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Ontario’s Childcare Industry
Feature Story
Recognition Programs Benefit Both
Employees and Employers
By: Julia Selby, CHRP
W
hen an employee leaves
your workplace in favour
of other employment, she’ll
usually cite career change, stress and/
or pay as the reason for leaving. It’s
unusual for employees to say, “I’m
leaving, because I don’t feel important
or valued,” yet that is often much
closer to the truth. In examining
surveys of motivating factors for
employees, “compensation” rarely
makes it to the top five. A far more
common answer is “recognition,”
which is usually the first or second.
Recognition doesn’t have to
cost a lot. Why then, do so many
employers overlook it as a strategy for
strengthening morale and employee
retention in their workplaces When
you’re extremely busy, it’s easy to
overlook positives in the workplace.
However, as employers, it’s important
to remember how motivating it is for
your staff, when they’re recognized
for their contributions and their hard
work. It affects the culture of your
workplace in a profound way.
Formal recognition programs
are relatively easy to define. You
may choose to celebrate your centre’s
birthday and use that as a basis for
recognizing the good work your
staff does as a team. You may also
wish to celebrate individual career
milestones, such as five, ten or fifteen
years of an employee’s service. Some
employers use recognition programs
aimed at encouraging behaviours
and attitudes that are productive
and helpful in the workplace. These
programs can be fun and also create
a buzz among employees, especially
when peer-to-peer recognition is
possible. Peer-to-peer recognition
maximizes the number of eyes that
can see and recognize the behaviours
and attitudes you are looking for.
So what makes for a good
employee recognition program
Creativity Great prizes Big budget
Definitely creativity helps, but
recognition is not necessarily a big
budget item. In fact, recognition can
be free, such as a “thank you,” a pat
on the back, or a certificate. You may
also choose to provide rewards to
support the recognition. There are lots
of rewards that are reasonable in cost,
but still meaningful to staff. Whether
you opt for a formal recognition
program, or you simply want to
adopt an “attitude of gratitude” in
your day-to-day dealings with staff,
there are a few guidelines that can
help make your staff appreciation
strategy a success.
Be Specific
Instead of saying “we appreciate
all your hard work”, being specific
means clearly outlining why the staff
is important and valued by you. Give
an example of the person’s behaviour
that you particularly admired: “I was
very impressed how you handled the
situation with Mrs. Smith, you didn’t
get flustered, instead you listened,
and were able to address all her
concerns very calmly. Thank you!”
Make It Timely
Recognition on-the-spot or inthe-moment
goes a long way, as it is
most relevant to the staff and to you
at that particular time. For example,
celebrating birthdays on the actual
day of the birthday is more meaningful
than celebrating a week late, when
it may appear to be an afterthought.
Sometimes late recognition is perceived
as not as important, which defeats
the real intention of recognizing the
individual.
Be Genuine
People can tell whether
recognition is genuine or not. If the
staff perceives that the words said are
not genuine, it can be de-motivating
or perceived as false. A word of praise
doesn’t have to be perfectly worded,
as long as it is sincere and heartfelt.
Make It Personal
Each employee is different. They
all have their own aspirations, goals,
interests and tastes. The more you
know about your employees, the easier
it is to make recognition personal. For
example, some employees love to be
recognized in front of others, while
others find this embarrassing and
would prefer a private conversation.
Knowing a staff’s favourite chocolate
bar, flower, sport, restaurant, coffee or
tea, can go a long way as rewards that
are specific to their needs and interests.
These types of rewards tend to show
that you are listening and want to
give to the employee something they
would really enjoy. Cash, as a reward,
can be easily forgotten, but a token or
gift that is relevant and specific to an
employee’s needs or interests can be
memorable and personal.
Making recognition a fun and
positive thing in your centre takes a
little bit of time, focus and effort. When
done well, it makes employees feel valued,
which is extremely motivating
and leads to further staff engagement.
Julia Selby is the Director of Sentient
HR Services, and is a Certified Human
Resource Professional (CHRP). Sentient
HR Services has a team of over 130
Supply Staff that work at Child Care
Centres across the GTA. Sentient
recognizes their Supply Staff through its
GEMS Program (Growing and Educating
Minds through Supply Staffing). Every
quarter, up to three Supply Staff are
recognized for their outstanding work at
child care centres. Each recipient of the
GEMS Award receives a Wall Certificate
and can choose a $50.00 Gift Certificate
they would like--options include TTC
tokens, restaurants, grocery store or
movie cards.
WINTER 2008/2009 • ChildcareTODAY 15