The Wall of Fame
Are Employee Award Programs Really Meaningful?
In 1990 Lynn, a down-on-her-luck, divorced, middle-aged woman, walked into Scarborough Video and applied to owner Bob Marino for a clerk’s position. Two years later, she was a store manager and never left Scarborough until her death a few year ago. Included among the limited details chronicled in an obituary was her honor as the Scarborough Retail “Employee of the Year”. Obviously that single honor had a real impact on her life and that of her family.
Employee of the month, year etc.). What a label, what an honor. To be chosen as such among all of your peers, superiors, lesser titled, etc., is or rather it should be an honor. But from coast to coast, from retail stores to fast food restaurants, dry cleaners and even the halls of Fortune 500 corporate offices, the strategy of an employee recognition program is often poorly executed. And yet the rewards from effective rewarding for companies bottom lines are staggering.
With the first modern research done on work place motivation in the 1950's, it became clear that employees need for reinforcing efforts and self esteem should be provided through management initiatives in recognition programs. It’s a pure fact of life that human beings need and want to be recognized for their efforts as well as their real accomplishments.
Retail store management can effect more employee production, better customer service, less turnover, and reduced internal shrinkage by providing consistent recognition and enhanced employee self-esteem. But the other fact of life is that most such programs do not create the desired effect because most owners/managers don’t utilize the essentials of a program that produces real results.