Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/149047
Employee Recognition HRO Today Forum Figure 1 Source: Michael C. Fina interacting with each other, who's accomplishing particular goals. engagement are those that speak to the culture of the company." Whatever the type of program, it's important to note that a culture of recognition needs to be embraced by the entire organization, especially at the managerial level. Gallup's research found that managers are primarily responsible for their employees' engagement. Aon Hewitt reports that employee engagement increases by 20 percent if managers recognize their employees weekly instead of monthly, and increase by another 35 percent if managers recognize employees daily. Bottom line: recognition is powerful, and frequent recognition is even more powerful. Paul Gordon, vice president of sales for Rymax, agrees. "Your organization needs a recognition program that is the core and DNA of the company. The best companies to work for have very good programs that recognize employees. It's important to have a strategy that works." "Recognition is an important vehicle between supervisors and their employees," notes Scott Shibley, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Inspirus. "Recognition is a critical tool to engagement. Combined with open lines of communication and a positive work environment, you'll create more opportunities for employees to be engaged." Creating and promoting the best-places-to-work-type environment plays a critical role in the recognition-engagement equation. Shibley says, "The most effective recognition programs for Recognition Breeds Commitment In fact, Nelson Motivation reports that organizations with a culture of recognition have employees who are seven times more likely to stay with the company and 11 times more likely to feel committed to their jobs. And the reverse dynamic also exists. According to the United States Department of Labor, 43 percent of Americans leave their jobs because they are not being recognized. Carl Camden, president and CEO of Kelly Services, believes in acknowledging and rewarding both its permanent and temporary workforces. Recognition is embedded so much so in the culture of the company that it's almost an expectation. Camden recalls how surprised one employee was when her work anniversary wasn't observed. "Acknowledgement is important," he says. JULY/AUGUST 2013 | www.hrotoday.com [13]