Recognition beyond Bonuses – Let the Happy Hour begin!

When we were young, most of us were taught to be polite and say “Thank You”, even if it was for the tiniest of favours, like someone holding our hand to cross the road or tying our laces for the umpteenth time. Who knew that a simple lesson taught in kindergarten could translate into something that would form the foundation for a winning corporate culture - Recognition. Turns out going that extra mile to say ‘thank you’ doesn’t just help with winning hearts in the real world, but also with handing over the key to happy employees with a high morale and enhanced productivity in the business world.

19th century American Philosopher William James puts it best into words, “The deepest principle of human nature is the craving to be appreciated.”

When applied to the corporate world, “appreciation” definitely needs to go beyond regular pay checks and bonuses. While monetary appreciation works wonders for some, others may not be so materialistically motivated. Furthermore, the monthly pay check and benefits themselves begin to lose their charm over time, and that’s where a rock solid employee recognition program needs to come to the rescue.

Simply put, if you dole out routine compensation, expect routine work. Sweeten the pot a bit, and you’ll be amazed at how your workforce fuels a powerhouse of achievements.

For the Cynics
While most get the point about how an effective employee recognition program can help bring out the best in their workforce, some would still need a little more motivation to take a long, hard look at their organization’s culture and reconsider. Let’s talk a little about the facts:

• According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 64% of employees end up leaving their employers because they don't feel     recognized or valued.
• Recent studies indicate that having an effective employee recognition scheme in place increases the chances of your chosen     candidates to accept your offer by 54%.
• Recent studies also show that organizations with a formal program have 46% of their employees fall into the bracket of highly     motivated, as against a mere 33% at companies who chose to look the other way.

                                                  Source: http://cwobserver.x.iabc.com/2012/05/

So, if you like living on the edge, and think that employee engagement through recognition is a waste of time and money, think about the resources you’ll be wasting on retaining or replacing a workforce that is majorly dissatisfied. Not to mention the talent you’ll be losing, which can perhaps never be replaced.

     Recognition > Thank You Notes

“I have yet to find the man, however exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval, than under a spirit of criticism.” ~ Charles Schwab, Legendary Steel Industry Pioneer

A lot of managers believe that recognition equals a pretty thank you note, while some are just a step ahead believing that free food or t-shirts are the way to go. But the fact remains that both are eons behind on realizing the essence of a “real” recognition program.

As mentioned earlier, conventional tools will only get you conventional results. Your recognition program needs to set the tone for what’s expected of your employees, and your rewards system will let them know whether you expect a ‘blah’, ‘eh’ or a ‘wow’ out of their performance.

However, before we spill the beans on what could help you create a recognition program that will not only have your employees jumping for joy, but also set the bells ringing on your cash registers, here’s what Stan Slap, noted corporate culture guru, has to say about the nine quintessential personality types that walk the corridors of every corporate.

• The Bambi – These are your latest recruits. Fresh out the oven, they are armed to please, learn and conquer et al with a smile.

• The Believer - These are your walking talking brand ambassadors and the first ones to give a great shout out each time you say   ‘hip, hip...’.

• The Alpha – These are the ones with a ‘my way or the highway’ attitude. They’re not only here to play the corporate game, but   win it too. The ones made out of leadership material.

• The Survivor – These are the ones who know the system inside out. Generally, found at senior levels, they are great with   networking.

• The Soldier – These are your team players. Not your jack of all trades, they excel only when placed in the right role.

• The Pragmatist – These are your question marks, the South Pole to the North of the believers. Perceived tough to manage, they   are highly analytical and at times, sceptical.

• The Natural – These are your raw talent with the right dose of ambition. Respected for their natural abilities, they are born to   network.

• The Heretic – These are your wildcards. Visionary idealists, they’ll need help aligning their rebellion with your rules.

• The Toiler – These are the nuts and bolts to your corporate machinery. Making up a majority of your workforce, they may not play   the corporate game, but are surely needed to win it.

                                               

                                               Source: forbes.com

          Identifying which one of your employees fit into which of the above personas will surely help you decipher the code on what kind of a recognition scheme would work best for them. Personalization being key; it’s a great way for middle management to give individuals their due, in a way that works best for them too!

The Strategy - Making Business Personal

As promised, here’s your sneak peek into the tricks of the trade when it comes to crafting a rock solid recognition program that will elevate the status of your corporate culture from an on-paper formality to a rage.

• Remember to keep it PERSONAL. Talk to the people who’re going to be impacted most. Getting it straight from the horse’s mouth is   the best way to lay a firm foundation for a program that works. 

• Do your homework. Remember the abovementioned corporate personas section? That’s your key to deciding a great rewards structure.   Kudos to you if you zero in on some personality types of your own.

• Slow and steady wins the race. Be mindful of the fact that any kind of organizational change takes anywhere between 18 and 24   months to take effect. Overnight revolutions are best left to the world of politics.

• Let it trickle down. Make sure your senior leadership is enthusiastic about your fresh approach to employee recognition or even   newborn program. It won’t trickle down unless the decision makers commit to it.

• Size doesn’t matter. When it comes to recognizing the efforts of your employees, it is best to put the measuring scale down. No   matter how small the contribution, if it made a big impact, let them know how much it’s appreciated.

• Everyone’s invited. You can only empower your employees if everyone partakes in the change, right from front-line managers down   to the smallest link in the chain.

• Getting into the habit. One of the most effective ways to make your employee recognition program an integral part of your   corporate culture is by bringing it into practice on a daily basis. A monthly newsletter does not cut it anymore. Always   remember to keep the “out of sight, out of mind” bug at bay.

• Go mobile. Get your people to talk about the program, and talk about it at every opportunity they get. Talking about the   program, recognition and its rewards on social platforms is perhaps one of the easiest ways to connect to your employees and   make it viral. Some companies are even known to have gone ahead and create a specialized app to keep their employees up-to-date.

• Shower them with unbiased love. If your employees believe that you and your program are rigged or indulge in favouritism, it   will be the death of it. Let them know that the recognition program only uses fair and just means to evaluate who is worthy of   the rewards by keeping the rules as simple and clear as possible.

• Let the happy hour begin! Last, but not the least, though the entire process of designing and successfully implementing an   effective employee recognition program sounds like some serious stuff, the best way to go about it is to have fun along the way   and certainly make sure your subjects feel delighted each time they hear about it. Keep things light and rewarding. Consider   spending time by the water cooler to know if you’re really on the right track.

    

        Finally, always remember:

“        Brains, like hearts, go where they are appreciated ~ Robert McNamara, former U.S. Secretary      of Defense and President of the World Bank