Rewards & Reconigition-Celebrate Successes… Employee Recogntion Programs can boost employee productivity by 15-25%

Letters of praise, commemorative plaques, the “VIP” branded coffee mug - may not appear to be of value to employees, but when it comes time to clean up or de-clutter our offices or homes, these items are generally among the treasures we salvage. It’s a fact that we all value and need recognition for a job well done.

So powerful are employee recognition programs that a planned consistent program can actually boost employee productivity by between 15-25 per cent. Just as interesting, studies indicate that companies with a strong internal communications focus increase morale, employee retention, productivity and profits. Just think, then, how powerful a planned consistent and well-communicated recognition program can be. Communications plays a significant role in all three key elements in building a recognition program- monetary and non-monetary reward, openly praising employees and communicating and celebrating successes.

Imagine if your birthday wasn’t acknowledged by your closest friends or not celebrated. It’s the same with employee rewards and recognition.

A job well done must be openly praised and recognized in a timely way to have impact. Off-site meetings are excellent venues to share successes and recognition. So are staff meetings, emails, a personal letter of thank you from the CEO along with recognition in an employee newsletter, a special parking space designated for the ‘employee of the month’ and of course that plaque presented in a public forum are all visible non-monetary ways to recognize employee contributions. Some awards, such as a citizenship award for example, may warrant mention in the local community newspaper.

Middle market companies may overlook rewards and recognition as a significant part of employee communications. However, while large companies have entire departments devoted to employee communications, some middle market companies may overlook the importance of communicating effectively with employees when it comes to sharing the company vision, or latest strategy. This is also common with employee rewards and recognition programs. When reviewing various tactics used by a mid-sized company to show recognition, the CEO expressed frustration that the employees took the programs for granted and accepted them as part of their ‘due’, when the real reason was that the company programs were ad hoc and had not been packaged or communicated as part of an overall planned and consistent program.

Involve employees in the development of the program.

If you want your employees to share in the excitement of your company and become motivated, involve employees from the programs inception and include representatives from all employee groups on a planning team. If your program is up and running, involve employees in reviewing your process, that way employees not only provide feedback and insight into the development of a program, but become goodwill ambassadors of the program relaying company messages back to the workplace. Brand your recognition programs.

One newly merged national company that wanted to encourage a new entrepreneurial approach among its store managers, created an “Academy Awards” type celebration evening and awards program. It used a catchy and meaningful name for the awards not only for the awards, but also to characterize its top performers. Now the branded name has become synonymous with excellence and the employees as leaders. A prominent location on the main floor of the head office also displays the award trophies and names of the winners.

So when planning your recognition program, keep in mind that even long after that letter or plaque from the boss or team leader has been misplaced, the memory of where and how that message of praise was celebrated and recognized will be strong.

By Marjorie Wallens, MJW Communications. www.mjwcommunications.com

First published in Workplace News January/February 2007

MJW Communications is a media and public relations company that works with companies to make contacts and build relationships to build awareness for products and services that result in increased sales.

Michelle Magnan, Calgary Herald Published: Thursday, March 22, 2007

The virtual fitness coach

Like fitness videos of the ’80s, audio workouts for your MP3 player are the latest thing … check out Toronto-based Yuri Elkaim’s new series of audio-guided workouts for MP3 players and iPods. A former professional soccer player, Elkaim is the founder of Total Wellness Consulting and the strength and conditioning coach for the
University of Toronto’s men’s soccer team.

The idea for his audio workouts came to him about a year and a half ago, when a client he was training told Elkaim he should record his instructions. He saw a good opportunity.“It’s definitely an up-and-coming trend. We’re at the forefront of a whole new movement, kind of like the whole ’80s fitness video era,” says Elkaim. “It will hit that tipping point where it’ll just take off, considering that so many people are using MP3 players and iPods nowadays.”Elkaim offers a few series. His Fitter U program provides 35 hours of circuit training sessions and is a combination of weight-lifting and cardiovascular intervals. It’s the first weight-lifting audio workout I’ve come across. All you need is a step, a stability ball, some weights and a cardio machine. And if you’re working out at home and don’t have a machine, skipping rope or jogging on the spot works, too.

The Fitter U program also comes with information on healthy eating, an Excel spreadsheet to help track your workouts and a reward points system. The package costs $134.

His second series is a three-volume running program called Treadmill Trainer. Each volume costs $12.95. And then there are the Elliptical Workouts, two 35-minute-long workouts for $12.95 each. Elkaim says people at all fitness levels can benefit from his structured workouts. To check them out, and other sites, see Where to find an audio trainer, above.

The other day at the gym, I listened to volume two of Elkaim’s Treadmill Trainer program. While there is continuous music throughout, Elkaim provides a lot of instruction.

“I try to provide a good amount of structure,” he says, “and, on top of that, provide ongoing motivation. It helps the individual push beyond what they thought were their limits.”

He estimates he talks for 60 per cent of the time. “Imagine yourself running with a running partner or coach, without (the person) actually being there.”

Having a virtual running buddy sounds good to me. The only downside I can see with these audio trainers is having no excuse to skip a workout.

Where to find a virtual trainer: www.myfitteru.com