With the current economic situation of uncertainty and recession -- our industry has less money for rewards. It is our job as providers to teach senior leaders the realization that recognition could be used as a strategic tool to retain and engage talent.
We need to be sure our clients take a closer look at their recognition practices because many programs have been cancelled or cut back because they are viewed as luxuries corporations can no longer afford.
This means the programs surviving must have a number of things in common. First, they must be aligned with overall corporate strategy and specific business objectives. This will get C-suite support. Additionally, they must demonstrate real recognition return on investment.
Another emerging trend we must bring to our clients is looking at programs holistically. In the past, recognition programs tended to be delivered in silos. HR would manage the years-of-service award and wellness programs. Sales and marketing would manage the performance and incentive programs.
Siloed programs are wasteful — duplicate IT uploads and downloads, multiple web-sites and communication messages all burn money.
Now, we need to get our clients involved in creating recognition systems whereby all programs reside in a portal that becomes a destination. Technology can do amazing things, but one note of caution: Make sure it’s only used as an enabler and not as the be-all-and-end-all. Effective recognition only occurs when real people recognize one another.
The recession has created an even more diverse workforce in terms of generations working side by side. With this in mind, be wary of recognition programs that divide a workforce rather than unite it.
Some employers are creating programs that focus mainly on generation X and generation Y, ignoring baby boomers. This is a mistake. All employees should be treated equally and valued for who they are and what they do.
Since an employee’s ability to retire when originally planned has been severely compromised due to the economy, according to the 2010 Society for Human Resource Management Future Insights study, many boomers who were considering retirement may not be able to go anywhere. The last thing an employer needs is employees who really don't want to be there or feel left out because of your strategies.
Recognition programs aimed at boomers can include mentoring programs that encourage knowledge-sharing throughout the organization. Mentoring is a strategic business imperative that can transfer boomers’ years of experience to gen-X and gen-Y employees, thereby helping shorten or even accelerate their learning curve. Mentoring, when done correctly, sends a powerful message an organization values all employees.
Recognition programs are meant to show employees how much they are appreciated. It is imperative to make sure we design, develop and deploy programs for our clients with this in mind and accomplishes corporate goals.
About the author:
</br> Peter Hart is President & CEO of Rideau Recognition Solutions (www.rideau.com) and has been advising and serving the industry for over 20 years. He has been one of the driving forces in transforming Rideau from a small manufacturer of award products to one of the world’s fastest growing Recognition and Rewards providers. Rideau’s custom loyalty and performance management tools increase productivity, employee engagement, customer loyalty and ROI. He can be reached at #PeterHart[at]Rideau.com