Amping up your employee recognition program to be best-in-class

Employee recognition has long been a cornerstone of effective management. But today, as the workplace is becoming more dynamic, the ways organizations show they value their employees have become more important than ever.

What are best-in-class employee recognition standards?

A consistent and sustainable level of employee performance is vital to the success of any organization.

The establishment and maintenance of a positive workplace culture is an effective way to generate the level of employee engagement required to increase production and output.

Decades of extensive research have proven that regular and systematic recognition of improved performance, achievements, attitudes, or behaviours (in other words, the creation of a recognition-rich culture) can add quantifiable value to an organization.

To fully understand “best-in-class” standards for employee recognition and rewards programs, it is helpful to frame them in relation to the work of Recognition Professionals International (RPI).

On their website www.recognition.org, RPI describes themselves as follows:

RPI is the leader in workforce recognition through its focus on education, CRP certification and the RPI Best Practice Standards^®. For over 20 years, RPI, a 501(6) nonprofit, has been driving employee engagement and culture through recognition. With organizations from all sectors, our members are building and sustaining successful employee engagement, talent development and retention practices.

RPI has its own, carefully researched set of 7 Best Practice Standards that have evolved over the years as more research is conducted and more data is available.

These standards provide excellent guidelines to determine the quality and efficacy of recognition programs for all types and sizes of organizations.

1. Recognition strategy

There should be a clearly defined, written recognition strategy outlining the program’s philosophy and objectives.

2. Management responsibility

Management is held accountable for overseeing and actively participating in recognition programs.

3. Recognition program measurement

There will be regular evaluations of the effectiveness of the programs using proven, reliable engagement metrics.

4. Recognition program communication plan

The organization establishes and maintains a strategic, transparent communication plan relating to all aspects of the program.

5. Recognition training

There will be documentation on how recognition training is designed and administered for managers and employees at all levels.

6. Recognition events and celebrations

Creative celebrations and award ceremonies will be effectively used to recognize the organization’s employees.

7. Recognition change and flexibility

Programs are consistently reviewed for possible modifications and restructuring of goals, objectives and employee recognition needs.

Whatever type or scale of recognition program you determine best fits your organization, it should adhere to the 7 Best Practice Standards as determined by RPI.

Most importantly, the goal of any program should always be to acknowledge performance, achievements and behaviour that reflect your organization’s culture.

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At BI WORLDWIDE Canada (BIW) we leverage the Best Practice Standards to support our design methodology. Our customers benefit from not only having best-in-class design but also best-in-class results. Strategic recognition and rewards will not only support your company’s mission, vision, and values, it will also create an emotional connection that reinforces culture and enhances your results-based recognition to drive business impacts.

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