There are only a couple weeks left before Administrative Professionals' Day, April 22 this year, and many companies are planning employee recognition award ceremonies while some managers are still considering their options given limited budgets and time constraints. There are many ways organizations can provide relevant and appreciated employee recognition to administrative professionals and I wanted to go over some tips for effectively recognizing staff during this important occasion.
I highly recommend to clients that they gather employee feedback on how their administrative staff would like to be recognized, as the IAAP suggests in their article on giving employee recognition during Administrative Professionals Week. Many employees differ on how they prefer recognition be delivered and what they consider as motivational recognition awards. Public recognition via an award ceremony and private employee recognition held in closed-door meetings may be used in combination depending on employee feedback and preferences.
Gathering feedback on the types of recognition awards the company should offer employees is another vital piece of the recognition program’s overall effectiveness. Whether you are planning a public event or are looking to personally delivery each assistant his or her recognition award, as Derek Irvine at Talent Management Magazine recently advises, “recognition delivers better results than cash.” Irvine cites results from a 2004 University of Chicago study that found non-cash incentives were 24 percent more powerful at boosting performance than cash incentives. Lifestyle merchandise collections are appealing to employees of various demographics and tend to be the most popular types of recognition awards used in recognition programs today. Lifestyle awards are brand name and high quality corporate gifts that range from electronics and fashion items to appliances and hobby related merchandise.
Another useful tip is to include an employee recognition letter with a merchandise recognition award in order to give the award a personalized touch. Many of my clients like to present an entire recognition award presentation package to employees, regardless if it is given in public or in private. This recognition award package contains a congratulatory letter signed by the head of the organization, a certificate of appreciation suitable for framing and award catalog/ordering information.
Although this week should not be the only week out of the year in which employees are thanked and given public or private recognition, planning employee recognition events during Administrative Professionals' Week/Day is a great way to celebrate the impact that supporting-role staff has on organizations throughout the United States in unison with other businesses and non-profits. Employees and assistants who feel valued and recognized are much more likely to stay with a company instead of looking for greener pastures.
When a company takes the time to effectively recognize employees, it is reinforcing the message to assistants that they are valuable assets worth recognizing and investing in. By planning an administrative professional recognition event the second to last week in April each year, a company can give employee recognition consistently over time and reap the many benefits recognition programs have-including increased employee retention, better performance and improved motivation and morale in the workplace.
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