In “1001 Ways to Reward Employees” and the “1001 Ways to Energize Employees”, Bob Nelson recommended the worth of awards and recognition and he elucidated the reason how they are essential tools of employee motivation, team building and productivity.

You may find it hard to believe, but recognition is the most powerful motivator of all. We all need to feel important and worthwhile. When someone gives us compliment for doing something or recognizes our efforts, we feel good, we feel proud. In fact this recognition and compliment satisfies our self esteem. It makes us feel appreciated and respected. Imagine, for a moment, being complimented by all your family members, friends, colleagues and bosses all the day, every day; “wow… you are outstanding in all deeds, your performance is superb”. This is the upshot of the compliments, you received. It satisfies the desire to have strength among family, friends and colleagues. Indeed this is the essential ingredient for the happiness and success.

There are two types of recognitions: The formal and informal. When we say formal, we mean those that are awarded by the company i.e. Performance awards, performance bonuses. While the informal ones are granted by the manager based on the good job done by the employee; i.e. a pat on the back, a Well-done or Thank you card.

Researches have shown that there is a stronger need in the society today for recognition than there is for the money. Money is an external motivator but it is never lasting; neither can it ever substitute the true values shared by the mankind like recognition and praise. It’s true that we cannot ignore the part played by the money in our lives, but by hook or by crook we need to satisfy our self esteem, we need to feel appreciated.

In a research study of 1,500 employees in a variety of work settings, Gerald Graham, professor of management at Wichita State University, found that money was not a top motivator. Personalized, instant recognition from managers was reported to be the most motivating incentive of 65 potential incentives he evaluated. But 58 percent of employees reported that they seldom, if ever, received such personal thanks from their managers. Second motivator he revealed was a letter of praise/appreciation written by the manager to his employee.

An American staffing company Robert Half International has also reported that the major reason employees give for leaving companies is the lack of praise and recognition. No doubt, recognition is truly a highly valued reward. However it should be on appropriate time. Appropriate recognition at the appropriate time is a best practice that ultimately improves the performance. A Gallup poll found that 82 percent of employees say that the recognition and praise they receive at work motivates them to improve their performance. Organizations are realizing the powerful impact of recognition and praise to achieve the desired results in the workplace and adopting it as a “Number One” reward that is far more significant than salary and benefits.

It’s a cost effective way to recognize the hard work, achievements and accomplishment of the employees. Believe me; you will get the “Exceptional Performance” in the result. Your employees will be happy to know that their managers notice their work and acknowledge it. They will be motivated to improve their performance, will take more pride in affiliation with the company and their productivity will be increased. The companies having environment of employee appreciation do make the difference. In the 1995 issue of “Employee Relations Today”, Professor Kenneth Kovach has reported that his research has proved the two most referred to factors of motivation by employees were not salary and benefits, but more or less, an interesting job and recognition for doing that job well.

AT&T Universal Card Services in Jacksonville, Florida, uses the “World of Thanks Award” as one of more than 40 recognition and reward programs. It’s a pad of colored papers shaped like a globe with “Thank You” written all over it in different languages. Anyone in the company can write a message of thanks to someone else and send it to that person. You would be amazed to know the popularity of this award that they used more than 130,000 notes in just four years.

There are hundreds of other ideas to consider that are really creative and simple to implement. All in fun, but these things keep up the morale of the company and it keeps the employees in the team spirit.

Some of these creative ideas are as follows:

1. You can introduce Idea Award. If someone comes up with an innovative idea that can be used for a new product or save the company big bucks by changing the procedures, he can be nominated for this award.

2. You can place the photograph of most outstanding employee on the notice board or the lobby of the company or in company newsletter. Or you can create a “Wall of Fame” to honor him/her in your organization.

3. Letters from the immediate boss, the head of department, deputy director or director of the company.

4. Find out what an employee’s hobby is and purchase a small gift that relates to that hobby.

5. Special-parking.

6. Free car wash.

7. Arrange for a top manager or Director in your company to have a recognition lunch with the employee or have the company president call the employee to thank him personally for a job well done.

8. Recognition by email.

9. Arrange a dinner for you employee and his family to recognize his work in a five star hotel.

10. Try to introduce Pat Culture in your organization. There should be the pats on the back.

11. Day-free, half day off, Friday off.

There are so many other ways to recognize and praise your employees; the need is to discover them. Especially in a down economy, recognition and praise and non tangible rewards programs can be used as a specific tool to help a company succeed in both good times and bad by making employees feel valued, appreciated and satisfied.

Thanks for giving me joys and smiles,
Thanks for being with me through hard times,
Believe me! You are everything to me;
Me, my heaven and my smiles!

I can’t imagine a life without you!
My life’s rainbow is pale without you
You are my strength, my wings, my air!
This little bird is flying because of you.

To hear you I can wait forever,
To see you I will not blink ever,
I will walk with you, rest of my life
You are mine and I’m yours forever!

Together side by side, hand in hand,
We will find our perfect land;
Land of love, peace and happiness,
Beyond the moon in a fairy land.

You are my God’s gift to me,
To share the beauty of life with me..
To spread the happiness around the world,
In my eyes only “You” others can see!

 ”The heart of motivation is to give people what they really want most from work. The more you are able to provide what they want, the more you should expect what you really want, namely: productivity, quality, and service.”

The topic motivation is extremely important for employers. Motivated employees can create a climate that is conductive to performance, do their best and help the organization to achieve the targets. While a stressed out and grumpy person with a frown on his face cannot perform well on work and so cannot help the organization to achieve their goals. I can share the example of one of my managers who enters the office with energy, enthusiasms and a big smile on his face. With same positive motivation he spends some moments with all of his team members, shares happiness, discusses new tasks, and new expectations. This is an extremely simple activity but it is the key of high motivation and morale of his team members.

Each employee gets motivated by different things. As the heart of motivation is to give people what they really want most from their work, it is very important to find out the “heart”. If some of them are interested in sports, provide them facility for it. If some want to go a hill station then arrange hill station trips on weekends twice a year. These all are very small things but vital for employees’ motivation.

Here are some steps and suggestions to find your employees’ heart of motivation.

1. Define your organizational hierarchy.

2. Measure your team members’ performance systematically without favouritism. Individual goals and targets must be realistically defined and discussed with team at the start of the year. Performance factors e.g. quality of work, target achievement, productivity, dedication, innovation, discipline, dependence of members etc. must be considered. At the end of performance evaluation all successes and failures of team member must be discussed with him/her to make a clear picture of his performance in his/her mind.

3. Also consider previous years’ performances while evaluating current year’s performance.

4. Allocate a certain amount of money to use for compensating the teams on good performance. For example, team members’ dinner on good work or target achievement.

5. Provide them proper feedback of their work.

6. Provide employees with ample opportunities to learn new and advanced skills. They should be supported by the company for higher/further education as well.

7. Get to know your employees, families, children, their birthdays, wedding anniversaries, hobbies, favourite restaurants and food. Do change the nature of relationship with your employees. Care for them, thank them and appreciate them.

8. Celebrate their birthdays.

9. Informal gatherings like trips, dinners, visits must be arranged by the company to improve communication between teams. Organize quarterly, two to three days’ trips.

10. Listen to and act upon employees’ ideas and suggestions. In the words of Roy E. Moody, a motivational speaker, “The greatest motivational act one person can do for another is to listen.”

11. Provide employees with appropriate authority to make decisions about how they do their jobs.

12. Policy for annual vacation with family supported by the company on draw basis must be introduced.

13. Introduce employee of the month, employee of the quarter and employee of the year awards to keep employees motivated.

14. Announce bonuses in team meetings so that all of the other members know who got some extra reward and why.

15. Start some in-house recreational activities like table tennis, badminton and volley ball.

16. Company policies must be defined, well communicated and user friendly.

17. Try to eliminate extra working by managing tasks, estimations, executions and trends. Late sitting due to work burden must be compensated with leave as well as monetary reward (bonuses based on productivity) and facilities (refreshment, dinner).

18. Organize monthly employee meetings for better coordination.

19. Sponsor your employees’ certifications/short courses. 

There are so many other small activities that can keep your team motivated. Sustainability of the motivation is very important and to sustain its high level you are required to establish reliable and comprehensive systems, policies and process in the workplace. It will ensure long-term motivation of your people to contribute to a desired development of organization.

When birds sang and the moon shone,
And flowers grew upon the thorn;
The moment when stars smiled
Then surely I was born!

When people are smiling and sun is shining,
And silver streams can dive;
The moments when roses are dancing
Then surely I am alive!

When clouds will weep and forest will cry
And there will be tears in every eye;
The moment when heaven will call upon me
Then surely I will die!

–

Result-oriented human resource professional with four years of generalist experience in strategic recruitment, employee relations and employee development, Ghazala is a Human Resource Manager. She is a hobbyist writer and poetess since her college days and her work has been published in magazines.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
 
Words have absolute power to control our situations, moods and our lives. Especially these three magical words “I love you”. They make our lives so meaningful and can make us happy under any circumstances. These three words are the key to happiness, energy and love. These three words have the power to change our sadness to happiness. Just three words can change everything, can change your life and can make you happy as you have never been before.

Someone has said, “No three words have greater power than I Love You.”

These three words can heal your relations. Telling someone that you love him/her; satisfies a person’s inner, deepest emotional needs – the need to be appreciated, to be loved and to be wanted. Your parents, spouse, children and friends all need to hear these magical words. So say these three simple, smiling and magical words to your loved ones to bless your relations with eternal happiness and love.
• Say it to your mom everyday before leaving home for college or office.
• Say it to your dad every night before going to bed.
• Say it to your brother with a birthday card on his birthday.
• Say it to your sister whenever she brings chocolates for you.
• Say it to your friends when they come to see you or give you a call just to cheer you up.
• Say it to your children whenever they do something new to please you.
• Say it your spouse every morning, every night, every moment you feel love for him/her.

Make your life full of love, happiness, fulfillment, motivation and success and keep saying “I love you.” These words have the power of life and death. So choose life! For you and for your family!!

–

Result-oriented human resource professional with four years of generalist experience in strategic recruitment, employee relations and employee development, Ghazala is a Human Resource Manager. She is a hobbyist writer and poetess since her college days and her work has been published in magazines.

Now the things have changed. The HR professional is required to play a significant role of a strategic collaborator, of a mentor and a counselor, of an employee advocate and most importantly of a change agent. He contributes to the organizational goals, business plans and objectives. He plays an integral role through his knowledge in coaching, counseling and mentoring of employees and executives. 

In my point of view, FOUR Cs are required to be a “lovable or a competent HR professional”.

1. Communication
2. Care for employees
3. Coaching
4. Counseling

Communication
 
Communication is one of the major competencies for an individual to be a lovable HR professional, either from an employee or from a management’s point of view.

The HR professional is required to organize and express the ideas clearly to the right person in an appropriate manner; and using the best and efficient methods to convey the relevant information to the employees or to the management.

The information is at its most useful when it is “accurate, timely, complete and relevant”.  (Rouse and Rouse 2002)

Nowadays expectations of the employees are diverse and sophisticated. They want to understand organization’s goals, business objectives and missions. They want to be fully aware of the company rules and regulations. They want to be a part of the business decisions, policy making and to be involved in moving the business forward and getting ahead of the competitors. Communication is a powerful tool through which an HR person can fulfill their expectations. Poor communication of an HR person can cause a business to fail.

Care for employees

Employees’ positive attitude is critical for the success of the business. Taking care of employees’ personal issues, grievances and problems makes an HR person a lovable HR professional. He must be ready to support his employees, to resolve their workplace conflicts, to foster their motivation level, to provide them with healthy work environment, to evaluate their performances and to endow them with benefit protection.

“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creature of logic but the creature of emotions.” (Dale Carnegie)

Coaching

Coaching is a job focused and performance oriented process. It helps the employees to establish their personal short term goals and objectives that are congruent with the goals and objectives of the organization.

In this process HR professional plays the role of a catalyst and a facilitator. He educates, guides, trains and supports the employees to connect them with their passions, principles, plans and values to hook them up to their work commitments and to long term organizational goals.

“Coaching is about making everyone feel part of the team, encourage players to cooperate, keeping them informed and taking an interest in their individual performances.” (Birkinshaw and Crainer 2002)
 
Counseling

Counseling is known by many names like “therapy” or “psychoanalysis”. It is a process to help and to counsel the employees to learn how to solve their emotional, interpersonal and behavioral issues.

Every individual cannot be capable enough to manage the stress of his/her life, at home or at the office. Whether he/she is married or unmarried, he/she cannot escape from his/her responsibilities. This situation causes the stress and then the need of HR counseling arises to cope with this stress and to manage other additional issues of his/her life. The HR professional can be helpful for the management and the employees. He can manage the change easily if he counsels his employees effectively. He does it in a friendly manner to help them take charge of their lives. He helps them to overcome their problems at work, to manage the workload and to resolve the workplace issues.

We may conclude that HR professionals who are good communicators, caring about employees, having the ability to coach and counsel their employees are the most lovable HR professionals and are seen as an asset for the companies. A lovable HR professional adds the value to his/her organization being proactive and persuasive.

–

Result-oriented human resource professional with four years of generalist experience in strategic recruitment, employee relations and employee development, Ghazala is a Human Resource Manager. She is a hobbyist writer and poetess since her college days and her work has been published in magazines.

After a thousand years of darkness -
Let’s spread the light
Light of joy, laughter and happiness,
Let’s end this dark night

It’s time to walk in the sun rays –
To be bright and have an upward glide
To strive for new horizons and new ways,
To feel the liberty and pride

After a thousand years of loneliness –
Love has come my way
Life is full of stars and their brightness,
Roses all the way, will never let him go away

–

Result-oriented human resource professional with four years of generalist experience in strategic recruitment, employee relations and employee development, Ghazala is a Human Resource Manager and responsible for staffing, trainings, performance management, policy formulation and implementation and employee relations.