family members is a highly motivational tool and a great confidence booster.
Encourage Peer-to-Peer Recognition—Peer-to-peer recognition is becoming a popular way to introduce positive communication into the workplace. Peer-to-peer public recognition can be either paper based or conducted via an electronic medium. It can be easily created and is relatively inexpensive, yet it positively impacts a great number of team members.
We have seen the effect of coworkers rewarding each other by writing a note of thanks or encouragement or by simply voicing positive feedback. When peers want to recognize or thank a team member, they can place a note on a public notice board. It can also be connected to annual awards, where peers follow certain criteria to nominate their fellow team members for a prestigious award. Nominations can even be judged by peers, rather than management. This type of recognition increases the level of excitement within the organization.
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