Practical Applications and Ideas for Albemarle County

To promote a valued and responsive County workforce that ensures excellent customer service

To assure staff is supported and recognized for excellence in service

Albemarle County Strategic Plan Goal 7:

“Promote a valued and responsive County workforce that ensures excellent customer service.”

Albemarle County Schools Strategic Goal 3:

“Recruit, retain and develop a diverse cadre of the highest quality teaching personnel, staff, and administrators.”

Albemarle County strives to be ‘a best place to work’.

We believe it is essential to recognize and reward exceptional performance as part of the County’s Total Rewards strategy.

Employee Recognition addresses our need to acknowledge extraordinary individual or team behavior, effort, and accomplishments that support the organization’s goals and values.

We seek to create a culture of recognition—both formal and informal.

Understand recognition and engagement.

Consider a set of performance criteria so that you may identify exemplary, deserving behaviors in an employee.

Give options to recognize and reward employees for exceptional performance.

Encourage flexibility and guidelines that best fits your department’s functions and culture.

Leadership tool that sends a message to employees about what is important to leaders and behaviors that are valued.

Deliberate act that helps employees understand how their jobs contribute to the organization's overall goals and how their performance affects achievement of these goals.

Individual/team

Formal/Informal

Extrinsic (monetary or equivalent)

Intrinsic (symbolic)

A Survey by Bob Nelson gave people choices of 52 items. The No. 1 factor they valued was "managerial support and involvement“ - asking employees their opinions, involving them in decisions, giving them authority to do their jobs, supporting them when they make a mistake, and so forth.

Also important were flexible working hours, learning and development opportunities, manager availability, and time.

1. Public praise/recognition2. Opportunity to show off a winning call3. Shared customer feedback that they’ve made a

difference4. Earned extra paid time off5. Available re-training; personal development6. Respect as viable part of organization7. Requested to mentor new hire8. Requested for special project work9. Top notch info systems10. Bright, comfortable surroundings

*2007 Human Technologies Global, Inc. www.human.techngologies.com

Sincere

Meaningful

Adaptable

Relevant

Timely

 Start & stopInconsistency … flavor of the month

 Without real merit/popularity contestRecognized and you don’t know/understand why…

 Entitlement

Staff it out/phone it inBoilerplate memo sent with someone signing for you

doesn’t make anyone feel special

What forms of praise are you comfortable giving?

Feel awkward giving face-to-face praise? You probably won't do it even if you feel you should. Uncomfortable speaking publicly? May be better to skip public praise for something more personal and sincere.

There's nothing wrong with asking employees what would be most meaningful or helpful to them.

Asking that question and listening to response is a sign of an organization that really looks at people as important, and as an investment.

Start small (and stay small if need be).

Set clear standards. Employees should know what is important to their organization and to their own success.

Communicate the evaluation criteria, so that everyone clearly understands the selection process.

Expect the best. You often get what you ask; set the bar high.

Tell others. Recognition is not only about the individual, but also about what they contributed to the whole.

Understand that engaged employees want and need recognition.

Engage employees by building strong, positive relationships, understanding their jobs, respecting work/life balance, and showing appreciation for a job well done.

Engage employees by building trust, fostering two-way feedback and allowing shared decision-making.

Engage employees by providing professional development opportunities and helping them understand their role in the organization’s success.

“Catch” employees doing things right.

Recognize employees at staff meetings.

Use a dedicated section of the departmental newsletter to highlight great customer service and/or great performance.

Send an ice cream trucks to a work site to acknowledge a significant work group accomplishment.

Use short conversations, notes, Share Point, and/or prominent bulletin boards to recognize employees.

How do you show appreciation of your employees' work?

What are the systems or methods you use to recognize your employees for good work?

Well regarded books on subject available from the County’s Learning Library, including:

A Carrot A Day by Gostick and EltonThe 1001 Rewards & Recognition Fieldbook by Nelson

and Spitzer

Local Government’s Employee Recognition Program

Local Government Pilot Departments (ECC, IT, Police, Social Services)

Your own experience

Final Comments and Questions?