HR Pulse - Summer 2008 - (Page 62)

>> [WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT?—BEST PRACTICES FOR THE PRACTITIONER] Employees: You Don’t Have to Spend a Bundle to Reinforce Good Behavior.” Daniels stressed the importance of combining celebrations with a simple gift that helps people remember the accomplishment that led to the celebration. “A celebration is simply an opportunity to relive an achievement. A tangible item is simply a way to anchor the memory of the achievement,” Daniels said. Individuals So, now you know how to connect with employees daily and how to celebrate as a company, but how do you tastefully say thank you to individual employees? Although singling out the top performer of the company every day is not a good idea, an occasional pat on the back is. Recognizing top employees makes them feel appreciated and encourages them to “stay on board and keep trying hard,” said Hiam. “Recognizing this person also gives everyone a bit of inspiration and a clearer idea of what you want employees to shoot for.” In the article, “Five Tips for Effective Employee Recognition,” Susan M. Heathﬁeld, management and organization development consultant, suggested that, to avoid the appearance of favoritism, managers should randomly recognize employees who have done an outstanding job. Heathﬁeld recommended making all employees eligible for recognition at all times, communicating the actions that constitute a recognition award, giving the recognition soon after the task is completed so everyone knows why the person/ persons received the award, and making certain that the boss doesn’t select the recipient/recipients. That way, it will be clear that the recipient received the award for working hard. Heathﬁeld also suggested keeping all recognition awards random so no one expects an award or feels like they were left out on purpose. Another way to create a special recognition award is by catering to the recipients’ speciﬁc likes. This action was suggested by Michelle Collins, a staff writer at CanadaOne.com, in the article, “4 Ways to Reward, Motivate Employees.” Collins referenced Brent Longnecker, president of Longnecker & Associates in Houston, who advocates giving employees a unique recognition reward. “If you customize something to people’s preferences, you’ll usually get eight to 14 times the value of what you paid,” Longnecker said. Consider giving a golf towel and personalized divot-repair tool to an employee who is an avid golfer, or a wine pourer and stopper to an employee who loves wine tasting. Each gift is distinctly tailored to the recipient, but not too over-the-top, so it doesn’t break your recognition program’s budget. Recognizing employees is an integral part of maintaining and keeping a happy and productive workforce. Through daily recognition, celebrating company milestones, group efforts, and individual accomplishments, you can optimize your company’s performance and ensure overall success. Abbie Stutzer is a graduate student in the School of Journalism at the University of Kansas. She currently works in the marketing department and writes for Absorbent, Ink. References Entrepreneur.com. June 24, 2002. Hiam, A. Employee Recognition: Why It Matters: Rewarding employees for a job well-done will do wonders for their performance—and your bottom line (accessed on Feb. 4, 2008). Available at: http://www.entrepreneur. com/humanresources/managingemployees/ motivationandretention/article52950.html Entrepreneur.com. June 04, 2001. Daniels, A. C. Rewarding Your Employees: You don’t have to spend a bundle to reinforce good behavior (accessed on Feb. 4, 2008). Available at: http://www.entrepreneur.com/humanresources/ employeemanagementcolumnistdavidjavitch/ article41032.html Microsoft Small Business Center. Collins, M. 4 ways to reward, motivate employees (accessed on Feb. 4, 2008). Available at: http://www. microsoft.com/smallbusiness/resources/ management/pay_beneﬁts/4_ways_to_reward_ motivate_employees.mspx?xid=C0005 Heathﬁeld, S. M. Five Tips for Effective Employee Recognition (accessed on Feb. 4, 2008). Available at: http://humanresources.about.com/ od/rewardrecognition/a/recognition_tip.htm 62 HR Pulse Summer 2008 Workforce Recognition Dos and Don’ts DO say hello to your employees every day. DO praise employees for a job well done. DO recognize effort—not just results. DO give small tangible gifts, such as thank-you cards or free lunches. DO offer customized, personalized rewards. DO combine parties with a take-away gift so employees remember the achievement that led to the celebration. DON’T give your employees a hard time when something goes wrong. DON’T forget to celebrate company-wide anniversaries and accomplishments. DON’T single out your top performers every day; occasional praise is more effective. DON’T have the appearance of playing favorites; keep rewards random. http://Entrepreneur.com http://www.entrepreneur.com/humanresources/managingemployees/motivationandretention/article52950.html http://www.entrepreneur.com/humanresources/managingemployees/motivationandretention/article52950.html http://www.entrepreneur.com/humanresources/managingemployees/motivationandretention/article52950.html http://Entrepreneur.com http://www.entrepreneur.com/humanresources/employeemanagementcolumnistdavidjavitch/article41032.html http://www.entrepreneur.com/humanresources/employeemanagementcolumnistdavidjavitch/article41032.html http://www.entrepreneur.com/humanresources/employeemanagementcolumnistdavidjavitch/article41032.html http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/resources/management/pay_benefits/4_ways_to_reward_motivate_employees.mspx?xid=C0005 http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/resources/management/pay_benefits/4_ways_to_reward_motivate_employees.mspx?xid=C0005 http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/resources/management/pay_benefits/4_ways_to_reward_motivate_employees.mspx?xid=C0005 http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/resources/management/pay_benefits/4_ways_to_reward_motivate_employees.mspx?xid=C0005 http://humanresources.about.com/od/rewardrecognition/a/recognition/a/recognition_tip.htm http://humanresources.about.com/od/rewardrecognition/a/recognition/a/recognition_tip.htm

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of HR Pulse - Summer 2008

HR Pulse - Summer 2008 Contents Pulse Points Executive Director's Letter President's Message HR Leader Profile: Carol Bank, SPHR Special Report: Building a Thriving Workforce Creating A Best Place to Work Employee Morale Don't Set Up Your Managers to Fail From Tedious Task to Strategic Process Employer-Assisted Housing Changing the Paradigm of Nurse Recruitment Workforce Recognition: Simple Gestures Go a Long way Advertisers' Index

HR Pulse - Summer 2008

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