Duraclean Journal of Marketing, Management and Technical Topics

Turnover is on the rise, and when combined with a competitive market for candidates, it is becoming more important to keep employees energized. Recognizing employees through informal methods is an opportunity that is often overlooked. Organizations typically place more emphasis on implementing complicated, formal recognition programs where rewards are given long after the accomplishments. In numerous employee opinion surveys, recognition frequently receives low favorable responses from employees.

Best practice organizations make recognition a normal part of the daily work life and encourage all employees to recognize others. When was the last time you told a co-worker or peer that he or she did a great job on a project? There are many low- or no-cost ways to recognize employees. For example, one organization recently implemented an informal program where employees recognize other employees when they do something exceptional. They can give $50 cash awards by downloading a form and describing the reason. The form is given directly to the deserving employee to cash in. The organization said that the program has not been abused and has been money well spent.

Recognition needs to come from all employees in an organization and especially from management. Many surveys indicate that employees leave organizations because of poor management practices. Managers have a tendency to be solely focused on accomplishing goals and telling employees what they did wrong, and they forget about giving positive recognition. Organizations should educate managers on the importance of recognition and the positive impact it can have on productivity and retention.

Labels: employees, management, Worker Retention