Make Their Day! Employee Recognition That Works

Cindy Ventrice

photo credit: Michael Collopy

Author Biography

Employee loyalty specialist, Cindy Ventrice is a management consultant, professional speaker, and workshop leader with over 20 years of experience. She is the author of the best-seller Make Their Day!
Continue Reading »

Web Links

Make Their Day! Employee Recognition That Works

Synopsis:

Make Their Day! Employee Recognition That Works describes a manager-driven approach to employee recognition. This book:

Shows why much of the billions of dollars currently spent on recognition are wasted-and offers low-cost recognition strategies that really work
Goes beyond the superficial to discover how employees really want to be recognized
Full of practical examples from successful companies around the country including: FedEx Freight, Immunex, Wells Fargo, Griffin Health, Xilinx, The Container Store, Graniterock, Athleta, Design Octaves, and more

Billions of dollars are spent on employee recognition programs each year, but because few organizations understand what makes an employee feel truly recognized much of that money is wasted. Make Their Day! describes what employers and employees each expect from recognition, why most recognition efforts miss the mark, and what readers can do to give morale and productivity a genuine, lasting boost. Drawing on dozens of real-life examples, Ventrice shows that effective recognition is more about integrating recognition into the daily routine of the workplace, and less about "special events." She outlines the key elements of effective recognition-praise, thanks, opportunity, and respect-and explains why good working relationships are at the core of all effective recognition. Make Their Day!! shows how anyone within an organization can contribute to the process of developing recognition practices that are meaningful because they are practical. It will help everyone interested in improving recognition by spending less money to obtain better results.

Book Excerpt:

"Please, not another T-shirt!" "I resent the money that's spent to purchase doodads. It could be spent much more wisely." "Certificates of appreciation? I hate the damn things." These are the comments of real employees who say they aren't receiving enough recognition. If you asked the employees you manage about the recognition they receive, would they say something similar? If you depend on your organization to fulfill your employees' need for recognition, the answer is probably "yes." According to a former employee of one technology company, "Our company offered the Terrific Employee Award. Everyone thought it was a cheesy name. People didn't know why they were being awarded. It became a joke. The CEO never got involved.

Noone but HR took it seriously. They solicited employees for nominations and got so few responses they eventually gave up and selected someone themselves. The awards were gift certificates. They were nice, but without meaning." When Recognition Misses the Mark When you think of recognition, what comes to mind? Do you think of raises, bonuses, stock awards, gift certificates, parties, prizes, and plaques? Many managers view these things as recognition. Employees have a different viewpoint. Like the employee in the last example, they are looking for meaning. They see tangible awards as a vehicle for delivering recognition, but they don't see the awards themselves as recognition. They're much more interested in the underlying message behind the reward. Employees are strong believers in the old saying, "It's the thought that counts," and for awards to count as recognition, employees need to see acknowledgment of their specific accomplishments and sincere appreciation of their personal value to the organization. The following examples will illustrate why recognition often misses the mark. Tangible Awards Aren't Recognition Perks aren't recognition.

The director of a small nonprofit agency hosts a dinner on a Friday night for employees and volunteers. Everyone has a great time and goes back to work the following Monday feeling refreshed and energized. The director planned this event as a form of recognition. Although it was fun and boosted morale, it wasn't recognition; it was a perk-a little something extra. To add an element of recognition, the director can announce that the dinner is a way of thanking the group for something they have accomplished, for example, "We served ten thousand clients this year, and we couldn't have done it without your help." She can include an after-dinner presentation during which she tells detailed stories about the specific ways in which employees and volunteers helped to accomplish this feat. These things will provide recognition. Bonuses aren't recognition. The owner of an insurance agency gives holiday bonuses. They come in handy when employees head out to do their last-minute shopping. Employees appreciate the bonus but don't see it as recognition. They expect it and feel entitled to it. Many have already budgeted for it, and if it is less than they anticipated, employees are resentful. If the bonus is more than was expected, they're pleasantly surprised but figure they must have earned it.

The owner of the agency thinks the bonuses are a form of recognition, but employees don't agree. To provide recognition, the owner needs to tie the bonuses to an achievement. But that isn't enough. He also needs to state that the bonuses are his way of showing appreciation: "Our customer service ratings are up 10 percent over last year. That increase has helped us to better position ourselves in the market. I know we couldn't have done it without all of your hard work, and I want to show my appreciation by giving each of you a seventy-five dollar bonus." Without the tie-in and the statement of appreciation, the bonus is just another way in which employees get paid. Incentives aren't recognition. A manufacturer sets up a quota system for assemblers: When they reach a certain level, they will receive a one-hundred-dollar gift certificate. As assemblers reach their quota, they find their certificate tucked in their pay envelope. Their supervisor thinks the certificates are recognition, but they aren't. They are incentives. They tell employees, "If you do this, you will get that." Used properly, incentives can motivate people to do more, but there really isn't much recognition built in. The line supervisor can easily add an element of recognition to the incentive. If he hand-delivers the certificate, personally congratulates the recipients, and offers appreciation for a job well-done, then the incentive will have recognition value. Plaques and awards aren't always recognition. Each month in a staff meeting, the manager of a city public works department presents one employee with a plaque and a gift certificate. As she hands out the awards, she explains that the recipient is "doing a good job" and is a "great employee." She believes she is recognizing employees, but employees in her department have no idea what it takes to get the award. This public award is supposed to be recognition, but these employees see it as favoritism and feel even less recognized. If employees, including the recipients, don't understand why recognition is given, then recognition hasn't taken place. If this manager establishes criteria for the award such as excellence in customer service or cost cutting, and then describes what the recipient did to earn the award, then the award will provide recognition.

There's a lot you can do that will make people feel recognized, but first you have to be clear about what recognition isn't. It isn't incentives, perks, or awards. While these things aren't recognition, they can be a highly valued part of the recognition experience. They can serve as excellent concrete reminders of the recognition you offer. An employee who does customer support offers the following example: "I was given a tough customer to assist. The underlying message was ‘We don't entrust really important relationships to just anybody. We believe in you. You have proven yourself.' After I was successful, they let me pick from a catalog of gifts. The opportunity was the recognition, but the mixer I selected reminds me of it-every time I walk into the kitchen." Don't make the mistake of thinking that the reminders are the recognition. If you do, you will fall into a common trap: assuming that all you need to make recognition work is a new award. Focus only on the tangible award and recognition will most likely fail. Focus on the meaning behind the award, and employees will receive recognition that works. "Please, not another T-shirt!" "I resent the money that's spent to purchase doodads. It could be spent much more wisely." "Certificates of appreciation? I hate the damn things." These are the comments of real employees who say they aren't receiving enough recognition. If you asked the employees you manage about the recognition they receive, would they say something similar?

If you depend on your organization to fulfill your employees' need for recognition, the answer is probably "yes." According to a former employee of one technology company, "Our company offered the Terrific Employee Award. Everyone thought it was a cheesy name. People didn't know why they were being awarded. It became a joke. The CEO never got involved. No 11

one but HR took it seriously. They solicited employees for nominations and got so few responses they eventually gave up and selected someone themselves. The awards were gift certificates. They were nice, but without meaning." When Recognition Misses the Mark When you think of recognition, what comes to mind? Do you think of raises, bonuses, stock awards, gift certificates, parties, prizes, and plaques? Many managers view these things as recognition. Employees have a different viewpoint. Like the employee in the last example, they are looking for meaning. They see tangible awards as a vehicle for delivering recognition, but they don't see the awards themselves as recognition. They're much more interested in the underlying message behind the reward. Employees are strong believers in the old saying, "It's the thought that counts," and for awards to count as recognition, employees need to see acknowledgment of their specific accomplishments and sincere appreciation of their personal value to the organization. The following examples will illustrate why recognition often misses the mark. Tangible Awards Aren't Recognition Perks aren't recognition. The director of a small nonprofit agency hosts a dinner on a Friday night for employees and volunteers. Everyone has a great time and goes back to work the following Monday feeling refreshed and energized. The director planned this event as a form of recognition. Although it was fun and boosted morale, it wasn't recognition; it was a perk-a little something extra. To add an element of recognition, the director can announce that the dinner is a way of thanking the group for something they have accomplished, for example, "We served ten thousand clients this year, and we couldn't have done it without your help." She can include an after-dinner presentation during which she tells detailed stories about the specific ways in which employees and volunteers helped to accomplish this feat. These things will provide recognition. Bonuses aren't recognition. The owner of an insurance agency gives holiday bonuses. They come in handy when employees head out to do their last-minute shopping. Employees appreciate the bonus but don't see it as recognition. They expect it and feel entitled to it. Many have already budgeted for it, and if it is less than they anticipated, employees are resentful. If the bonus is more than was expected, they're pleasantly surprised but figure they must have earned it. The owner of the agency thinks the bonuses are a form of recognition, but employees don't agree.

To provide recognition, the owner needs to tie the bonuses to an achievement. But that isn't enough. He also needs to state that the bonuses are his way of showing appreciation: "Our customer service ratings are up 10 percent over last year. That increase has helped us to better position ourselves in the market. I know we couldn't have done it without all of your hard work, and I want to show my appreciation by giving each of you a seventy-five dollar bonus." Without the tie-in and the statement of appreciation, the bonus is just another way in which employees get paid. Incentives aren't recognition. A manufacturer sets up a quota system for assemblers: When they reach a certain level, they will receive a one-hundred-dollar gift certificate. As assemblers reach their quota, they find their certificate tucked in their pay envelope. Their supervisor thinks the certificates are recognition, but they aren't. They are incentives. They tell employees, "If you do this, you will get that." Used properly, incentives can motivate people to do more, but there really isn't much recognition built in. The line supervisor can easily add an element of recognition to the incentive. If he hand-delivers the certificate, personally congratulates the recipients, and offers appreciation for a job well-done, then the incentive will have recognition value. Plaques and awards aren't always recognition. Each month in a staff meeting, the manager of a city public works department presents one employee with a plaque and a gift certificate. As she hands out the awards, she explains that the recipient is "doing a good job" and is a "great employee." She believes she is recognizing employees, but employees in her department have no idea what it takes to get the award. This public award is supposed to be recognition, but these employees see it as favoritism and feel even less recognized. If employees, including the recipients, don't understand why recognition is given, then recognition hasn't taken place. If this manager establishes criteria for the award such as excellence in customer service or cost cutting, and then describes what the recipient did to earn the award, then the award will provide recognition.

Write a Review »