Recognize Right Blog: Unlock the People Potential in Your Organization

Many of my clients have asked me if post recession would be a good time to begin a corporate-wide employee recognition initiative.  Anytime is a great time to let your employees know you value what they do, but really, more than ever, it is a great time to create a culture of recognition!  

Towers Watson recently published the key findings from the 2010 Global Workforce Study “The New Employment Deal – How Far, How Fast and How Enduring?”  The study covers more than 20,000 full-time employees of large and midsize organizations in 22 markets around the world*. This study has revealed some great insights which can be replicated throughout your organization using an integrated rewards and recognition program.

The data was collected via an online questionnaire between November 2009 and January 2010. It is a comprehensive analysis of the post-recession employee mindset stating the recession has accelerated the demise of the traditional employment contract or “deal,” between employees and employers. This study reveals a recession-weary workforce – one with lower expectations, increased anxiety, and new priorities. 

Setting aside cultures, customs, regulations – many of the findings throughout the world are very much the same. The key findings across the global sample are:

• The desire for security and stability trumps everything else right now, in part because employees see security as a fast-disappearing part of the deal.
  
• Employees understand they are solely or chiefly responsible for ensuring their long-term financial and physical health and well-being as well as their career and performance — but have serious doubts about their ability to take on these roles.
• Mobility is at a decade-long low point — with significant numbers of employees sacrificing the prospect of career growth for a secure job right now. 

Drawing from the data and key findings from the study, we see a new employment relationship emerging as called the “New Deal”: 

• Fostering self-confidence within employees
• Creating a more personalized work experience for segments of the workforce – aligned with how people add value to the organization
• Strengthening agility and flexibility in the organization’s structure, processes, management style, and delivery of workplace programs

Think of this “New Deal” as the art of the possible.  Employers need to adopt new and creative practices to balance effective cost and risk management with enhanced employee retention and engagement. This is all possible with a systematic recognition program!  What a better way to provide feedback, accelerate change, increase engagement, and best of all, your employees will be happy and motivated!

What type of change has the recession brought your organization?  Could you see the “New Deal” becoming a reality within your organization?  I would love to hear your ideas!

*Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, UK and US.

As we are all aware, our nations workforce is becoming more and more populated with Gen X and Y’ers.  To keep this generation productive, happy, and a continued part of your payroll, you may want to consider offering them a flexible schedule. 

Amongst other things, this generation requests a flexible work schedule to be working at their full potential. A work schedule with possible telecommuting needs to be part of the offer.  Appearing in the July issue of HR Magazine, “Home is Where the Productivity Is”, states that more and more employees are yielding at higher rates when telecommuting from a home office location.

A recent study completed by Brigham Young University researched data from over 24,000 employees from a global technology company and found 25% reported a full-time, in-office schedule was interfering with personal and family lives.  If an employee is unhappy because of being “tied down to a desk” or an unfavorable work environment, retention and morale are at risk.   

An organization can also save millions of dollars on the cost of reduced office space.  Along with increased retention and morale, these attributes are so important during a down economy and will have a positive effect on your bottom line. 

Don’t forget to also provide feedback and recognition for jobs well done.  On-line recognition platforms enable you to recognize your associates whether they are in the office, across town in their home office, or halfway around the world.

Does your organization offer flexible, telecommuting options to their employees?  If so, does your organization see a lift in productivity and morale?  Would you benefit from a telecommuting option?

Recognition is only as effective as the managers who use it. And to achieve the most effective recognition program, your managers must be engaged and informed.  Developing an environment of effective recognition is the role of your managers and their awareness and commitment to using recognition to accomplish their goals on an on-going basis. 

In today’s economy where everyone is asked to do more, managers more then ever are asked to oversee an increased number of employees.  With this increased workload, how do you keep recognition top-of-mind for your managers? 

These are some helpful tips for managers to sustain and maintain successful recognition to motivate their team to even greater accomplishments: 

1. Training: Training is an optimal way to start your process of creating an enterprise-wide culture of recognition. Inform your managers.
2. Responsibility:  Make your managers accountable for recognition efforts within their department. 
3. Communication: Communicate well and communicate often. Hold meetings with all management to see who’s recognizing and to share what’s working. Sharing the actual recognition comments is highly recommended!
4. Strategy: Most importantly, recognition is a business strategy to drive engagement, strengthen morale, and ultimately increase your bottom line.

Managers are the key ingredient to successful organizations and recognition programs.  The relationship between managers and employees is the “real” culture to most employees. Employees feel they work for managers, not organizations. This interesting statement is further confirmed by Gallup with The 12 Elements of Great Managing.  These 12 elements represent employees’ basic needs at a work place. Appearing on the list is “My supervisor seems to care about me as a person” – employees value the manager/employee relationship.

If you are a manager, have you recognized your staff for a job well done?  How do you recognize your employees? I would like to hear your thoughts. Stay tuned for next weeks blog regarding how to engage your manager.

Today I challenge you to recognize someone who has gone above-and-beyond.  Make it memorable and make it fun! Here are some great examples to get your creative juices flowing.

At our workplace, we have used “chair drops” as a recognition vehicle.  An employee would return from a meeting or lunch break and find a motivational message (from a manager or co-worker) along with a bag of homemade caramels. The employee would be asked to read the message and would receive a round of applause from fellow co-workers. The environment would be bursting with excitement! 

One of our clients would reward others with rocks with hand painted messages of “You Rock” and “You’re a Rockstar”.  This would be proudly displayed at their work station.  It was a very sought after item, as well as a big conversation piece!

Another one of our clients was having engagement issues within their IT group.  The company had a large whiteboard within the department and employees were encouraged to write “recognition” messages to other employees and managers.  Messages ranged from thanking others to team goals to motivational quotes.  Each week the messages would be erased so the recognition can be fresh and current.  Employees would gather around the white board – a true “water cooler” area, which resulted in great knowledge sharing.

Other things to remember about recognition:

• Recognition is a great form of feedback – let them know how they are doing
• Recognition is a powerful tool – behaviors will change right before your eyes
• Recognition happens formally and informally – you don’t need a stage and microphone to make someone’s day

So, let’s hear it . . .  who are you going to recognize today?  And what are you going to do to make it fun?