26 Jul
Highlighting The “Why” Behind Your Rewards
Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 26.07.13 by John Meloche
Offering your symbols of thanks and recognition is an excellent business practice. As you would expect, Synergy Marketing believes strongly in this concept and, as a result, we provide the best promo products in our industry. As we’ve been detailing over the past couple of days, however, there are many ways to offer thanks in addition to promotional products.
This offering of thanks, let us remind you, should be directed toward both your customers and your staff members. But as Susan M. Heathfield writes on About.com, there must be sentiment behind the recognition so that it is properly taken. In other words, you’re not just giving out rewards for no reason. Your show of thanks is also your way of communicating what you expect from your employees in future.
Heathfield offers up a number of effective ways to recognize your employees. In this case, it’s not so much about how you acknowledge them, but instead why you are acknowledging them. Making clear your reasons for offering your show of thanks is what will make the gesture most effective. As she writes, “employee recognition is a communication tool that reinforces and rewards the most important outcomes people create for your business.”
“All employees must be eligible for the recognition.” There should be a message of equity in your office. And that is that all members of your staff are potential reward-recipients. What you want is a motivated staff that feels that they are each equal to their co-workers. That way, when members of the team are rewarded, it is known that individual efforts are being recognized, and that it’s not about favourtism.
“The recognition must supply the employer and employee with specific information about what behaviors or actions are being rewarded and recognized.” It is important to be crystal clear about what is being celebrated. Rewards don’t work as well when they are given out randomly – and to everyone. Your show of thanks is also your way of saying “this is what is expected of you going forward.”
“Anyone who then performs at the level or standard stated in the criteria receives the reward.” As mentioned earlier, your office should be one that provides equal opportunities. This means that unless an employee is performing at the level required to receive recognition, he or she won’t be recognized with a reward. However, several people can be acknowledged at once if they all make the grade.
“The recognition should occur as close to the performance of the actions as possible, so the recognition reinforces behavior the employer wants to encourage.” In other words, don’t delay. If you want a productive staff, be sure about being diligent in the way you recognize its members. Provide your rewards as often as necessary. Keep motivating your team to work towards being recognized.
Finally, Heathfield writes that “you don’t want to design a process in which managers ‘select’ the people to receive recognition. This type of process will be viewed forever as ‘favoritism’ or talked about as ‘it’s your turn to get recognized this month.’ This is why processes that single out an individual, such as ‘Employee of the Month,’ are rarely effective.”
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