Forms of Recognition FORMAL
INFORMAL
EVERYDAY
Examples of Formal Recognition
1. Milestone Service S ervice Anniversary Awards (5,10,15,20, 25 years of service) 2. Ideas, Improvement & Performance Awards Awards 3. Service Awards a) Teamwork/leadership b) Customer Service c) Citizenship d) Innovation e) Attendance 4. Awards would include: a) Plaques/Desk trophies b) Certificates c) Gifts/Certificates d) Picture in the webpage
Examples of Informal Recognition
1) Team Building Retreats 2) Acknowledgement of Dept/Division goals achieved 3) Committee Involvement 4) Project Completion meals 5) Birthday cakes and cards 6) Picnics 7) Staff Appreciation Day 8) Holiday Parties 9) Dress-Up Days 10) Corporate Merchandise 11) One night sponsored at a Disco or Pub ( For individual or Teams!) A case study on how informal recognition is being used:
“Petroleum marketers have used informal rewards to recognize their employees' good works. Chevron ( San Fransisco, CA) keeps a large box, secured with a Padlock, filled with gifts. An employee being recognized on the spot for some accomplishment is brought to the “Treasure Chest” by his or her supervisor, who holds the keys. The employee gets to choose an item from the box, which could be anything from a gift certificate, to a coupon for lunch or dinner, to movie tickets.” Examples of Everyday Recognition
1) Communication & Interpersonal Skills workshops 2) Personal and Professional Development workshops 3) Email Thanks 4) Letter from manager or supervisors
5) Gift items 6) Thank You Notes 7) Verbal Feedback 8) Face-to-Face Thank you 9) Thank you cards (both hard copy thank you card and e-thank you card)! Others 1) Performance awards can also include peer-to-peer nominations ( May be called “Warm Fuzzy Nominations” or “Buddy Nomination”) Reason: a) While peer-to-peer recognition may not be as powerful as managemen t recognition, it helps build a strong work culture. b) Peers work more productively with one another when they sense sincere appreciation from their colleagues for their contributions. For nominations a form of the following format can be used: (A sample)
Warm Fuzzy Nomination Form
Your Dept................................................................................................ Your Name............................................................................................... Your Phone #.......................................................................................... Their Name............................................................................................. Their Dept/Location............................................................................ What did He/She do?........................................................................... .................................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................... c) The nomination will be done by the staff d) Award selection will be done by a Committee
e) Limited involvement of management 2) “GE Wall Of Fame” is each office of GE Money 3) Fun Event Planned for employees every month
For ex: June (Free movie passes for all ),Feb (A inter-department Cricket Match), April (A team picnic) 4) Programmes should include the 50/30/20 rule
Manager Peer Organisation
***Research and surveys have proved that direct appreciation by the Manager and peer, in that order, goes a long way in motivating employees. 5) There can be a SPOT Award programme during a fixed interval of time
It can Include the following: a) On-the-spot b) Lottery c) Forms 6) Smiling Faces programme
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Recognizes teams or departments who demonstrates values of teamwork, respect and dedication in customer Service
7) Surprise By programme
- Funds can be used to surprise random departments with treats, cookies or small gifts or goodies just to thank them for being a part of the company! 8) Informal ways to increase Motivation:
a) Personally congratulating employees who do a good job b) Writing personal notes about good behaviour or performance c) Using performance as the basis for promotion d) Publicly recognizing employees for good performance, and e) Holding morale-building meetings to celebrate successes. f) Naming a program after your employees g) Keeping the work environment fun ( This doesn't mean that business doesn't get done, just that its enjoyable to be there) 9) Some more inexpensive ways to reward the employees!
a) Ask for advice b) Reward with a Goodie bag c) Use staff ideas d) Featuring staff in training videos d) Creation of “WOW” cards for employees e) Hall of fame photos 10) Some rewards that employee liked to see given to them:
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Certificate of appreciation
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Mugs, other items with a special mention of your department
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Flowers
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Electronics (DVDs, iPods, etc.)
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T-shirts
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Two-three day holiday packages
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Dinner gift certificate
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Tickets to events
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Shopping vouchers
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Membership at clubs/gyms
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Lapel Pins
*** However, employees do not want to receive “cash” as a reward for their performance!! 11) Casual Mondays: Employees generally believe that declaring it a “Casual” dress da y can minimize the Monday blues! 12) Use of Company Logos: Employees like wearing T-shirts, Sweat- Shirts with the Company logo on it (This can even be a nice way of advertisement for the company free of cost)! Some ideas that can go a long way to increase employee motivation (No Cost) • • • • • • •
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Posting a thank you note on an employee’s door. Taking time to explain to new employees the norms and culture of the department. Giving special assignments to people who show initiative. Arranging for a team to present the results of its efforts to upper manage ment. Encouraging and recognizing staff who pursue continuing education. Creating and posting an “Employee Honor Roll” in reception area. Acknowledging individual achievements by using employee’s name when preparing a status report Giving employees an extra long lunch break. Establishing a place to display memos, posters, photos and so on, recognizing progress towards goals and thanking individual employees for their help. Swap a task with an employee for a day – his/her choice. Establish a “Behind the Scenes” award specifically for those whose actions are not usually in the limelight. Give a shiny new penny for a thought that has been shared. Nominate the employee for a University formal award program. Present “State of the Department” reports periodically to your employees acknowledging the work and contributions of individuals and teams. At a monthly staff meeting, award an Employee of the Month and invite co-workers at the meeting to say why that person is deserving of the award. Recognize employees who actively serve the community. Have staff vote for top manager, supervisor, employee and rookie of the year. Name a continuing recognition award after an outstanding employee. Allow employees to attend meetings in your place when you are not available. Create an Above and Beyond the Call of Duty (ABCD) Award. Ask your boss to attend a meeting with your employees during which you thank individuals
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and groups for their specific contributions. Pop in at the first meeting of a special project team and express your appreciation for their involvement. Send a letter to all team members at the conclusion of a project, thanking them for their participation. Start an employee recognition program. Give points for attendance, punctuality, teamwork, etc. Provide gift certificates to employees who reach cer tain point goals. Find ways to reward department-specific performance. Plan a surprise achievement celebration for an employee or group of employees. Start a suggestion program. Write a letter of praise recognizing specific contributions and accomplishments. Send a copy to senior management and the employee’s personnel file. When you hear a positive remark about someone, repeat it to that person as soon as possible (Face-to-face is best, e-mail or voice mail are good in a pinch). If you have a department newsletter, publish a “kudos” column an d ask for nominations throughout the department. Publicly recognize the positive impact on operations of the solutions employees devise for problems. Acknowledge individual achievements by using employee names in status reports. Express an interest in employee’s career development goals. Post a large “celebration calendar” in your work area. Tack on notes of recognition to specific dates. Create and string a banner across the work area. Practice positive nonverbal behaviors that demonstrate appreciation, such as smiles, or a handshake. Support “flex-friendly” schedules. Encourage employees to identify specific areas of interest in job-related skills. Then arrange for them to spend a day with an in-house “expert” to learn more about the topic. Encourage employees to participate in community volunteer efforts. Share verbal accolades – forward positive voice mail messages. Actively listen to co-workers, especially when discussing their accomplishments and contributions. Use 3x5 cards to write “You’re special because…” statements. People can collect the cards and refer to them when things aren’t going perfectly. Have a recognition event created by a peer group that decides what they will give and why they will give it. Keep a supply of appropriately funny notes that can be given as immediate rewards. Keep the supply visible – in a basket or box in your office. Widely publicize suggestions used and their positive impact on your department. When someone has spent long hours at work, send a letter of thanks to his/her home. Acknowledge and celebrate birthdays. Arrange for an outstanding employee to have lunch with a dean or director. Allow an employee to choose his/her next assignment. Recognize a team accomplishment by designating that team as consultants to other teams. Recognize those committed to personal health and wellness Smile. It’s contagious.
Employee Recognition Ideas (minor to moderate cost) • • •
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Plan a surprise picnic. Create a Hall of Fame wall with photos of outstanding employees. Make a photo collage about a successful project that shows the people that worked on it, its stage of development and its completion and presentation. Find out the person’s hobby and buy an appropriate gift. Make and deliver a fruit basket. Inscribe a favorite book as a gift. Give the person a membership or subscription to a journal that relates to their work Design a “Stress Support Kit” that included aspirin, a comedy cassette, wind up toys and a stress ball – or design your own. Serve ice cream sundaes to all of your employees at the end of a project. Once a year, have a “Staff Appreciation Day” where the managers supply, cook and serve food. Serve a team a hero party sandwich at the end of an assignment, for a job well done. Give flowers to an employee at their home or office as a thank you. Purchase a unique pin to serve as a memento for a task well done. Hold informal retreats to foster communication and set goals. Provide a lunch for project teams once they have made interim findings. Express your appreciation. Give a personalized coffee cup. Give an employee a blue ribbon for achievement. Design and give magnets with appropriate messages. Give a deserving employee a mug filled with treats. Give a framed poem (poster or card) as a thank you. Throw a pizza lunch party for your unit. Give a note reading, “Thank you. You are a ______!" Serve popcorn and lemonade on Friday (especially after a particularly hard week). At an employee meeting, distribute gift certificates. Give a puzzle as an award to a problem solver. Have weekly breakfasts with groups of employees. Treat an employee to lunch. Give out gold coins for a job well done. Bake/bring a gift (cookies, bread, etc.) for an outstanding employee or team. Send birthday cards to employees’ homes, signed by dean or director.
Some examples of what others are doing:
1) IT and ITES companies these days have been going the manufacturing way, showering their employees with gifts, to show their appreciation for their efforts. 2) Consultancy firm Ma Foi, usually gives something that the en tire family can touch and feel, to create a sense of relationship between the employee and the firm.
3) For Cognizant, it has been company policy since 1995-96 to give out gifts to employees every time the company achieves a milestone. “ So when the company recently achieved the $1-billion revenue milestone, it decided to celebrate in style, doling out the latest fifth-generation iPod Videos to 15,000 employees who had served the organization for over a year. “ 4) Companies such as Wipro Technologies offer employees a travel bonanza with family members for their long stint in the organization. Wipro has long service awards such as the Club 5 , 10, 15 and so on where employees who have spent a particular number of years in the company are recognized by the organization. As a token of appreciation, Wipro gives out two-three day holiday packages for the entire family for a destination within India. 5) Banking-related software companies seem to be giving employees home loans on a reduced rate of interest. 6) Intelenet Global Services, a joint venture BPO solutions company between Barclays Bank and HDFC, offers all of HDFC products to its employees at reduced rates of interest. 7) According to IT and BPO firm InterGlobe Technologies, gift hampers such as DVDs, dinner vouchers for employee along with spouse, or weekend getaways are instant rewards that employees can share with their families. 8) Business process outsourcing company (BPO) company Genpact have a Web-based rewards and recognition programme that runs on similar lines as airlines' frequent fliers programme. Any Manager can go and reward an employee who has done well by assigning reward points, which can be accumulated by the employee and redeemed against various items such as golf sets, meal-for-two vouchers, white goods (including TV and washing machine), or holiday package for two to destinations such as Jaipur or Goa" . The highest recognition under `Platinum Award' could be a fully-paid, four-day trip to an overseas destination with the employees' spouses. In 2007, the company took 45 of its employees with their partners to Greece!! 9) Polaris Software, the Chennai-based BFSI solutions specialist, has a stream outing budget for all 6,000 associates, at a budget of Rs 1,800 for each employee every year, with the intention of encouraging cohesiveness and teamwork. On a more performance-based level, the company gives gifts such as home theatre systems, iPods, and crystal trophies for employees who have won awards based on performance. 10) The story is the same for HCL BPO, which gives out electronics items such as TV, refrigerator, DVD player, digital camera and microwave to its employees.
MetLife Long Service Awards
The Long Service Awards are presented in appreciation of the loyalty demonstrated by an employee through his/her long tenure with the organization. This award is open to all the functions, including sales. MetLife Value Achievers Award
This award is awarded to MetLife employees, this award being open to all the functions (including sales). This award is a quarterly award and seeks to recognize employees for the demonstration of MetLife Values. Any employee can be nominated by any other employee or even by self. The nomination is to be supported with a story substantiating the nomination. Given the fact that different employees have different levels of story telling skills, the HR deptt edits the story if required, before presentation to the Committee. Chief Administrators Awards
This is a quarterly award and is open for all the offices of MetLife globally. This award seeks to acknowledge the best in class of employees in various administrative departments internationally. The award could be for innovation, demonstration of MetLife values, good service, and such.
(2) Prudential Insurance Company of America Prudential Insurance Company of America has a healthy mix of formal recognition and flexible on-thespot rewards. The company tailors its formal recognition by department so as to be able to reward the very specific behaviours that are department specific and can’t therefore be generalized, but are nevertheless very significant to the organization. The tighter focus ensures employees know exactly what the company expects of them. Meaningfulness of Rewards Customer-nominated awards are given out quarterly, and both the nomination and reward process are promoted in company newsletters and e-mails. It is also clearly spelled out what the award recognizes. The explanation is followed with a description of each winner and his or her exact efforts. The idea is to convey to the organization, thorough these true-life examples of what behaviours/results the management values. Customer Focus The company has a Customer Focus Award which recognizes employees who take the initiative, go beyond their job requirements and act as motivators, leaders and innovators on behalf of the customers. A cross-section of operations and systems employees make up the quarterly selection committee.
Winners receive a $300 "night on the town," recognition at events, a crystal award memento and eligibility for a "Best of the Best" award—$1,000 in Prudential mutual funds.
Empowering the Managers Besides the formal recognition process, managers are allowed the flexibility to offer informal incentives, such as a treat to movie show/dinners/ etc. at the department’s expense.
(3) Database Technologies Database Technologies has 20% to 30% of compensation based on performance. Employees are thereby rewarded for their hard work. Also, having a highly variable compensation plan helps to attract highly motivated and competitive employees. Employees are also compensated for intangible contributions to the company, such as teaching courses and writing white papers. All employees are rated each quarter on a scale of one to five, with five being worth an additional $2,000 per quarter. Also, all clients are given satisfaction surveys to fill out. Those employees who received high marks from clients became part of the Quality Club. Each year, the entire Quality Club is invited on a company cruise.
(4) Cognizant Cognizant’s WAH program enables employees to earn points for their contributions and redeem the accumulated points against Cognizant-branded products. The objective of the WAH program is to instantly recognize employees for their contributions to organizational initiatives.
(5) Torry Harris Business Solutions Torry Harris Business Solutions (THBS) has a ‘Spot excellence Award’, where employees are rewarded for their ‘beyond expectation performance’ within 24 hours of the deed. The award is based on the theory of ‘Operant conditioning in Behaviorism’, which states that when a person demonstrates a behavior, if the consequences are positively reinforcing, he/she is more likely to repeat the behavior.
(6) Wipro The company has a unique package called Encore, which is essentially a basket of non-monetary rewards given to motivate employees and recognize excellent work performance. Some of these awards are: •
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Feather-in-My-Cap, an on-the-spot recognition of an effort awarded to a project or project team Dear Boss recognizes the positives of a good boss, including technical, managerial, and leadership skills Mastermind, which notes the most innovative solution or idea The Wipro Hall of Fame recognizes superlative performers in different roles as well as superlative team performances
