July-August 2022 - 29

COVER STORY
employees, knowing it will add a
positive element to the workday.
" It becomes this competition and
it's amazing because they want to get
the most MSP Nice awards because
at the MSP Nice celebration at the
end of the year, we recognize the top
three employees with the most MSP
Nice awards and they get a prize, "
Rhawie said.
Giving employees recognition on
the spot makes the honor more special
for them. Staff work with managers
and understand the honoree's schedule
to find the best time in their shift
to give them the honor.
" It really helps to make that connection
between the airport and the
employers, " Johnson said. " We're
bringing both of those groups together
to really drive home the connection
between you doing your job not
only benefits your employer, but it
also benefits the airport. We're all
one community. We're all striving
to make customer service the best
thing at the airport. "
The program is designed to foster a
community of appreciation and gratitude.
The continuous feedback loop
and ongoing award cycles allows the
airport to have an employee recognition
program that runs throughout
the entire year.
New initiatives, celebrations and
wins are communicated through
monthly meetings with various
groups and on the airport's employee-focused
website. Both these offer
a centralized location for employees
to be recognized and offer a hub of
motivation and recognition.
" We also want to make this a place
of choice when someone is looking
for career or opportunity. We know
that these days it's an employee's
market and there's more they're
looking for than just minimum
wage, " Rhawie said. " That's going
to get people to work here. We need
to offer something else and ensuring
that our employers here at the airport
value hard work and know of the differences
that everybody brings to the
table is really critical. And in that,
these programs help our recruitment
and retainment efforts. "
A Recognition
Made Personal
The annual MSP Nice Celebration is
exclusive to employees who received
unsolicited compliments. Only 300
employees are invited, representing
the top 1% of all workers at the airport.
The airport recently held its first
MSP Nice Celebration since 2020
and included all winners in the
past two years. The event included
live music, refreshments, photo
booth, magician and raffle prizes,
such as AirPods, a Mall of America
experience pack, TVs and a $1,000
Icelandair travel voucher.
Each award winner received
a crystal keepsake and enjoyed a
program packed with gratitude from
all facets of the airport community.
MSP is looking to bring back its
secret shopper program, which as suspended
when the pandemic started.
Secret shoppers grade employees
on roughly 25 different criteria.
Employees with perfect scores get a
$100 gift card are invited to a free
lunch at the end of the month, where
they could win an additional $100 in
a raffle.
" There are multiple tiers of what
we try to do to really help engage the
employees, to make them understand
the benefits of providing good customer
service and really wanting them
to do their very best when they're
out and engaged with the traveling
public, " Johnson said.
The MSP Nice Program gives the
airport an opportunity to celebrate
employee success via strong communications
efforts between all airport
stakeholders. Johnson says building a
successful program takes buy-in from
more than employees.
" I think it's really starts from the
top down. Our CEO and our senior
staff are directly engaged in this
program, strongly supporting it and
our commissioners are all involved in
it, " he said. " They participate in some
of the awards. They participate in the
Only the top 1% of employees are invited to
the MSP Nice Celebration for their efforts
improving customer service.
METROPOLITAN AIRPORTS COMMISSION
celebration events that we have with
the employees. I think that's really the
start of it. " 
JULY/AUGUST 2022 \ AVIATIONPROS.COM / 29
The MSP Nice program is designed to
foster a community of appreciation and
gratitude.
METROPOLITAN AIRPORTS COMMISSION
By providing an elevated passenger
experience, MSP not only can increase
concessions revenues, but make to also
attract more travelers to the airport.
METROPOLITAN AIRPORTS COMMISSION
http://www.AVIATIONPROS.COM
July-August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July-August 2022
