My employees won’t leave, they have no where to go.   There’s no jobs out there. Why should I bother to recognize them then?  It costs too much anyhow.

Let’s step back a minute and think about that.  If you are only going to offer recognition to retain your employees, you’re missing the boat.  Recognizing your employees on a regular basis, with sincerity, keeps the work flow at it’s optimim level.

The morale of the workplace effects how much employees put forth their best effort.  If they don’t feel appreciated, they will not give their best effort.  They’ll show disengagement by coming in to work late, calling in sick more often, working slower, being less friendly with the customers, or producing less.  All of these effect your bottom line in a big way. 

You need your employees to be at their best every day, especially in this economy.  No business can afford employees working at half of their ability.  Some businesses choose to increase the productivity through threats and discipline.  Others choose to treat their employees with respect and honor their accomplishments. 

Which business would you rather work for?  Are you showing respect for your employees and recognizing the good things they do for your business on a regular basis?  It doesn’t cost much, in fact it is much cheaper to recognize and reward employees than to fight dis-interest and poor workmanship.  New Direction offers recognition items for any size business.  Let’s talk.

Keeping employees happy requires some work.  It may seem as if all is going well, but then one day you find your best employee is leaving for another job.  They have been loyal to you for years…. so what happened???

Ask your self when was the last time you let them know how much you appreciate them, and the effort they bring to your business every day?     If you’ve got a good working team, make sure you give them ample recognition.  If  you have an employee who has completed additional education, finished a big project, streamlined production, or found a new way to serve your customers, they are worth recognizing.  If your employee has been in the news regarding their business successes, be aware that there are other companies hungry for employees like yours.  Successful employees are often insecure.  They need to know from you that they are appreciated. They need to know you want to keep them.  The difference between them staying with you, or going to your competition may be a simple as a plaque recognizing their talents and efforts.  Present the recognition in a timely manner, with sincerity, and appropriate fanfare.  Make sure others also know why the recognition is being awarded, so they too will feel that your company is worth their time and effort.  It’s a win/win situation for both of you.  Giving some recognition doesn’t need to cost much, but NOT doing it can cost your business a lot more!

Every other month I recieve a newsletter in the mail from a company my great great granfather started 90 years ago.  It started in a small garage but has now grown to be a large manufacturing corporation with plants across the country.   Obviously, what they do, they do very well. 

What strikes me every time I read one of their newsletters is how well they highlight their employees.   It is obvious they consider their employees to be top notch people and well worth high praise.  They spotlight many employees for everything from anniversaries to promotions, to employee ideas that have been put into action and more.  The newsletter is filled with images from company fun days and celebrations, charity events, health and fitness programs, and even a short bio on “Someone You Should Know”.

   There is always something exciting happening in this company. New programs, new products, new ways of communicating.  All of it is written with a tone of excitement and pride in the company.  The employees whole family becomes involved in the company through the newsletter.   It is always fun to read when your loved one is spotlighted!  It gives the person a sense of value, and the family a sense of pride as well. 

But what amazes me most about the company  is that the employees drive much of what is  happening.  They seem to really enjoy their jobs.  No job in a manufacturing company  is easy or exciting.  But the way the company recognizes each employee for their contibution to the business generates excitement and total involvement in the whole process of running the business.  Each employee works very hard to find ways to improve the product, the process in manufacturing the product, or in customer relationship management.  Employees know that every suggestion is taken seriously, and they will be recognized for their efforts to improve the company.  It seems to work well for this company.   Try it in yours!

How does your company communicate to your employees and their family?  Does it make them feel good to know they are valued,?  Are they able to show off in print their accomplishments? A well written newsletter showing off your employees  can be  part of a great recognition program.  Be sure to include photographs of you presenting a plaque or award to deserving employees.

Recognition is the employers best form of communication to your employees.  It tells them  how they are doing their job, and that they are appreciated for their time and efforts given to the company.  If you delay your presentation of recognition for the yearly company picnic or holiday party, you’ve lost the impact of the recognition.  Employers need to present the award or item for recognition as soon as possible to maintain the effect of communicating  “This is what we’ve been needing around here!”.

In other words, think of it as training a puppy.  Funny as it sounds, employees are much like that.  They need the immediate reinforcement of when they do something right.  You don’t save patting the dog on the head  and giving it a treat till the end of the training session, you give praise right away.  Inherently you know that is what works to reinforce appropriate behavior.  People are no different.  They need to know as soon after the praiseworthy event has happened, that you are pleased with their efforts.  Keep it sincere, keep it fun, keep it frequent and you will find that your employees will be “begging” for more work or responsibilities so they can keep getting more “Treats”!

 Telling your employees how much you appreciate them and their talents, their efforts will never get old.  Keep your eyes open for all of the good things going on.  Plan recognition events, they can be short and sweet, but very effective in raising morale in the workplace.

How you  present  recognition is just as important as the recognition itself, if not more important.  A small trinket or small amount of money can be viewed as being cheap or of  little value to your employees, unless it is presented in a special way, preferably in a public ceremony.  Make sure the recognition presentation  is done in a sincere, honest way.  The presentation should be timely, within days, not weeks or months.  The recognition item and its presentation should be easily tied to the specific behavior you are recognizing.   If at all possible, have it be personalized with the receipients name and reason for the recognition.