How can retailers make employee recognition resonate?

Through a special arrangement, what follows is a summary of an article from COLLOQUY, provider of loyalty marketing publishing, education and research since 1990. Pre-formatted emails and letters that recognize employee anniversaries or performance milestones can ring hollow, and that hollowness can stick with your employees well beyond their day of celebration. By transforming employee milestones into opportunities to applaud their achievements before peers, organizations could elevate such moments from hollow to powerful — both psychologically and behaviorally. Here are three layers of employee appreciation: Layer 1: Make gratitude a key ingredient. This basic layer of recognition applies to all employees and all events, from initial training to unexpected good deeds. Use these public moments as opportunities for the team to share, with examples, how the associate elevated himself and the company. LoyaltyOne’s Achievers Employee Success Platform, for instance, provides workers a way to call out team and individual contributions from across departments. The result: a six percent increase in employee engagement scores, and evidence that shows workers who know why their peers appreciate them will be motivated to build on those contributions in the long term. Layer 2: Mix in complementary sweeteners. This layer of recognition applies to anniversaries and more advanced performance achievements. In addition to acknowledging an employee’s specific contributions, team leaders should correlate those contributions to the organization’s success and reward the employees accordingly. LoyaltyOne’s President’s Circle Award, for example, celebrates employees who make exceptional contributions to the business and community in ways that specifically align with our values. In past years, we honored associates with weekend getaways and recognition dinners in Manhattan and Quebec City. Layer 3: Slather on the company culture. Finally, major milestone anniversaries and rare accomplishments are opportunities to inspire all associates. The goal is to make the recipient a company hero, so these gatherings require more fanfare. A 20-year anniversary, for example, could be celebrated by bringing the entire company together and giving the employee one gift that exemplifies each year of his or her service. The key is sharing firsthand how the associate expresses the company’s values, emphasizing that the organization really is the product of its people.

• Cakes Are Tasty, But Here’s How To Put The Icing On Employee Recognition – COLLOQUY