Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER November 30, 2015 FEATURES 17 Credit: xtock (Shutterstock) RECOGNITION 5 reasons non-monetary recognition makes more sense than cash Elysha Ames G ive a chicken a kernel of corn and it will play the piano — that was the premise of an old carnival game where a trained chicken pecks on toy piano keys after a coin is dropped in the slot. e trick works pretty well but it's not like the chicken is engaged in the performance — the bird will not continue practising its scales once the anticipated reward has been delivered. People can also be trained to respond to a system of rewards. Bonuses, cash prizes, extra va- cation days can all be used to have employees grind out a few extra hours each week. But like the chicken, as soon as the prize has been delivered, people will stop performing, as seen in Alfi e Kohn's 1993 article "Why incen- tive plans cannot work" in the Harvard Business Review. Non-monetary recognition, on the other hand, does not aff ect employee behaviour the same way monetary rewards do. Here are fi ve reasons why: Recognition brings status Recognition, when it's done well, is public. You can praise an em- ployee on the front page of the corporate intranet. This can help elevate an employee's status among her peers. Cash rewards, on the other hand, need to be kept private. There's a strong taboo about discussing pay scales in the workplace, meaning you can't post an employee's bonus payments in public. Yes, an employee with a fat bonus can put a payment down on a new Lexus, but that brings us to the next point. Recognition is guilt-free Monetary rewards feel good for a moment. But once the money is in the bank, many employees be- come confl icted. Is the money still a reward for good work? Or does it really need to go to roof repairs, paying down a credit card or get tucked away for the kids' college funds? Recognition, on the other hand, can be enjoyed by employees — with no strings attached. It goes straight into their emotional ex- pense accounts and doesn't have to be used to repay past debts. Recognition goes above and beyond Cash is expected. It is part of the contract an employer makes when it hires an employee. If bonuses are off ered for performance, those also become expected — it's just part of the salary package, some- thing owed to employees. Employees aren't owed respect and appreciation. at's perceived as a gift — something given to an employee for signifi cant reasons beyond just showing up and clocking in. Recognition creates meaning Doing meaningful work is deeply important to most people. Cash payouts don't create meaning. In fact, if an employee receives a bo- nus when he knows he only con- tributed 50 per cent of his best eff ort, it can make the workplace feel capricious: " ey don't know what they're doing here — and look how much they pay me to do it." Recognition, on the other hand, is all about meaning. It says, "We saw how much work you put into the Jones account and that means a lot." Recognition is human People don't want to spend their whole lives cranking widgets, even if that's their job. ey want to be part of a bigger social enterprise. When employers recog- nize their contributions, when they thank Sally for her 99.9 per cent widget success rate, they are building a personal con- nection with an employ- ee — she is now a vital part of the team and the tribe. Cash, on the other hand, can be dehu- manizing. Just like the episode of Seinfeld where Jerry gives Elaine a stack of bills for her birthday, cash can leave employees feeling used. It can leave a lingering sense of "Sure, they pay me, but they don't really know me." When it's working as it should, recognition transforms a com- pany's culture. People bond with each other and watch each other's backs. ey become en- gaged and look for new ways to contribute. Elysha Ames is senior manager of digital strategy at TemboSocial in Toronto, a provider of software add- ons that integrate with the corporate intranet to help empower, inform and create a culture of employee-driven excellence. She can be reached at elysha@tembosocial. com or for more information, visit www.tembosocial.com. 20 ideas Non-cash ways to reward and recognize employees 1. Thank-you emails 2. Sticky notes on monitors 3. Public recognition (such as emails or newsletters) 4. A "wisdom wall" fi lled with quotes from employees 5. A thank-you video (with testimonials from colleagues and leaders) 6. Social media recognition 7. A company T-shirt signed by the team 8. A trophy that's passed around 9. Employee collectible cards 10. A wall of fame 11. An awards ceremony 12. A letter of recommendation 13. "Elite Employee" coffee mugs 14. Letting people leave early for a week 15. The ability to delegate a task or project 16. A day off 17. Flex time for a week 18. An off-site team meeting 19. A mentoring session 20. Breakfast with the CEO Source: Herd Wisdom Cash can be dehumanizing. It can leave employees feeling used, with a lingering sense of "Sure, they pay me but they don't really know me."

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