Canadian HR Reporter

CanaDian hr reporter october 6, 2014 FEATuRES 11 RecoGnITIon Celebrating Employees of the Month By Alan Whittaker w e're all familiar with "Employee of the Month" programs — the pictures, the plaques, the prime parking spots. Grocery stores, fast food outlets, big box retailers, banks and businesses in almost every sector use these programs to acknowledge out- standing performance from a particular team member. Why is this form of recognition so popular? For one, it's a public yet casual way to give accolades on a regular basis. Many administra- tors believe it helps create a more positive work environment and boost employee morale. And because there are some- times financial incentives in- volved, Employee of the Month programs are often viewed as a motivational factor to get the best possible performance out of employees. Even if it's just a small recognition in front of peers, it's believed workers will seek the positive attention. But are these programs really effective or are they actually do- ing more harm than good? While there's no definitive answer on the subject, it has inspired debate. Potential downsides, upsides Aubrey Daniels, author and rec- ognized authority on manage- ment and performance, insists Employee of the Month programs are a waste of time. And while em- ployees may do their best to win the award for a few months, if they aren't soon given the award, they stop trying and may become resentful. Another critic is Bob Nelson, author and motivational speaker. Like Daniels, he believes these programs do not bolster long- term motivation among employ- ees, as motivation is too personal a factor to be influenced by a broad and impersonal program. He does acknowledge, however, that Employee of the Month pro- grams can be useful when they are part of a bigger, company-wide effort to communicate more ef- fectively and use personal, one- on-one interaction to get the best out of employees. Critics also suggest that rec- ognizing one employee means all other employees have lost the competition. But many companies find these programs to be an effective way of acknowledging great perfor- mance and boosting overall mo- tivation and productivity. It's not a win-lose proposition and companies that make this clear tend to have successful pro- grams. It's also never a good idea to punish employees who are do- ing great work merely to soothe the negative feelings of employ- ees who are doing only average work. Eliminating Employee of the Month programs, or simply refusing to start one, can send that message. Doing what's best Should your company have an Employee of the Month program? Often, the best way to answer this question is to ask employees what they think. Gauging employee opinion is not always easy but program sur- veys, either on paper or online via secure log-in, can directly involve employees in the decision-making process, as can well-planned fo- cus groups. A successful Employee of the Month program means every employee has a chance to win and every employee can have input in making the monthly decision. Explaining why a team mem- ber has been named Employee of the Month also helps to make the program feel more merit-based and less like a pass-around award every employee will win eventu- ally simply by virtue of holding a job. is helps the entire team un- derstand why the recipients are deserving, which minimizes any negative "I lost" feelings. It's also crucial to understand that Employee of the Month programs are often most effec- tive when used in conjunction with other recognition programs and communication strategies to boost overall employee morale and motivation. Alan Whittaker is vice-president of sales and marketing at Williams Recognition in Sherbrooke, Que. He can be reached at (450) 926-0555, awhittaker@williamsrecognition. com or, for more information, visit www.williamsrecognition.com. the participation rates of prime- aged men and women (aged 25 to 54) continues to shrink, so as women make up the bulk of part- time employed, the part-time share of employment could con- tinue to rise over the longer run. "With each year… women are just more and more likely to be attached to the workforce," said Bartlett. "And as women in those age groups are getting older, they'll be more attached to the workforce when they're 70 than a 70-year-old is today." Ultimately, we'll see a gradual convergence to the average in terms of what industries women and men are working in, said Mallett, "and who is responsible for childcare and so on, so the dif- ferences will probably moderate." In addition, Canadians aged 65 and older represent about eight per cent of the part-time em- ployed — roughly double their share one decade ago. e par- ticipation rates of workers 55 and older have also risen steadily, from 23.6 per cent in the 1990s to 37.5 per cent today, said the report. "If older workers are working more and increasing their share of part-time work, this represents the biggest reason yet why part- time employment may continue to become more prominent go- ing forward." at could be good or bad, said MacEwen. "at might be people who are easing into retirement and who want to do this and this is supple- menting maybe some pension in- come that they have, but it could also be people who are forced to return to work after having been retired or who want more hours but can't get it." While there has been a rise in involuntary part-time employ- ment in recent years — from 650,000 before the recession to about one million — that's since stabilized, suggesting more Cana- dians are choosing to work part- time for other reasons, said TD, with many citing "going to school" and "personal preference." A lot of it is structural as well because the pace of business has shifted, said Mallett. "You can't have solely a full-time economy in cases where business- es now run, many of them, on a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week basis, so part-time is always required to fill in those particular gaps." Future prospects Overall, TD is predicting both stronger job gains and a more equitable distribution between full- and part-time positions in the coming months as the econo- my picks up steam. And full-time jobs still make up four-fifths of total employment. "at said, the narrowing gap between the male and female participation rates, as well as the shift to an aging population in Canada, may work to increase the prominence of part-time hiring in the labour market in the future, thereby warranting continued observation," said the report. Employers are going to adapt to meet the circumstances that best suit them in terms of profit- ability and long-term planning, as well as attracting employees, said Bartlett. "at dynamic may change over time, so I don't know if there's an ideal ratio (between full-time and part-time)… but I would think it really comes down to the reason people are working part-time ver- sus full-time," he said. "It's not nec- essarily a negative outcome for the economy if it's meeting people's preferences." PART TIME < pg. 1 Shifting business LOOKING TO HIRE? CFA Society Toronto's employment posting service gives you access to over 8,000 investment professionals. Our Career Centre has become the job source for investment employers. WHY NOT JOIN US? For more information: Tel: 416.366.5755 option 4 Email: jobs@cfatoronto.ca www.cfatoronto.ca WANT ACCESS TO HIGHLY QUALIFIED INVESTMENT PROFESSIONALS? service awards peer recognition sales awards performance on-the-spot service E m p l o yee R ec og n i ti on S o l u t i o n s service awards performance performance service s performance performance performance performance performance performance performance www.terryberry.com 800.253.0882 Get Started!

• Cover