The biggest obstacle to building an effective employee recognition strategy is false assumptions, says Mike Byam, managing partner of the Terryberry Company, an employee recognition firm. His five myths appear in his new book, The WOW! Workplace.
Myth #1. "They’ll Think I’m a Softie’
Byam’s first myth is that if you go out of your way to recognize and reward employees, they’ll start to think you are a "softie." And then they’ll start trying to take advantage of you.
Fact behind the myth: Research consistently demonstrates the opposite, Byam says. Employees who are recognized and valued for their contributions tend to feel more respect for their supervisors, not less, he adds. And that makes them work harder.
Myth #2. The Only Thing Employees Think About Is Money
There’s a perception that employees just want salaries and bonuses, and that if you take care of the compensation, the employees will be "yours forever."
Fact behind the myth: Byam says that thousands of interviews have shown that employees prefer "thoughtful, uniquely individual recognition" and acknowledgments to cash.
Myth #3. We Can’t Waste Time and Money on Recognition
Especially in this time of financial downturn, people think that recognition is a waste of money and time.
Fact behind the myth: "Nothing could be further from the truth," Byam says. Overwhelming evidence, he notes, supports the fact that effective recognition programs pay for themselves many times over in reduced turnover and increased productivity.
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Myth #4: It Makes No Sense to Reward People Just for Doing Their Jobs
Is it a mistake to give rewards just for doing what employees are paid to do? They should be doing a good job without special rewards, some think.
Fact behind the myth: Sure, you have every right to expect high standards of performance from your workers, Byam says. But even high performers can give a little more with motivation. If every employee gives a little more, that’s a substantial improvement in productivity.
Myth #5: Top Employees Get Too Much Recognition Already
Some managers think that too much recognition will spoil employees.
Fact behind the myth: Sorry, says Byam. The psychologists all say that there’s no such thing as too much recognition. According to brain scientists, he notes, high achievers are that way because they can never get enough recognition. The more they get, the harder they’ll work, he says.
Having dealt with the myths, The WOW! Workplace offers listening as a key to building a powerful recognition culture.
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Listen
"Nobody’s going to buy pieces of scrap paper with weak glue on them," 3M product development execs said to the engineer who proposed selling such a product. Fortunately, someone else listened and continued to motivate the engineer. And Post-it® Notes became one of the most successful products ever.
Byam offers several examples of where listening to an employee provided a clear clue to how to motivate that person.
In tomorrow’s Advisor, we’ll get Byam’s tips for boosting retention through recognition, and we’ll take a look at a unique resource for the compensation side of the retention equation.
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