Workplace of Choice

The primary goal of an Employee Reward & Recognition (R&R) program is to show appreciation and acknowledgement for an employee's accomplishments and to encourage them to continue their good performance and commitment to the company.  A good R&R program will align with the company's mission, values and goals and promote behaviors that will reinforce desired results.  R&R programs can also help engage and retain employees, especially those employees who you seek most to retain.  In an economy where financial incentives may be lower, R&R programs can counteract the negative effects felt by employees over decreased compensation.  Reward and Recognition programs can have a profound effect on the quality of life at work, employee productivity and satisfaction, office communication and can help build rapport and teamwork.  A recent study by Martiz found that 55% of employees "agreed or "strongly agreed" that the company's recognition of their performance positively affected their efforts and job performance.

Reward & Recognition programs come in all different shapes and sizes and there's no one right program.  Each company will need to develop a program that works in their organization and for their employees.  Successful programs address some of the following key points:

• A good R&R program will align with the mission, values and goals of the organization.  Behaviors that help achieve the vision and goals are the ones you want to reinforce, so your R&R program should be designed with this in mind. Additionally, behaviors that reinforce the company values should be rewarded.  Working with senior management and gaining a good understanding of the vision, goals and the behaviors they're seeking to strengthen will help ensure the success of the program.

• Create a R&R program development team that represents a cross section of employees in both function and level.  By having a diverse group of employees help with the development, the program is more likely to "hit home" and be successful.  Use the development team to guide the program design in both the criteria for recognition and designing rewards that will drive behavior. 

• Create excitement for the rollout of the program. Think beyond the traditional written memo introduction and step out of the box when introducing the program.  Involving senior management will help create some of the excitement, but be creative. 

• Keep it simple!  Nothing is more frustrating for employees than a program they can't understand.  If it's not easy to participate, it won't succeed.

As you develop your program, keep in mind the behaviors you want to reinforce and be creative!  The program should add value for employees and not be viewed as a chore.  Programs that engage and excite employees are most successful.  We'd love to hear your Reward & Recognition best practices.