Workforce Innovations

Feature

The Varied Forms of Staff Acknowledgement

It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the various forms of staff acknowledgement. Staff recognition tends to be an action that a company undertakes to acknowledge a particular achievement of an employee or team, often in which those being recognized have gone above and beyond their typical duties. Staff appreciation tends to be more generalized and might be better described as the act of acknowledging all employees and expressing thanks for their everyday contributions, whether through established practices or through occasional events and activities.

The dot-com era was in part famous for the extraordinary parties and perks associated with staff appreciation that many companies offered their employees. Despite the slow economic recovery, some companies within Silicon Valley continue to provide workplace extras, such as the playful work environments seen at Google or Yahoo. From access to free meals, snacks, and sodas from morning to night to such services as on-site gyms, game rooms, laundromats, and even physician and dental care, there is little incentive for employees to ever leave the office. Despite the argument that companies may be less than altruistic in tipping the work-life balance in their favor by promoting a lifestyle that encourages employees' continued presence, few can deny that people tend to prefer working for companies that express appreciation through perks such as these.

Corporate events can have a dual benefit: while they indicate to the individual staff members that they are appreciated for their efforts, they also tend to promote a sense of community by their very nature. Outside of traditional holiday parties or annual company picnics, some companies have monthly or quarterly activities, such as attending comedy clubs or movies, playing miniature golf, or spending a day at Paramount's Great America, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, or Bonfante Gardens in Gilroy. Events and parties can inspire creativity and strengthen teamwork among colleagues. Michael Grodin, President of Envision Technology Marketing Group in San Jose, coordinates events for his staff members each quarter-bowling, go-cart racing, miniature golf, parties at the beach, professional baseball or hockey games, and an extravagant holiday party each year. Not only do these events boost morale, Grodin believes his staff deserve to enjoy nice things and he wants them to know he appreciates them and their hard work.

So what can companies with few resources offer to express their appreciation for their staff? Some allow their employees to leave early on Fridays, others provide lunch on a regular basis. Having the company gather to share lunch creates an opportunity for employees to spend time together outside of the work context, and helps to promote camaraderie. Some companies, having limited resources, may try to create a flexible work environment that accommodates varied lifestyles and needs. For example, flex time helps working parents juggle family duties and also benefits those who prefer to work nontraditional hours. Many companies also allow their employees to telecommute, which not only cuts commuting time and costs for employees, but also reduces operating expenses for employers. These opportunities show employees that they are trusted to accomplish their work and that their non-work needs are acknowledged by their employers who value their contributions.

NOVA's own recognition opportunities are diverse; however, they all share three important features: they are structured, they recognize behaviors or actions that support the agency's core values, and they provide an explanation as to why an award was given. "A structured recognition system that ties in and supports NOVA's values and that also 'tells the story' to our employees as to why these outstanding behaviors are supported and important to NOVA is vital," says NOVA Director Mike Curran. "The recognition system helps outstanding behaviors to 'feed themselves', without which the idea of recognition becomes meaningless, and the opportunity to learn and model outstanding behavior is lost."

Although NOVA, as a government-funded organization, is severely limited in what it can spend on staff appreciation, the increase in work satisfaction provided by a diverse collection of targeted and meaningful recognition opportunities has been enormous. The quarterly "PRIDE" ("Praise and Recognition for Innovative and Dedicated Employees) award " is presented to deserving staff who have been nominated by their peers for achievements within one of NOVA's core values of innovation, accountability, community, and teamwork. Employees recognized in this way receive a colorful plaque while the story behind the award is shared, so that all staff can be inspired to learn from these accomplishments. Since 2001, over 70 awards have been distributed, with some staff receiving multiple awards for outstanding work.

Realizing that some employees prefer to give and receive awards in a less formalized or public manner, NOVA has also developed several fun ways that allow staff to quickly, simply, and directly recognize colleagues for their achievements. The "Treasure Box," for example, is a collection of simple toys, cards, and candy from which staff might choose an appropriate token to present to deserving colleagues. In this case, the value is not in the gift itself, but in the recognition accorded through the giving.

These modest programs promote work satisfaction among staff by providing a diversity of targeted and meaningful recognition opportunities. As one NOVA employee mentioned, "I have worked at many places where it was understood that the fact that I'm receiving a paycheck should be reward enough." But this philosophy is far removed from those that drive truly successful companies. "Appropriate recognition can be as important as financial compensation," said Curran. "Every company provides compensation, but outstanding companies are those that can provide added compensation to its employees in the form of genuine, expressed recognition for outstanding work."