Recognition Opportunities

This program is designed to appreciate, recognize, and motivate employees through the use of non-monetary or low-cost rewards such as being thanked publicly at a departmental function or having lunch with the head of the department.

What variety of strategies will you include in your program? Consider supervisory, peer-to-peer recognition, and department celebrations:

• Supervisors are uniquely aware of employee’s performance and contributions.
• Supervisors can pulse other key stakeholders to gain insight into an employee’s contributions, and may receive direct feedback regarding an employee.
• Peers are often aware of fellow worker's "behind the scenes" work that supervisors/managers do not have the opportunity to witness.
• Peer-to-peer recognition can be lighthearted and in good humor, and so is often easier to implement than formal recognition.
• Recognition promotes achievement of mutual goals by groups of employees.
• Employees will have a common feeling of accomplishment that will strengthen communication ties in the workplace.

What Supervisors Can Do

• Reinforce peer-to-peer recognition by acknowledging the efforts of employees who are taking time to appreciate their co-workers.
• Make recognition tools easily available to all.
• Provide frequent, specific feedback to employees about their performance. Use the STAR Method by pointing out the Situation/Task, the positive Actions they took, and the great Results of their actions.
• Identify the means by which employees prefer to be recognized. Ask your employees if they prefer public or private recognition.
• Challenge your employees with meaningful assignments that will develop new skills.
• Share with your employees the positive impacts they have on broad organizational goals.

 

What Peers Can Do

• Writing a note to their peer, recognizing their accomplishment.
• Nominating their peer for an established employee recognition award.
• Emailing their peer’s supervisor acknowledging the employees accomplishment.
  
  See “Create Your Program” for additional examples.

 

How to Recognize Teams

• Invite the team to present their results at a staff meeting and publicly thank the team for their great work.
• Send an email to a department head recognizing the team members and their efforts to complete an important department initiative or goal.
• Decorate the team members’ offices.
• Provide team member pins, plaques, or other mementos to acknowledge their contributions.
• Invite the team to meet with a department head for a face-to-face thank you.