SAVE | EMAIL | PRINT | MOST POPULAR |  RSS | | REPRINT
|
Ask the Experts: Social Networking and Engagement
December 01, 2009
Q. How can social networking, from an internal perspective, increase the visibility of recognition and reward programs?
A. Building an internal social networking system is a great way to not only showcase your employee engagement strategies, but also to help connect your employees, especially those that work virtually. A social networking system allows employees to get to know fellow workers and what interests they have outside of the office. Research shows that having co-workers that are also friends tends to increase employee retention and help build a great team environment.
A social networking system also can be used to recognize employees that have received special awards or even to showcase customer compliment letters. I have seen one company that uses an internal system to disseminate best practices, with top performers sharing knowledge with peers.
Plus, having a social networking system that lets employees blog is a great way to keep a pulse on what is going on at your company.
—Kevin Cronin, Consultant, Recognition Consultants
Q. With all the talk about health care, what do employers need to know about wellness incentive programs?
A. Wellness programs are a highly effective means of improving the health and well-being of employees while mitigating some of the staggering health care costs that are crippling organizations’ ability to grow. Corporate insurance premiums are based on the health and habits of employees, so organizations with more healthy employees will pay less than companies employing larger numbers of stressed, overweight smokers who also suffer from high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease.
Employees with chronic diseases also miss more work, are less productive, have more job accidents and recover more slowly from them, and are less engaged in their work. Each of these presents its own set of problems and expenses for employers, and when employees have multiple health issues (e.g., heart disease and depression) costs increase by as much as $20,000 per year per employee.
The good news is that 50 to 87 percent of the factors that lead to these diseases are believed to be behavior-related, meaning that people can exert some control over them and incentive programs can encourage them to do so. Preventing or minimizing disease is far less costly for a company and far better for employee health and well-being.
Typical wellness initiatives include classes on smoking cessation, nutrition and proper diet, stress control, and disease management. Fitness and weight control classes are also popular. And wellness programs have a proven return on investment, as research has demonstrated that each dollar invested in them saves $3.48 in medical costs and $5.82 in reduced absenteeism.
—Michelle Smith, Vice President, Business Development, O. C. Tanner
Q. How should I gather feedback from my recognition program participants?
A. Asking for feedback, if done correctly, communicates that you respect and appreciate your employees. In a culture of recognition, employees know that their ideas and opinions are relevant to the organization’s ability to connect with and engage employees and their customers. Surveys, focus groups, and employee clinics are all useful feedback tools.
All employees need to know that their ideas and opinions are valued but, depending on the feedback format, kept confidential and anonymous. Fear of retaliation is a big reason why employees do not provide feedback. By developing a solid culture of recognition, you can be assured the answers you receive are valid, and employees are comfortable exploring new and innovative ideas.
Some of the best and potentially profitable ideas come from frontline workers. It was a Starbucks employee experimenting with beverages who thought up and developed the highly lucrative Frappuccino. The employee felt safe in bringing a blender to work to try out an idea and, most importantly, sharing it with her employer.
Communicating that your organization welcomes employee ideas and opinions is your first step. Once this is established, make certain that the questions you ask your workforce are meaningful and relate to timely issues facing your company.
Then, act on their answers. Leaders that listen to their employees are opening themselves up to an abundance of knowledge. Utilizing this knowledge to make the best decisions for the organization is what makes great leaders.
—Peter Hart, CEO, Rideau Recognition Solutions
Q. Our company is struggling to find a meaningful way to celebrate the holidays that is less costly than previous years yet doesn’t seem cheap. Any suggestions?
A. You are not alone. Many organizations are striving to be creative in expressing their staff appreciation without spending unseemly amounts of money. Last year, one of my clients that previously hosted a catered dinner switched to a themed potluck. The management team provided the entrees, beverages, etc, and invited staff to bring their favorite cultural cuisines.
At first, the client was apprehensive that it would be perceived as simply a cost-cutting move. However, people embraced the idea wholeheartedly. The client reported that, in the past, people ate dinner and “bolted,” but when they shared their favorite foods and told stories about them, they lingered. The potluck was a warm and low-key event that people eagerly look forward to this year.
Another CEO took the time to hand-write a personal note to each member of her 400-plus staff (hint: begin this well in advance and use all the “plane time” you can). With the help of her sisters, she attached each note to a candy cane and personally delivered it to each workstation. She received e-mails and notes expressing amazement and gratitude for taking the time to thank each person. It was low-cost and high-impact.
—Dee Hansford, CEO, Dee Hansford Consulting
Do you have a question for the recognition experts? E-mail askrpiexpert@recognition.org with your question, and it may appear in a future column.
About the Experts
Kevin J. Cronin is a consultant with Recognition Consultants. He is an expert on employee engagement and serves on the board of directors and marketing committee of Recognition Professionals International.
Dee Hansford, CRP, is CEO of Dee Hansford Consulting. She is a respected authority in leadership development and organizational change resulting in measurable ROI. Her clients have received national recognition for award-winning programs supporting a higher performance work culture.
Peter W. Hart, CRP, is president and CEO of Rideau Recognition Solutions, a global provider of corporate rewards programs. He serves as treasurer on the board of directors of Recognition Professionals International.
Michelle M. Smith, is vice president of business development at O.C. Tanner. She works in every facet of recognition and incentives and serves on the board of directors of Recognition Professionals International.
— NIelsen Business Media
|
SAVE | EMAIL | PRINT | MOST POPULAR | RSS |
|
|
| Back to Training Index |
|
|
