TheWhitePaper*

Top 10 Tips for Running Successful Strategic Recognition Programs

ISSUE 1 JUNE 2008

TheWhitePaper*

We work with some of the world’s leading companies to

build engaged, positive workplaces where employees

fully understand and share the company vision and

values. They know their work and extra efforts to help

achieve the vision will be recognized and appreciated.

As organizations continue to vie for and retain talented contributors, strategic em-

ployee recognition programs become an important part of the total work experi-

ence. Effective recognition programs encourage employees to give more discre-

tionary effort, thereby improving company performance.

Globoforce’s ‘Top 10 Tips’ for Running Successful Strategic Recognition Programs

1. The Tempo Starts at the Top

2. Establish Program Goals & Objectives

3. Reach as Many People as Possible as Often as Possible

4. Promote It or Perish

5. Offer a Great Choice of Rewards

6. Match Awards to Achievements

7. Ensure a Recognition Moment

8. Involve Program Participants – Invite Their Input

9. Call All Managers to Training

10. Establish Key Indicators of Success Early

Each year, we conduct a series of client workshops

to help you define your goals and the necessary

steps to achieve them. We recommend best prac-

tices proven to deliver high ROI by our leading

Global 2000 customers.

TheWhitePaper*

To effectively build a culture of appreciation, a stra-

tegic employee recognition program should be driv-

en by a core, in-house program management team

that encourages employees to make “recognition”

a part of their daily work life. This team manages

the program globally and ensures company-wide

consistency by setting program goals, objectives,

processes and benchmarks in addition to defining

measurements of success.

Clear program guidelines are the foundation of every

successful recognition program. The project man-

agement team should establish three to four succinct

and easy-to-understand program goals that reflect

the organization’s overall objective for implement-

Successful programs recognize contributors fre-

quently, at all levels and across all geographic re-

gions, for their genuine contributions to the orga-

nization. The more people receiving awards, the

greater the awareness that the company is engaged

in recognizing and rewarding its people. Better re-

sults are guaranteed by frequently rewarding more

Senior-level validation of the program itself and of the

in-house program management team is essential. A

highprofile, senior-level executive must act as the

program champion, responsible for driving global

program awareness, validating the program goals

and supporting the implementation of the program.

Likewise, local program champions should be iden-

tified to validate the global program and drive the

program objectives locally.

ing the program. Any employee recognition program

should be grounded in the organization’s corporate

strategy, identifying key areas where employees can

make a difference.

people with smaller rewards, than rewarding few

people, infrequently with larger rewards. This higher

frequency will help drive program visibility—a criti-

cal component to creating a recognition culture, and

thereby increasing productivity and positive energy

in the workplace.

1. The Tempo Starts at the Top

2. Establish Program Goals and Objectives

3. Reach as Many People as Possible as Often as Possible

TheWhitePaper*

The development of a comprehensive communi-

cations plan raises awareness of the program, in-

creases participation, boosts performance, and most

importantly, helps to build an appreciation culture. In

developing the plan, an organization must consider

the following objectives:

Top-of-Mind Awareness: To reach all eligible pro- *

gram participants and make them aware of the

new program

Understanding of the Program: To reach all man- *

agers to inform and educate them about the pro-

gram goals and processes.

Launching an employee recognition program is like

launching a new product – it requires continuous

An essential part of any program is making sure the

rewards are actually motivating and memorable to pro-

gram participants. By offering the world’s largest reward

selection, global organizations can ensure that every one

of their program participants will have a broad choice of

rewards that are culturally relevant and locally meaning-

ful to them - no matter where in the world they reside.

communications through all stages of its lifecycle to

keep it active and effective. Program managers must

carefully select the most effective communications

channels for ensuring their program messages stand

out from all other corporate “noise.”

Successful programs are those that deliver both

consistency and “meaning” on a global scale by

ensuring their program offers access to literally

millions of different prize, gift and reward options

across all 5 continents.

4. Promote it or Perish!

5. Offer a Great Choice of Rewards

“Implementation is really the primary differentiator

between employee reward programs at companies

on America’s Most Admired Companies list and their

peers—communication, aligning reward programs

with business priorities and operationalizing the pay

for performance relationship.”

- Hay Group research in conjunction with

Fortune magazine, March 2008

TheWhitePaper*

Effective recognition programs ensure consistency

by assessing behaviors and results deserving of rec-

ognition, and then recommending the appropriate

award level. Organizations should therefore seek to

implement a program that provides positive rein-

forcement for contributions that align with the com-

pany’s overall goals and strategies.

In addition to delivering timely and meaningful rec-

ognition in the form of awards, companies should

also encourage managers to personally recognize

outstanding employees or team members at recogni-

tion events or team meetings to help personalize and

Employees should be recognized, by both their peers

and managers, for their individual or team contribu-

tions toward achieving goals. The approach is one in

the same – timely, personal and consistent. At any

time, nominators should be able to nominate col-

leagues to receive awards, regardless of geographic

Varying award levels help nominators decide on the

recognition that is most appropriate for the degree of

contribution they observed. When establishing award

levels against desired behaviors, remember to keep

the number of levels simple, offering those that are

most appropriate and consistent across the organi-

zation. Award values should be significantly different

in order to simplify the nominator’s choice.

promote an employee recognition program. High-

lighting recent award winners in a corporate newslet-

ter or on a corporate intranet also ensures all people

within an organization are aware of their colleagues

being recognized.

or division boundaries. Program participation should

be closely monitored and participants should be sur-

veyed regularly to gauge levels of program satisfac-

tion. The program management team should invite

feedback and suggestions for program improvement.

6. Match Awards to Achievements

7. Ensure a Recognition Moment

8. Involve Program Participants – Invite Their Input

TheWhitePaper*

Training is essential to achieving program success.

All managers throughout the organization should

be required to attend pre-launch training sessions,

which can be web based and explain the program

to encourage their participation. Training presenta-

tions may also be used to communicate program

Program success should be measured against the

program goals and objectives set at the onset of the

program. The program management team should

develop two or three key indicators of program suc-

cess that tie directly to the overall program goals

and objectives.

enhancements to maintain interest and enthusiasm

around a program. The program management team

should review the program’s effectiveness on a regu-

lar basis and work to ensure the program is properly

used within the organization.

A list of key indicators may include one or more of

the following examples:

Increase in overall performance or productivity of *

employees (team).

Increase in job satisfaction/morale and employee *

retention.

Increased use of one common tool to run all em- *

ployee reward and sales incentive programs, in-

creasing efficiencies and reducing overall costs.

Increased sales or distribution. *

Timetables for reviewing the program against these

indicators should be decided early in the process

prior to the program launch.

9. Call All Managers to Training!

10. Establish Key Indicators of Success Early

“Measurable process goals are critical to a success-

ful global strategic recognition program. With the

appropriate goals and a program to measure the

outcome, you can begin to spot the frequency, ap-

propriateness and timeliness of recognition and the

levels of success against those goals. Globoforce

provides the mechanism making this possible.”

- Terry CainVice President of Operational Excellence, Avnet

Globoforce (North America)Reservoir Corporate Center

144 Turnpike Road, Suite 310, Southborough, MA 01772 USA

Phone: +1 (888) 7-GFORCE (436723) Fax: +1 (508) 357 8964 Email: corporate@globoforce.com

Globoforce (Europe)6 Beckett Way, Park West Business Park, Dublin 12, Ireland.

Phone: +353 1 625 8800 Fax: +353 1 625 8880 Email: corporate@globoforce.com

© 2008, Globoforce Limited. All rights reserved.

About Globoforce

Globoforce is the leading worldwide provider of on-demand strategic reward and recognition solutions for Global 2000 companies. Globo-

force’s flexible and efficient recognition tool can scale from one user to millions of users with ease, offering global companies a powerful and

secure solution to implement and manage their companywide or divisional employee recognition programs. Through a dynamic, easy-to-use,

on-demand technology platform, Globoforce transforms the way companies engage, motivate and empower their workforces across the world.

Co-headquartered in Southborough, Mass., and Dublin, Ireland, Globoforce was recently selected by the Great Place to Work® Institute as one

of the “50 Best Companies to Work For.” Globoforce won a 2007 Process Innovation Award for the creative deployment of Dow Chemical’s

global, on-demand employee recognition program. Globoforce also won Human Resource Executive magazine’s coveted “Top HR Product of

the Year” award in 2004 for its revolutionary on-demand software solution. Some of Globoforce’s world-class customers utilizing this enterprise-

class solution include Amgen, Avnet, Dow Chemical, Intuit, Procter & Gamble and Reuters. www.globoforce.com.