How to Recognize Your Best Employees

What is the best way to recognize employees who provide excellent customer service or those who go above and beyond in their work?

The tried-and-true approaches of managers from 1950s and '60s are not usually effective in the 21st century. You know the ones: The "Employee of the Month" plaques; the "Years of Service" pins; or the front parking spaces. Well, maybe the front parking space is still cool.

Most people latch onto the idea of providing money to incent behavior. While money can have some impact, that money is soon gone, having been spent on food or bills and has no long-term effect on employee behavior.

Depending on your company there are some cool new approaches that can be implemented and are really necessary to excite today's employees. These approaches are significantly different based on your industry or the department for which you are responsible.

Here are some suggestions for different industries:

1. Service Companies – These companies provide services directly to the customer (E.g., retailers or restaurants):
   • Provide outstanding performers with a different colored shirt made of the best materials. This is akin to the yellow jersey in the Tour De France signifying the leader at service or great performance. The shirt could be worn for one month or one quarter depending on your measurement period.
   • Create schedule chips that can be turned in for the employee to make his work schedule for a week or for the month. This is real incentive to perform. Employees love the idea of controlling when they will work.
2. Technology Companies – Software or hardware development companies:
   • Your outstanding employee gets to name the next new product release.
   • Your employee gets to design a CD cover.
3. Sales Teams – For any type of company because sales people are just different:
   • One-week rental of a sports car or convertible to call on customers.
   • Your employee gets specially designed business card touting sales results.

Whatever program you decide to implement, make sure that all of the mechanisms for qualifying for the reward are fair and accessible to all employees in the target group. The whole recognition program can backfire if there is any perception that only a select few can ever win.

Remember, the measure for winning must be easy to understand and the ceremony announcing the winner must be done with pomp and celebration.

Commit to whatever program you start long enough to show that your company is serious about the idea.

When you feel that the program is no longer effective, end the program with the same celebration as when it began. Be prepared to announce the next program and the new deliverables.

Employee recognition can really provide a boost to performance and excitement if designed, implemented and executed correctly. If not, it can be as exciting as the blank spaces on the Employee of the Month plaque.