Designing a Recognition Program for Your Staffing Firm
Did you know that Friday, March 1, 2019, is Employee Recognition Day? What does your staffing firm do to recognize your team members? Great employees go above and beyond their identified job duties to represent and support your staffing firm. If you want these dedicated people to remain on your team, you must develop an effective staff recognition program. Employees who feel appreciated are less likely to leave their jobs and are more committed to the success of your staffing firm. An effective recognition program for your staffing firm has the potential to reduce turnover, increase morale, and improve your staffing firm’s profits.
Establish Expectations
In order for your recognition program to be successful, you must set realistic goals and identify specific criteria so your employees have a clear understanding of what constitutes success. Analyze your staffing firm’s current performance and use market data to identify both your strengths and potential areas of weakness. When designing your recognition program, focus on target areas such as specific sales goals, increased service quality, productivity and staff retention rates. Keep track of this data in order to measure your ROI and determine the effectiveness of your employee recognition program.
Reward vs. Award
Many recognition programs promise monetary incentives when staff members achieve certain goals. Gift cards, gym memberships, gas stipends, spa treatments, sports tickets in the company box, and restaurant gift certificates are also great rewards for employees. Don’t have enough in the checking account to always provide monetary rewards? Restrictive budgets are no reason to rule out a recognition program for your staffing firm. People crave positive feedback and praise has been proven to be a rewarding and essential component of workplace morale. Casual verbal praise, plaques and personalized award certificates all serve to improve employee engagement. A simple handwritten “thank you” note from a manager speaks volumes. Reward your biggest contributors by allowing them to leave a few hours early and avoid the rush hour traffic. A reserved, front-row parking spot is always appreciated, especially during the cold winter months. Talk with your employees to determine what kinds of recognitions they value. People who are involved in the reward selection are likely to be more motivated to reach the company goals.
Team Accomplishment
People need to be challenged in order to achieve a feeling of accomplishment. Making progress toward a common goal is a great way to encourage teamwork and a mutual sense of purpose. When teams surpass company deadlines or sales goals, reward them with a fun social activity. Foster community integration by allocating a portion of the budget to charity. Allow the top-performing employee to choose a charity he/she is closely affiliated with and perhaps allow him/her the chance to speak about the charity during a team meeting or luncheon. Hearing a personal plea from their co-worker provides motivation and inspires the rest of the team to work hard to support the charity.
Positive Environment
Employees perform better in a positive environment, so consider changes to the physical work space and plan company social events. Brighter office colors and inspiring artwork help to create a productive environment. Redesign the work or break area to encourage creativity and foster a cooperative team atmosphere. Bring in sandwiches once a month to promote a team building lunch. Allow your employees some time to relax and socialize with each other on a personal level. As part of an overall recognition program for your staffing firm, consider hosting an annual holiday party or a backyard summer barbeque. When you treat your employees well, they in turn are bound to treat your clients and candidates well… which will definitely have a positive effect on your ROI.
Listen to Your Team
Periodic team meetings are a great way to involve your employees in setting goals for your staffing firm and allow team members to share their ideas and suggestions. Create an online discussion board and encourage people to participate by either suggesting their own ideas or building on the ideas of others. Choose one of the best ideas each quarter and recognize the author with a plaque, company-wide announcement, or gift card. Depending on the suggestion, determine if the author would be a good person to lead a campaign around his/her suggestion. Let people know that their input is valued by management and therefore essential to the overall success of your staffing firm.
Five Key Recognitions Takeaways:
1. Set clear and realistic goals for your employees
2. Involve your team in the selection of incentives they value
3. Foster a sense of teamwork by encouraging group goals
4. Create a positive environment by hosting company get-togethers and updating work spaces
5. Encourage employees to make positive suggestions and reward their participation efforts
About S.J.Hemley Marketing
S.J.Hemley Marketing is a marketing and sales consulting firm focused on driving tangible results for professional services firms. Brand matters, but not without ROI. With over 20 years of sales and marketing experience within staffing and recruiting, we have helped to drive successful branding, sales training, lead generation activities as well as defining marketing strategy for top organizations.