1001 Ways To Reward Employees

by Nelson, Bob

• ISBN13: 9780761136811
• ISBN10: 0761136819
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-06-13
• Publisher: Workman Pub Co

Summary

Why is 1001 Ways to Reward Employees , with over 1.4 million copies in print, such an extraordinary bestseller? Because a little over ten years ago Bob Nelson took the seeds of an idea and turned it into something indispensable for business. The idea? That it's not a raise that motivates an employee, and it's not a promotion-what really sparks a person to perform are those intangible, unexpected gestures that signify real appreciation for a job well done. Now, after having worked with thousands of organizations in the years since 1 1001 Ways to Reward . . . was first published, Bob Nelson presents a second edition packed with hundreds of new ideas and examples of how companies are using rewards and recognitions to boost productivity and keep their valued employees happy. Airplane mechanics are rewarded with balloons and pinwheels. Another manager calls his employees' mothers and thanks them for raising such industrious children. There are ideas from the offbeat (The Margarita Award) to the company-wide (a quiet room) to the embarrassingly simple (a hand-written thank you note) to the wacky (the Laugh-a-Day challenge) to the formal (a two-week promotion to special assistant to the president). Each section includes no-cost rewards and low-cost rewards, both public and private, making this new edition an indispensable resource for making the person/achievement/reward equation work.

Table of Contents

PART I: DAY-TO-DAY RECOGNITION	1	(42)
Personal Praise & Recognition	5	(8)
Written Praise & Recognition	13	(13)
Electronic Praise & Recognition	26	(5)
Public Praise & Recognition	31	(12)
PART II: INFORMAL INTANGIBLE RECOGNITION	43	(52)
Information, Support & Involvement	45	(10)
Autonomy & Authority	55	(9)
Flexible Work Hours & Time Off	64	(11)
Learning & Career Development	75	(11)
Manager Availability & Time	86	(9)
PART III: TANGIBLE RECOGNITION & REWARDS	95	(58)
Outstanding Employee & Achievement Awards	97	(18)
Cash, Cash Substitutes & Gift Certificates	115	(13)
Nominal Gifts, Merchandise & Food	128	(13)
Special Privileges, Perks & Employee Services	141	(12)
PART IV: GROUP RECOGNITION, REWARDS & ACTIVITIES	153	(57)
Group Recognition & Rewards	156	(14)
Fun, Games & Contests	170	(21)
Celebrations, Parties & Special Events	191	(11)
Field Trips & Travel	202	(8)
PART V: REWARDS FOR SPECIFIC ACHIEVEMENTS	210	(60)
Sales Revenue	212	(17)
Customer Service	229	(15)
Employee Suggestions	244	(11)
Productivity & Quality	255	(8)
Attendance & Safety	263	(7)
PART VI: FORMAL ORGANIZATIONAL REWARD PROGRAMS	270	(60)
Multilevel Reward Programs & Point Systems	271	(13)
Company Benefits & Perks	284	(19)
Employee & Company Anniversaries	303	(11)
Charity & Community Service	314	(10)
Company Stock & Ownership	324	(6)
APPENDIXES	330
I. Where to Get Specialty Reward Items	330	(9)
II. Companies That Arrange Unusual Reward Activities	339	(5)
III. Incentive Travel Coordinators	344	(6)
IV. Motivational and Incentive Companies and Associations	350	(3)
V. Featured Companies	353

Excerpts

DAY-TO-DAY RECOGNITION In my doctoral research on why managers use or don't use recognition with their employees, I found the top variable distinguishing those managers who use recognition was that they felt it was their responsibility-not corporate's or human resources'-to create the motivational environment for their people. They truly believed that recognizing their deserving employees played an integral part in how those workers felt about their jobs. This finding coincides with what my research shows are the most important ways that employees prefer to be recognized when they do good work-that is, simple day-to-day behaviors that any manager can express with their employees, the most important of which is praise. The best praise is done soon, specifically, sincerely, personally, positively, and proactively. In a matter of seconds, a simple praise conveys, "I saw what you did, I appreciate it, here's why it's important, and here's how it makes me feel"-a lot of punch in a small package! Four out of the top ten categories of motivators reported by employees in my research are forms of praise, and these categories make up the four chapters in Part I: personal praise, written praise, electronic praise, and public praise. Now, you might say, "Are these really different types of praise? Don't they all have the same effect?" This was my initial thought, too, but I learned that these types of praise are in fact distinct from one another. Praising someone in person means something different to that person than writing him or her a note, and these forms of praise are both different from praising the person in public. To get the maximum impact out of this simple behavior, vary the forms you use, and use them all frequently. Research by Dr. Gerald Graham of Wichita State University supports these observations. In multiple studies, he found that employees preferred personalized, instant recognition from their direct supervisors more than any other kind of motivation. In fact, in another survey of American workers, 63 percent of the respondents ranked "a pat on the back" as a meaningful incentive. In Graham's studies, employees perceived that manager-initiated rewards for performance were done least often, and that company-initiated rewards for presence (that is, rewards based simply on being in the organization) occurred most often. Dr. Graham concluded, "It appears that the techniques that have the greatest motivational impact are practiced the least, even though they are easier and less expensive to use." Graham's study determined the top five motivating techniques reported by employees to be: 1. The manager personally congratulates employees who do a good job. 2. The manager writes personal notes about good performance. 3. The organization uses performance as the basis for promotion. 4. The manager publicly recognizes employees for good performance. 5. The manager holds morale-building meetings to celebrate success. Ideally, you should vary the ways you recognize your staff while still trying to do things on a day-to-day basis. For example, Robin Horder-Koop, manager of programs and services at Amway Corporation, the distributor of house and personal-care products and other goods in Ada, MI, uses these inexpensive ways to recognize the 200 people who work for her on a day-to-day basis: On days when some workloads are light, the department's employees help out workers in other departments. After accumulating eight hours of such work, employees get a thank-you note from Horder-Koop. Additional time earns a luncheon with company officials in the executive dining room. All workers are recognized on a rotating basis. Each month, photos of different employees are displayed on a bulletin bo