Employee Recognition

Recognition = Happy Employees

2011-06-21T12:02:00.000-07:00

Boost the morale and positive attitudes around the work place with employee recognition award programs. Employee recognition award programs give employees goals to work towards, rather than punishing those who already may feel challenged in their current positions. Everyone appreciates being recognized for a job well done; and happy employees make good employees.

Here are 3 simple ideas that will get you started in boosting morale and promoting recognition.

•Creating Goals – Give employees something to work towards. The urge to be rewarded for good work does not disappear as we become older. Many working adults desire recognition for a job well done. Create incentives for employees to reach these goals. Think of some incentive ideas that may work well in your organization, maybe a dress down day or a prize such as tickets to a baseball game.

• An excuse to party – An employee recognition award ceremony doesn’t only give employees something to work towards, but having a party for these events can be a great bonding experience as well. One great way to encourage employee morale is encourage employees to engage in healthy bonding opportunities. These bonding experiences can also help promote a team mentality. Check out www.team-building-bonanza.com for more ideas on how to improve teamwork.

• Something Permanent – An engraved plaque makes a great employee recognition award and is something that can be treasured for a lifetime. When designing an award plaque it is important to personalize it. Use employees’ full name, their title and the reason for receiving this award

Recognition and rewards play an important role in an organization. It is the day-to-day interactions that make employees feel that their contributions are appreciated and that they are recognized for their own unique qualities. This type of recognition will contribute to high morale in the work environment and increase productivity. Check out www.positivepromotions.com/employee-recognition for some great gift ideas for employee recognition!

Teamwork Works

2011-06-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

It’s important to promote teamwork within your organization. When your staff learns to operate as a team this will have an impact on personal and business success. Having a staff that works together as a team is important for many reasons. When employees are concentrating on themselves only; you can expect higher turnover, less productivity and too much conflict. Employees tend to have a personal agenda that does not incorporate the values, culture and goals of the company. That is where teamwork takes on its importance. When employees have shared goals, they will work towards company success and not just personal success.

Changing “I” to “We” is the goal in teamwork

When company employees function as a team, the company will experience a number of benefits.

•Increase operational efficiency
•Improve work quality
•Reduce staff competition
•Enhance ability of company to respond to competition
•Encourage creativity
•Make employees feel as if they are making a significant contribution to the success of the company

There are many ways to promote teamwork at your company. You can implement in-house training that teaches employees team exercises that encourage staff to work together in an inspiring manner. Teamwork training has been embraced by companies around the world, because it works. Exercises include:

•Improve communication between staff members
•Develop common goals as related to the business
•Improve time management and staff conflict
•Teach employees how to get ahead by being a team player

Teamwork builds trust between staff members. Staff members learn to trust each other to do the best job possible while keeping the common goals in mind. Developing good communication between staff members is crucial to a company’s success, and that’s exactly what teamwork accomplishes.

The Importance of Employee Recognition

2011-04-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

Employees and employers may not always see eye to eye on this topic. Employees may feel overworked at times and not appreciated for their efforts, while employers may feel that employees are just doing the job they are paid to do. This creates an atmosphere of frustration and high expectations with low performance and motivation.

Employees not only want good pay and benefits, they also want to be valued for their work, treated fairly, have pride in the work they do, and have advancement opportunities within the organization. Recognition and rewards play an important role in a company to attract and retain their employees. It is the day-to-day interactions that make employees feel that their contributions are important to the company and that they are recognized for their own unique qualities. This type of recognition contributes to high morale in the work environment.

Organizations that practice employee recognition and appreciation have found that it leads to higher performance levels within their workforce. Recognizing excellent performance openly builds motivation within the entire organization. Recognition inside an organization is not meant to just reward one individual but to motivate your entire staff. When employees see other employees being rewarded for the work they have done it becomes a chain reaction; employees repeat positive actions so that their work will also be appreciated.

If you plan on starting an effective recognition program at your company there are three simple things to keep in mind when implementing a program so that your efforts are not wasted.

• The recognition program does not exclude any employees
• The employees know exactly what should be accomplished in order to earn recognition and rewards
• The manager’s success is tied to the employees’ success

There are various ways you can express employee appreciation, such as a nice big bonus! Unfortunately with today’s economy many organizations can no longer afford to use money as an incentive for work performance. Many companies have opted for awards such as plaques or medals, which are low costing, and can be personalized. These awards can be publicly displayed and are valued by the receiver.

Recognition has shown to boost morale and improve work performance within your entire organization. Appreciated employees thrive to excel in their work. If you want a productive and motivated workforce you should make it a priority to show your gratitude where gratitude is due!

Rockin’ Recognition

2009-01-23T06:27:00.002-08:00

Produce a thank you that will be music to your staff’s ears. For each staff member, paint a CD to resemble a platinum disk. Label it with “To a #1 hit like you” and place a magnet on the back. Then print certificates that state, “The staff is #1 on our charts at (business name).” Play rock music at your appreciation event. When you hand out the CD magnets and certificates, give “We Rock” Polo Shirts or “We Rock” T-Shirts.

Perfect Fit

2009-01-23T06:27:00.001-08:00

Create a friendly atmosphere by sponsoring a team-building activity. Obtain a puzzle that has approximately as many pieces as you have staff members. Bring everyone together. Let each person pick a piece. Then ask them to walk around the room and find people who have pieces that attach to theirs. Encourage participants to learn new things about familiar co-workers and introduce themselves to co-workers they haven’t met yet. When the puzzle is complete, reward everyone with “You’re An Essential Part Of Our Team” Desk Caddies or “You’re An Essential Part Of Our Team” Metal Frames.

Tech Support

2009-01-23T06:26:00.002-08:00

Help your staff members get their computers up to speed. During a time when they are not in the office (weekend, evening), replace any printer cartridges that need it and fill the printers with paper. Work with IT personnel to make sure everyone has the latest versions of computer programs. At each machine, set up a Computer Mouse Pad and Portable Mouse that are imprinted with the name of your organization or business. Leave a little note explaining the improvements that were made.

Recognition And Racing

2009-01-23T06:26:00.001-08:00

Stock car auto racing is one of the most popular sports in the United States. Capitalize on this popularity by holding a NASCAR-themed appreciation week. Decorate with black and white pennant banners, and set up pit stops featuring snacks. Also, encourage your workers to create miniature cars out of materials found in your building. Then allow time for racing the cars. Raffle off “Thanks For Going The Extra Mile” Vivid Pocket Totes each day. End the week by distributing Auto Travel Kits along with words of praise.

Touch of Tinseltown

2009-01-23T06:25:00.001-08:00

Temporarily transport your staff to Hollywood. Recreate the Walk of Fame by taping large paper stars featuring the names of celebrities on the floor. Use cardboard and white paper to make a Hollywood sign. Ask other department managers to dress up as movie stars. Have them welcome your employees at the start of their shifts. Give out “We Succeed Because Of You” Greeting Cards, after placing a video rental gift card in each so your team of talented workers can watch the real actors and actresses. Also hand out Popcorn Gift Sets to enhance the movie-watching experience.

Creative Financing

2009-01-23T06:24:00.002-08:00

Has your budget for employee appreciation events been tightened? Consider designing fundraisers to help pay for activities. Buy snacks in bulk, then sell them throughout your building at a profit. Or arrange a carwash in which managers wash the cars of employees for a donation. Employees probably will be very eager to see the managers out in the parking lot, scrubbing away. Spend your money wisely by ordering quality yet economical items, such as “I’m Appreciated” Mini Sticky Note Cubes and “I’m Appreciated” Photo Bookmarks.

Saluting Service

2009-01-23T06:24:00.001-08:00

Promote loyalty by celebrating employment anniversaries. Hold a ceremony for your staff members and invite people from other departments to attend. Award Prestige Series Years Of Service Medallion Lapel Pins With Presentation Cards for one, five, 10, 15 and 20 years. Also do something unique in honor of each person, such as plant a tree at your facility, make a donation to the local food bank or name a room after him or her. Announce these unusual “gifts” at the ceremony.

Green Is Goo

2009-01-23T06:23:00.002-08:00

Organize a “green” appreciation luncheon that puts a twist on the three Rs: recognize the contributions of your staff while reusing and recycling. Buy old candles and interesting glass jars at second-hand stores. Melt down the candles (in a double boiler), then let them harden inside the jars. Have these as centerpieces at the luncheon. Use plates and silverware that contain recycled materials. Lay out fabric tablecloths instead of disposable ones. Serve drinks in “Thanks For All You Do” Full-Color Insulated Tumblers, which can be reused by recipients time and again to cut down on paper cups. And thank your luncheon guests with gifts that have less impact on the Earth, such as Eco-Friendly Stationery Sets.

Pledging Their Commitment

2009-01-23T06:23:00.001-08:00

Let your employees know that your organization cherishes a commitment to excellence. Write a “Committed to Excellence” pledge on poster board and have employees sign their names to it. For a month, hand out a “Committed To Excellence” Appreciation Pen when you see excellence in action. At the end of the month, give everyone a “Committed To Excellence” Lanyard to wear as a reminder.

Bright Asset

2009-01-23T06:22:00.001-08:00

Perhaps your company has a tradition of choosing an Employee Of The Year. Go above and beyond in recognizing this individual with a real star! This can be done through the International Star Registry found at www.starregistry.com, which lets you name stars after people. Unveil the honor at a special presentation. Award your Employee Of The Year a “Together We Shine” Contour Grip Flashlight as well as a “Together We Shine” Star Sticky Pad Holder (see both
on page 34).

Gotcha!

2009-01-23T06:21:00.002-08:00

Sometimes a little deception can be a good thing. Announce to your employees that a mandatory training session is being held. But instead of organizing one, plan a motivational event. Hang up festive decorations in your event location. When the employees enter, yell “Surprise!” (Perhaps recruit some people to do this with you.) Hand each guest a “Positive Attitudes, Endless Possibilities” Mini Carryall and a “Positive Attitudes, Endless Possibilities” Hershey’s® Kisses Mini Gift Tote. Then give an inspiring speech that focuses on what can be accomplished with the right attitude.

Gentle Reminder

2009-01-23T06:21:00.001-08:00

Give your staff members a gift that gets them thinking about how much their work matters. Distribute “One Person Can Make A Difference” Lapel Pin Badge Holders to everyone. Then establish weekly prize drawings for an entire year. On a randomly chosen day each week, fill a bowl with the names of people who are wearing their badge holders. Draw a name and award a prize, such as a “One Person Can Make A Difference” Gift Set With Chocolate Stars.