It seems there is never neutral ground when it comes to recruiting and retaining top talent to move companies forward. On the employee side of the conversation, we hear that there are no good jobs available. Or, they say that what jobs are available offer pay and benefit packages that are unimpressive. Attracting and keeping top talent takes time and planning on how you can find, engage, recruit then motivate good employees. Part of motivation should include an employee recognition program.
On the other side, employers complain that there just aren’t enough good workers out there to fill vacancies they advertise. Who is right? I’d venture a guess that both sides have valid points. With that in mind, let’s say that good jobs are available and talented candidates are available. This would be a small business situation made in Heaven. You find and attract good candidates. You hire good people.
Now, the question becomes: how do you engage and motivate them to stay? Pay levels aren’t everything, nor are benefits. Both of these methods of compensation area important, but so is employee recognition. This concept, thankfully, is not the most expensive tactic a small business can choose. The occasional ‘atta boy’ with a pat on the back goes a long way – and costs nothing. Onsite snacks or lunches or ‘Employee of the Month’ parking spaces can spread goodwill as well.
Setting up an Employee Recognition Program
One of the biggest challenges in setting up an effective employee recognition program is determining what not to recognize. If the scope is too broad, the recognition program becomes unwieldy — difficult to manage, expensive to manage, and worst of all, so diluted with details that it loses its power to engage and motivate employees. With this in mind, company leaders get the best results when they create a program with a strategic focus most consistent with company organizational performance goals.
The following infographic details different statistics about employee engagement programs as well as how to implement an incentive program. RPG Card Services shares 10 Things You Might Not Know about Employee Recognition and ideas on how to set up an Employee Recognition Program.
Julie Feece is Vice President North America – Marketing for RPG Card Services, a sales and marketing organization specializing in offering Gift Card Program Services to nationally recognized retailers for their B2B and B2C programs. She has held leadership roles in the incentive gift card industry for over 17 years and has been with RPG for the past 10 years.
