Companies show employee appreciation in many ways, such as bonuses, extra paid time off, parties, picnics, etc. But what about that individual acknowledgement so many of us treasure? How important is that type of appreciation to employees?
Here at Advanced, we have been giving out employee recognition awards for as long as we can remember. We give out an Employee of the Quarter award and an Employee of the Year award. Both awards come with a cash prize and a plaque. In addition, the award recipients get a reserved parking space at our office. Seems like a silly concept to some, but it has become quite the coveted perk around our office.
The interesting thing about our awards, is that the entire company votes on the winners, so the winners are truly being chosen by their peers, and not just the management team or even just the president. This means that winning the award is not a sign from the boss that you are doing a good job, but a sign from the people you are working with day in and day out that your work is appreciated and respected.
So why is this important? First, recognizing employees for good work and for their accomplishments is something we feel contributes to their continued success and their continued dedication to the team and the company. Second, the fact that the winners are chosen by their peers drives them to impress each other and to never let each other down. It adds another level of accountability to the work they do.
Events come and go. Clients come and go. At the end of the day, it is our colleagues that we sit across from at the conference table in the post con meeting, or that we eat lunch with in the cafeteria. Holding each other to high standards and not allowing good enough to be good enough is The Advanced Way.
