Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/227268
Recognition 2. Involve senior leaders. It's no secret that a positive correlation exists between senior leaders' support for recognition and the success of their programs. Actively involve senior leaders in the program. Have them send personal welcome emails, introduce themselves, and include them in employee celebrations. WorldatWork's Trends in Employee Recognition 2013 report found a positive correlation between senior leaders' support for recognition programs and employee engagement, satisfaction, and motivation levels. 3. Encourage coaching and development. Set individual goals, see the results, and continually coach the employee to develop his or her strengths and interests within the organization. Goals should be reviewed every six months to provide significant data. The new employee will be driven to grow their skill set and contributions, adding value back to the organization. The power of personal engagement cannot be understated. Showing a sincere interest in an employee's career backed up with meaningful action is an excellent motivator, and an excellent way to keep them engaged with a company. 4. Create a supportive environment. New employees will engage with the corporate culture much quicker when working in a supportive environment. An award certificate related to your core values or a "welcome aboard" message sent from a colleague are simple, costeffective methods for getting new employees involved in the recognition culture. An achievement-based award system encourages employees to recognize each other early and often. If employers have an achievement-based award system, new hires should be introduced to it as soon as possible, so they can start nominating coworkers and earning recognition from peers right away. Getting them "plugged in" with the recognition culture immediately is another effective method for encouraging retention. 5. Engage on a personal level. A culture of recognition cannot persist on technology alone. New hires have questions, and often do not verbalize them. Be sure your managers are personally engaging new employees early on. The sooner their questions are answered, the sooner they become engaged in their work. A big misconception in recognition is that managers are automatically qualified to give recognition by virtue of being managers. This is not the case. According to the American Society for Training & Development, 28 percent of managers felt Sixty-seven percent of HR professionals surveyed in Accelir's Rewards & Recognition 2014 Trends Report feel that employees should be recognized for their first year of service at the very least. they were unprepared for their roles, and 58 percent report not receiving any training at all. But yes, in a perfect world all managers should receive personal engagement and communication skills training for the recognition to be effective. 6. Recognize employee as part of your culture. Sixtyseven percent of HR professionals surveyed in Accelir's Rewards & Recognition 2014 Trends Report feel that employees should be recognized for their first year of service at the very least. Providing some form of meaningful recognition (a service award at the first year of service, career development sessions, branded gift items, personal interactions with senior leaders) early in an employee's career acclimates them to the recognition culture quickly, and seeing it happen for every new hire has a residual positive effect on the entire workforce. Social recognition is an extremely useful tool for early recognition. It is usually low-cost and allows entire workforces to socialize no matter where they are located in the company. It's important that new employees get involved in the culture of recognition quickly, and social recognition can give them instant access. 7. Think beyond reward. Your employees need more than tangible rewards to feel engaged and connected to the organization. Gifts only go so far—employees need to feel that their work and contributions are respected. Take every opportunity to praise your new hires for their good work in front of peers, and be sure to offer regular feedback. Cord Himelstein is vice president of marketing and communications at Michael C. Fina. NOVEMBER 2013 | www.hrotoday.com [65]