Streamline Training & Documentation: Assessing Your Employee Recognition Efforts

Monday, February 04, 2008

Assessing Your Employee Recognition Efforts

In 2005, the Society for Human Resource Management published an eight-page white paper on "The Fundamentals of Employee Recognition" (pdf), by Teresa A. Daniel and Gary S. Metcalf.

The whole paper is worth a look, but I'd particularly call attention to the "Climate Assessment for Your Current Recognition Program," which is included as an appendix to the paper. The assessent consists of ten True/False questions:

We show some form of appreciation to our employees every week.

We measure what we reward and we reward what we measure.

We compete, between teams, for gifts and prizes.

Employees get to choose at least some of their projects.

We reward behaviors linked to only one or two key organizational values.

Employees see the rewards we currently offer as valuable.

Employees generally think that our reward programs are silly or demeaning.

Our organizational, departmental and individual goals are clearly defined and understood.

Peers recognize and reward each other.

We recognize small improvements as well as the major ones.

To score your answers:

For questions 1, 6, and 10, award one point for each answer of "True."

For questions 2, 4, 8, and 9, award two points for each answer of "True."

For questions 3, 5, and 7, award one point for each answer of "False."

Daniel and Metcalf provide this guidance on scoring (paraphrased here):

If your total is 13-14 points, you can conclude that your recognition program is most likely quite effective in boosting employee satisfaction and keeping retention of especially valuable employees high.

If your total is 11-12 points, your program is most likely effective in promoting employee satisfaction and retention.

If your score is 7-10 points, you should look for ways to further strengthen a program that is satisfactory, but very likely not nearly powerful as it could be.

If your score is 6 or fewer points, you should give serious consideration to overhauling your recognition program with an eye to making it markedly more effective.

A related paper by Daniel and Metcalf on "The Science of Motivation" is here (pdf).

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Labels: Rewards and recognition

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