Failure to recognize and retain employees can prove extremely expensive, according to studies. One part of the application is the People Programs section, where applicants are asked to describe their employee recognition programs. Without exception, the STAR Award Winners are those companies who have a comprehensive and successful employee recognition program in place. I feel those are the end of the continuum and some other practices must be in place for the Recognition Program to be successful and impact on employee turnover. People feel valued if they can participate in training programs, industry conferences and other educational programs.
People feel comfortable with a company if they can see a path for advancement.
Many people feel more comfortable working on teams and these should be implemented and recognized. Regularly acknowledge staff and teams for a job well done. When these practices are operational and part of your corporate culture, you are ready to plan and implement a successful Employee Recognition Program. If these are not in place, and no matter what the special recognition program consists of, it will not have much meaning to the recipients or other staff. Lastly, instead of a directive from administration, involve the employees or an employee task force in the planning of your Employee Recognition Program.