Lose The Flavor Of The Month

Initiating a local recognition initiative is a great idea for that department, division or local team that likely has a specific focus or goal to accomplish. However, all to often these programs tend to fizzle out quickly and employees are left to wonder what other half-baked program is in the pipeline for next quarter.

You know, that catchy name and logo for a recognition initiative that offered great gifts or cash. Come to find out after months of not hearing anything, no hand shake pictures on the corporate intranet or great story in the quarterly newsletter that inspires others is completely gone.

It doesn’t take a CSI research team to uncover the most common mistakes in why they fail and leaving the employee to wonder what happened. First, the nominations are typically submitted via paper submission and didn’t link to any corporate behavioral values. Second, the initiative had no reporting or transparency, which doesn’t speak well to the executives and the need for ROI in today’s business climate. Finally, with no technology at its core, it doesn’t offer the migration path to introduce new programs that can build off the older ones when they mature. Employees are simply left with cafeteria coins or unused toy money that can’t be redeemed.

An overall recognition strategy is paramount in delivering company wide and localized recognition initiatives. The strategy has to be in aligned with corporate objectives and reward employees that exhibit core values and peak performance, which ultimately link to profitability. You then need to have a technology solution that works at both the local and corporate level and delivers formal and informal initiatives. And you have to have the ability to track and report ROI to your executive suite.

In a recent Workforce special report article, “Getting Personal” by Leah Shephard, its shared that 52% of employers are increasing their focus on nonfinancial recognition. And she shares that “At a time when recognition is more important then ever to engage and retain values employees,..” Let’s just hope that the investment is linked to a strategy that doesn’t lose it flavor.

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