Planning Compensation

Planning Compensation

Forms of Recognition

FORMAL

INFORMAL

EVERYDAY                

                                                           

Examples of Formal Recognition

1. Milestone Service Anniversary Awards (5,10,15,20, 25 years of service)

2. Ideas, Improvement & Performance Awards

3. Service Awards

a) Teamwork/leadership

b) Customer Service

c) Citizenship

d) Innovation

e) Attendance

4. Awards would include:

a) Plaques/Desk trophies

b) Certificates

c) Gifts/Certificates

d) Picture in the webpage

Examples of Informal Recognition

1) Team Building Retreats

2) Acknowledgement of Dept/Division goals achieved

3) Committee Involvement

4) Project Completion meals

5) Birthday cakes and cards

6) Picnics

7) Staff Appreciation Day

8) Holiday Parties

9) Dress-Up Days

10) Corporate Merchandise

11) One night sponsored at a Disco or Pub ( For individual or Teams!)

Examples of Everyday Recognition

1) Communication & Interpersonal Skills workshops

2) Personal and Professional Development workshops

3) Email Thanks

4) Letter from manager or supervisors

5) Gift items

6) Thank You Notes

7) Verbal Feedback

8) Face-to-Face Thank you

9) Thank you cards (both hard copy thank you card and e-thank you card)!

Others

1) Performance awards can also include peer-to-peer nominations ( May be called “Warm Fuzzy Nominations” or “Buddy Nomination”)

Reason:

a) While peer-to-peer recognition may not be as powerful as management recognition, it helps build a strong work culture.

b) Peers work more productively with one another when they sense sincere appreciation from their colleagues for their contributions.

c) The nomination will be done by the staff

d) Award selection will be done by a Committee

e) Limited involvement of management

f) Fun Event Planned for employees every month

For ex: June (Free movie passes for all ),Feb (A inter-department Cricket Match), April (A team picnic)

g) Smiling Faces programme

Recognizes teams or departments who demonstrates values of teamwork, respect and dedication in customer Service

h) Surprise By programme

Funds can be used to surprise random departments with treats, cookies or small gifts or goodies just to  thank them for being  a part of  the company!

1. Informal ways to increase Motivation:

a) Personally congratulating employees who do a good job

b) Writing personal notes about good behaviour or performance

c) Using performance as the basis for promotion

d) Publicly recognizing employees for good performance, and

e) Holding morale-building meetings to celebrate successes.

f) Naming a program after your employees

g) Keeping the work environment fun ( This doesn’t mean that business doesn’t get done, just that its enjoyable to be there)

2.  Some more inexpensive ways to reward the employees!

a) Ask for advice

b) Reward with a Goodie bag

c) Use staff ideas

d) Featuring staff in training videos

d) Creation of “WOW” cards for employees

e) Hall of fame photos

3.  Some rewards that employee liked to see given to them:

I	Certificate of appreciation
Ii	Mugs, other items with a special mention of your department
Iii	Flowers
Iv	Electronics (DVDs, iPods, etc.)
V	T-shirts
Vi	Two-three day holiday packages
vii	Dinner gift certificate
viii	Tickets to events
X	Shopping vouchers
Xi	Membership at clubs/gyms
xii	Lapel Pins

4. Casual Mondays: Employees generally believe that declaring it a “Casual” dress day can minimize the Monday blues!

5. Use of Company Logos:  Employees like wearing T-shirts, Sweat- Shirts with the Company logo on it (This can even be a nice way of advertisement for the company free of cost)!

Some ideas that can go a long way to increase employee motivation (No Cost)

• Posting a thank you note on an employee’s door.
• Taking time to explain to new employees the norms and culture of the department.
• Giving special assignments to people who show initiative.
• Arranging for a team to present the results of its efforts to upper management.
• Encouraging and recognizing staff who pursue continuing education.
• Creating and posting an “Employee Honor Roll” in reception area.
• Acknowledging individual achievements by using employee’s name when preparing a status report
• Giving employees an extra long lunch break.
• Establishing a place to display memos, posters, photos and so on, recognizing progress towards goals and thanking individual employees for their help.
• Swap a task with an employee for a day – his/her choice.
• Establish a “Behind the Scenes” award specifically for those whose actions are not usually in the limelight.
• Give a shiny new penny for a thought that has been shared.
• Nominate the employee for a University formal award program.
• Present “State of the Department” reports periodically to your employees acknowledging the work and contributions of individuals and teams.
• At a monthly staff meeting, award an Employee of the Month and invite co-workers at the meeting to say why that person is deserving of the award.
• Recognize employees who actively serve the community.
• Have staff vote for top manager, supervisor, employee and rookie of the year.
• Name a continuing recognition award after an outstanding employee.
• Allow employees to attend meetings in your place when you are not available.
• Create an Above and Beyond the Call of Duty (ABCD) Award.
• Ask your boss to attend a meeting with your employees during which you thank individuals and groups for their specific contributions.
• Pop in at the first meeting of a special project team and express your appreciation for their involvement.
• Send a letter to all team members at the conclusion of a project, thanking them for their participation.
• Start an employee recognition program. Give points for attendance, punctuality, teamwork, etc. Provide gift certificates to employees who reach certain point goals.
• Find ways to reward department-specific performance.
• Plan a surprise achievement celebration for an employee or group of employees.
• Start a suggestion program.
• Write a letter of praise recognizing specific contributions and accomplishments. Send a copy to senior management and the employee’s personnel file.
• When you hear a positive remark about someone, repeat it to that person as soon as possible (Face-to-face is best, e-mail or voice mail are good in a pinch).
• If you have a department newsletter, publish a “kudos” column and ask for nominations throughout the department.
• Publicly recognize the positive impact on operations of the solutions employees devise for problems.
• Acknowledge individual achievements by using employee names in status reports.
• Express an interest in employee’s career development goals.
• Post a large “celebration calendar” in your work area. Tack on notes of recognition to specific dates.
• Create and string a banner across the work area.
• Practice positive nonverbal behaviors that demonstrate appreciation, such as smiles, or a handshake.
• Support “flex-friendly” schedules.
• Encourage employees to identify specific areas of interest in job-related skills. Then arrange for them to spend a day with an in-house “expert” to learn more about the topic.
• Encourage employees to participate in community volunteer efforts.
• Share verbal accolades – forward positive voice mail messages.
• Actively listen to co-workers, especially when discussing their accomplishments and contributions.
• Use 3×5 cards to write “You’re special because…” statements. People can collect the cards and refer to them when things aren’t going perfectly.
• Have a recognition event created by a peer group that decides what they will give and why they will give it.
• Keep a supply of appropriately funny notes that can be given as immediate rewards. Keep the supply visible – in a basket or box in your office.
• Widely publicize suggestions used and their positive impact on your department.
• When someone has spent long hours at work, send a letter of thanks to his/her home.
• Acknowledge and celebrate birthdays.
• Arrange for an outstanding employee to have lunch with a dean or director.
• Allow an employee to choose his/her next assignment.
• Recognize a team accomplishment by designating that team as consultants to other teams.
• Recognize those committed to personal health and wellness
• Smile. It’s contagious.

Employee Recognition Ideas (minor to moderate cost)

• Plan a surprise picnic.
• Create a Hall of Fame wall with photos of outstanding employees.
• Make a photo collage about a successful project that shows the people that worked on it, its stage of development and its completion and presentation.
• Find out the person’s hobby and buy an appropriate gift.
• Make and deliver a fruit basket.
• Inscribe a favorite book as a gift.
• Give the person a membership or subscription to a journal that relates to their work
• Design a “Stress Support Kit” that included aspirin, a comedy cassette, wind up toys and a stress ball – or design your own.
• Serve ice cream sundaes to all of your employees at the end of a project.
• Once a year, have a “Staff Appreciation Day” where the managers supply, cook and serve food.
• Serve a team a hero party sandwich at the end of an assignment, for a job well done.
• Give flowers to an employee at their home or office as a thank you.
• Purchase a unique pin to serve as a memento for a task well done.
• Hold informal retreats to foster communication and set goals.
• Provide a lunch for project teams once they have made interim findings. Express your appreciation.
• Give a personalized coffee cup.
• Give an employee a blue ribbon for achievement.
• Design and give magnets with appropriate messages.
• Give a deserving employee a mug filled with treats.
• Give a framed poem (poster or card) as a thank you.
• Throw a pizza lunch party for your unit.
• Give a note reading, “Thank you. You are a ______!”
• Serve popcorn and lemonade on Friday (especially after a particularly hard week).
• At an employee meeting, distribute gift certificates.
• Give a puzzle as an award to a problem solver.
• Have weekly breakfasts with groups of employees.
• Treat an employee to lunch.
• Give out gold coins for a job well done.
• Bake/bring a gift (cookies, bread, etc.) for an outstanding employee or team.
• Send birthday cards to employees’ homes