Tales from the Corporate Frontline

Recognizing Excellence

This article relates to the Recognition competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. It tells the story of how one company changed when employees felt they were properly and fairly recognized for their efforts. This competency also explores what type of behavior is appreciated and rewarded within your organization. Studies show that employees who receive regular recognition and praise are more likely to increase their individual productivity levels, increase engagement with their colleagues, and stay longer at the organization. Evaluating this competency can be especially useful if your organization is experiencing low productivity levels or ineffective teamwork.

This short story, Recognizing Excellence, is part of AlphaMeasure's compilation, Tales from the Corporate Frontlines. It illustrates how employee engagement and productivity improved when one company began to recognize and show appreciation for the excellence of its workforce.

Anonymous Submission

Our department was stuck in a rut. Many of my coworkers had been with the company for years, and everyone was used to coming in to work everyday, doing a fine job, and going home. There wasn't much feedback involved, so since we were getting no bad reports, we assumed things were fine.

Then one day, the director asked to see me in her office. She wanted to know why things were sliding downhill in our department. Our numbers were off, for the first time in years. I couldn't think of a specific reason, but offered my insight that maybe we needed to give more recognition to the employees when they deserved it. Mention their achievements in the company newsletter, or perhaps even offer incentives for exceptional performance.

The director wanted to hear more about the kinds of things that would interest our departmental group. I told her I didn't think it needed to be on too grand a scale, just small things, an acknowledgement, maybe a gift certificate for dinner or shopping, some small reward for a new achievement or idea. It wasn't that my coworkers were substandard employees; they just needed something to break them out of the everyday doldrums and remind them that the company appreciates all of their hard work.

I went back to my office. No more was said, but I began to notice small changes. An idea box appeared in the lobby for suggestions, and each week, the best idea received a pair of movie tickets. In our department, a bonus was offered for every service compliment received. It was small, but it worked. I later discovered that some other departments were having the same problem, and the company as a whole began offering incentives, rewards, and acknowledgements every time an employee excelled. Once a month, the company holds an appreciation lunch - a small buffet in the cafeteria. Top-level executives attend when they can and offer acknowledgements to special employees.

The program has improved morale and performance throughout the company. The idea box is always filled with a fresh batch, and there is healthy competition within our department, instead of lethargy. Knowing that our employers notice our hard work and care enough to recognize it has made us the engaged, enthusiastic employees we are today.

Measure. Report. Improve your organization with AlphaMeasure employee surveys.

Josh Greenberg is President of AlphaMeasure, Inc.

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