Monica Nolan offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print. Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum. ----------- PUBLICATION GUIDELINES - You have permission to publish this article for free providing the "About the Author" box is included in its entirety. - Do not post/reprint this article in any site or publication that contains hate, violence, porn, warez, or supports illegal activity. - Do not use this article in violation of the US CAN-SPAM Act. If sent by email, this article must be delivered to opt-in subscribers only. - If you publish this article in a format that supports linking, please ensure that all URLs and email addresses are active links. - Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to [email protected] - Article Marketer (www.ArticleMarketer.com) has distributed this article on behalf of the author. Article Marketer does not own this article, please respect the author's copyright and publication guidelines. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use this article. ----------- Article Title: Employee Recognition: What, Why, When, Where, and How? Author: Monica Nolan Category: Team Building, Customer Service, Employee Relations Word Count: 630 Keywords: employee engagement, employee recognition, employee satisfaction, employee job satisfaction Author's Email Address: [email protected] Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com ------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
Employee recognition has proven to be an influential factor in employee retention, engagement, and motivation. As an end result, organizations successful with integrating and implementing employee recognition enjoy better profit margins and more stability. To fully understand effective employee recognition, we've provided the answers to the five essential questions of this management strategy - What, Why, When, Where and How. WHAT The reward most often associated with the term "employee recognition" is usually some form of financial incentive -- bonuses and benefits. Many companies assume that all employees need and want is more money. This, however, is a myth. In truth, employee recognition is an effective tool for communicating expectations as well as reinforcing the behavior by which those expectations are met. Specifically, employee recognition is any form of reward, tangible or intangible, an employee receives for meeting or exceeding a predetermined standard. This means employee recognition can also be done through thank you notes, verbal praise and posting of good customer service feedback. WHY Employee recognition is widely recognized as a major factor in motivating employees to improve performance. Numerous benefits occur as a result, including increased employee retention and engagement -- the measurable expression of employees' passion and purpose within an organization. Furthermore, employee engagement is directly correlated to customer engagement. And when your customers and employees are passionate about your organization, you can bet that you'll experience success. WHEN The most effective recognition takes place as close to the desired performance as possible. In other words, as soon as your employee achieves a goal or meets a standard, recognition should follow immediately. This will greatly aid in reinforcing the behavior that achieved the desired result. WHERE There is some debate as to where employee recognition is best observed -- in the public sphere or the private one. Certainly, it should be no secret that employees will be recognized for excellent performance. The key is to ensure no favoritism is perceived. All employees need to feel equally eligible for recognition, so it's best to have a recognition policy that is standard for everyone; in other words, every specific achievement results in an equally specific reward regardless of who receives it. HOW This is perhaps the most difficult and widely contested question regarding employee recognition. Regardless, there are a number of foundational concepts to incorporate. 1. Tailor your recognition program to your organizational culture. As such, no one company's program should be exactly the same as another's. Your employees are unique and part of a similarly unique culture; thus, they require a culture-specific recognition program. 2. Money is not the catch-all solution to employee recognition; in fact, it should take a backseat to other methods. For instance, time, affirmation, and personally-expressed gratitude are much more valuable commodities. 3. Be specific. Employees should know exactly why they are being rewarded. Additionally, they should know exactly which behaviors will elicit recognition. 4. Encourage peer-to-peer recognition. Recognition doesn't always have to come from the top. In most cases, co-workers know more about real employee performance than most managers. Create a culture of encouragement and recognition among your employees, and watch employee engagement prosper. 5. Be creative continually, not just in the beginning. Over time, your "tailored" and "specific" recognition program will grow stagnant. Keep employees engaged by adapting and creating new ways of reward and recognition. Here are some practical ideas to get your employee recognition program started. Try one or more of the following if they are compatible with your organizational culture: -- Hand-written "Thank You" cards -- Publicly posting positive customer feedback -- A reward box filled with appropriate and desirable prizes -- Individually acknowledging an employee who consistently goes above and beyond Remember, employee recognition is a valuable tool that, when practiced effectively, will positively affect your organization's culture, stability, and performance. Monica Nolan is an Account Manager with PeopleMetrics, a customer and employee engagement solutions company. Find out how PeopleMetrics can help you build and sustain engaged customers at http://www.peoplemetrics.com ------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
