As many companies seek new and better ways to motivate employees, many start new or improved recognition systems which they hope will energize their workforce, resulting in major cost savings and marked strides in quality. The good news is a well-designed recognition program can do exactly that. The bad news is a poorly designed or poorly implemented one can have just the opposite effect. How do you know if the recognition program you are starting is a winner or a lemon? Here are some tips on how to do it right.

Keep it Simple

The best recognition programs are designed in such a way employees quickly understand how they work. They understand what is being recognized, why it is being recognized and how the recognition is determined. Too often in our haste to put new and improved systems in place we try so hard to fully cover all potential issues that the end result is a program fraught with red tape, bureaucracy and so many exceptions and stipulations even the most dedicated employees simply ignore it due to its complexity.

No recognition program, no matter how well designed, can solve all the ills of a company. However, a well designed one can really make a dent in improving performance in certain categories. The challenge for supervisory and management staff is to determine what behaviors the recognition system is designed to reward. If the goal is for all employees to work safely then the expected behavior may be for all associates to continually be on the watch for not only their own safety and well being but that of their coworkers. Thus the recognition program should be designed in such a manner the goals as defined make up the central core of the recognition program.

It is critical management first define what behaviors are expected before designing a new recognition system. For example, say your company instituted a recognition system which paid $10 for every safety suggestion submitted. The suggestions must be original, must result in the elimination of a safety hazard or improve the overall working conditions and must be accepted and implemented before the $10 was paid. The winner would have their suggestion and picture posted on the company bulletin board. Sounds great, right? Think again.

To maintain such a program could very well require a part-time or full-time administrator to handle the reams of paper it may generate. Suggestions would need to be logged, tracked in some fashion to ensure only original ideas are accepted, reviewed by someone to assess their practicality and then implemented via some form of work order which would verify when the suggested idea was completed. The employee would then need an appointment for pictures while a copy of their suggestion along with their picture would then need to be posted on a department bulletin board. And of course the bulletin board would need to be maintained in a neat and orderly manner, taking down old postings and putting new ones up. All of a sudden the idea has lost some of its luster, especially if you are told there is no money in the budget to hire an administrator and you will have to somehow get the work done yourself.

It is critical you fully flesh out the recognition program to ensure it is simple to understand, easy to operate and as maintenance-free as possible. Putting in a flashy, complex program will most likely result in it being added to other program of the month clubs which sounded great at first but were buried by an avalanche of red tape and bureaucracy.

Keep It Focused

Successful recognition programs are not only simple in design but focused on their target. Trying to develop a recognition program rewarding employees for improvements in safety, quality and efficiencies is much too broad and will most likely have little direct appeal to the masses. Such a shotgun approach may appear that it will improve overall performance on several fronts. The reality is it will probably have little if any impact at all.

Determine what singular area needs to be improved. Write out the goals to be achieved, why improvement in this area is important and what the expected improvement target should be. Then design the program around this concept, keeping it locked onto its target. Keep it focused on the initial target and do not modify the target until both the short-term and the long-term objectives are met. This will require patience on your part as there will be the inevitable suggestions from others to drop the program and move onto something else. Resist such attempts and stay on course with the program until the short-term and long-term goals are met or the time frame for the program has expired. For employees to truly value and use a recognition program they must have time to see it, play with it and eventually accept it. Constantly changing it, unexpectedly dropping it or failing to see it through does nothing except confuse everyone due to the rules or targets being continually changed. Determine what you will measure, how you will measure it and then have the fortitude to see it through.

Measure and Communicate Results on a Regular Basis

All outstanding recognition programs also have outstanding communication systems established at the onset of the program. There is no point in having a big, splashy fanfare when you roll out a new recognition program only to have the recipients of the recognition simply receive their reward in a envelope mailed to their house. Although the monetary reward is important, it is minor in comparison to the mileage you will get from the recognition that should accompany it. A well-defined communication program needs to be built in during the design phase of the recognition program. It should include who will coordinate the communication, how it will be communicated as well as how often and where it should be done. Any money required should be included in the overall recognition budget for things such as certificates, color film, posters or postage.

The results need to be communicated to the entire work force on a regular, ongoing basis, showing the results, both good and bad. Good, honest communication is the best policy, as trying to gloss over downturns or hide poor results will do little to build credibility with the workforce. Besides, how can they be expected to improve if they don’t know they need to? Decide early on to communicate regularly with the work force, using easy to understand updates, such as graphs, memos, tables of results or whatever you believe works
best in getting the information to the employees. How the message is communicated is secondary to ensuring the employees understand it. Putting up expensive, glossy, professional graphs no one understands cannot compare to a simple memo from their supervisor saying they have met their goal for the third straight month. Plan for regular, ongoing communication that is easy to update, easy to understand and clearly sends the message to all associates at a glance.

The Reward Should Be In Line With The Result

Any reward associated with a recognition program needs to be of sufficient value to motivate employees’ interest not only in the program but in their desire to be active participants as well. Think about it. Could you get excited about a new quality improvement program that has a goal of 10 percent annual improvement in defects with the reward of free coffee and donuts when it is achieved?

Outstanding recognition programs need to have rewards commensurate with the results they achieve. Small improvements have small rewards and large improvements have large rewards. Trying to reward all successes in the same way will quickly prove counterproductive, as employees will soon begin to wonder why they should even bother. The reward given should be given out concurrently with the recognition and be of sufficient value that the recipient looks forward to receiving it and is proud to have earned it. Try and shortchange the program and you will find yourself shortchanging the results you expect to receive. Good quality products cost more but more often deliver better, more consistent results. When planning your budget, build into your financial planning a sufficient amount of funds to ensure the rewards given are in line with the expected results.

Involve Employees in the Program Design

You say you don’t have time to be planning a new recognition program? Let your employees design it! Without a doubt there are always energetic employees who enjoy being in charge of a company activity. Since they and their peers will be the recipients of whatever new recognition program is implemented, why not let them have a say in how it is designed?
If you have a group of employees design the program, be sure to be clear up front on what the expectations are. Provide them with a budget, a time frame as to when you expect the program to be up and running and what the goals of the recognition program are. Have regular scheduled updates during which they can communicate progress as well as any setbacks they may need help on.

Getting employees involved in the design of the program is the best way to ensure the program will be well received once it’s implemented. After all, it’s hard to criticize something you had a part in designing.

Well-designed recognition programs can greatly enhance morale, improve overall performance in key categories and make real contributions to a company’s bottom line. Following the five key success factors of successful recognition programs should go a long way in making sure your program is a standout in delivering the results you hope to accomplish.

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