You’ve most likely heard of an worker of the month program, or perhaps you have been even a part of one. If managed accurately, these packages is usually a welcome boost to an already profitable worker recognition program or a good way to kick off your worker recognition efforts. Essentially the most fundamental packages usually include a certificates (see our worker of the month template under), however that’s just the start on how you need to use them as a device to acknowledge your workers.

Discovering methods to acknowledge and have a good time your workers is extraordinarily necessary. Worker recognition is a essential driver of worker retention, productiveness, and happiness. Recognizing the onerous work of your crew members isn’t solely about acknowledging them; it’s additionally about constructing a optimistic firm tradition and office surroundings. 

We’ve put collectively some helpful data on what worker recognition is all about, why an worker of the month program is a superb begin, and even added a helpful worker of the month template.

Prepared? Let’s go!

What’s worker recognition, and why is it necessary? 

Worker recognition refers back to the totally different ways in which an organization acknowledges and celebrates its crew members for his or her contributions. Worker recognition can occur in numerous methods, however the primary objective is all the time to point out workers how a lot you respect their onerous work.

You may acknowledge your workers for a lot of totally different causes—from achievements, to milestones, to exceeding expectations. 

When you would possibly make some extent of claiming thanks to your workers for an excellent day’s work, there are numerous causes to make it a extra formal, systematic a part of your corporation. A survey discovered that 37% of workers stated extra private recognition is the primary issue that will spur them to supply higher work extra usually. 

The identical survey discovered those that really feel acknowledged and appreciated at work are 2.2x extra prone to drive innovation and a pair of.0x extra prone to go above and past for his or her job. They’re extra prone to be happy with their jobs than those that aren’t acknowledged. 

A office with a firm tradition that helps worker recognition will expertise higher retention charges for prime expertise, enhance worker engagement, and encourage crew members to carry out at the next stage. 

A few of the widespread methods to present your appreciation to your workers embody:

• Inside worker shout-outs for good work
• Raises and bonuses
• Have fun milestones like birthdays and work anniversaries
• Give handwritten appreciation and thanks notes
• Create a well being and wellness plan
• Make enhancements to your break room
• Workforce constructing actions
• Worker of the month program

Recognizing prime performers

You would possibly learn “worker of the month” and suppose that it’s a reasonably outdated thought. And whereas an worker of the month program needs to be a part of a wider recognition program in your group, it’s a basic for a purpose. 

Worker of the month is an award given to an worker to acknowledge somebody who has been an exemplary worker through the earlier month. It’s often given out every month, so there’s a probability to acknowledge 12 workers over the 12 months. 

Corporations who give out this award often create an expertise they will recreate month-to-month to acknowledge their prime performer. This could contain a city corridor assembly, awards presentation, company-wide electronic mail, and different parts to make the reward vital for the recipient.

Is an worker of the month program a good suggestion?

So long as worker of the month is completed in a good and enjoyable approach and is a part of a extra intensive recognition program, it may be an important device in your worker appreciation toolbox. To verify your worker of the month program is about up for achievement, stick to those 4 tricks to keep away from widespread pitfalls. 

Give the award to totally different folks every month

Don’t let your worker of the month award turn out to be a tangible signal of favoritism within the office. Giving the award to the identical particular person or folks month after month will solely demotivate your different workers and create a poisonous work surroundings. 

If the identical persons are your prime performers each month, think about what could be holding your different workers again. Dig into the problems and discover artistic methods to work as a crew to uplift the opposite workers. 

Get enter out of your entire crew

Managers and different crew members in management roles may have numerous nice info to share in relation to how workers are performing. By letting each crew member have a say in who deserves the worker of the month award, you’ll see all of the other ways your crew members contribute to the enterprise. 

You may even open it to buyer enter utilizing a survey or suggestions device. The thought is to incorporate everybody within the course of. It will make it really feel extra equitable to your crew and offer you better perception into what’s taking place in each facet of your corporation. 

Make your rewards bespoke to the person

Whereas it makes full sense to have a repeatable course of for worker of the month, don’t overlook to tailor your reward to the particular person. For instance, you probably have a extra introverted worker, throwing them a celebration received’t be as enjoyable for them as it could have been for the extrovert who received the earlier month.

Be sure you take the person under consideration in order that the award feels particular for every particular person. 

The worker of the month needs to be a part of an even bigger worker recognition program

Don’t let the worker of the month program be the one approach you acknowledge your workers. Keep in mind, just one particular person is “successful” every month. If that is the one factor you’re doing, it may be extremely demotivating on your different workers. The most effective type of worker recognition is well timed, frequent, and significant. 

This needs to be a device you employ, however it shouldn’t be seen because the solely factor you have to do to make your workers really feel appreciated. 

How do you select your worker of the month every month?

How are you going to decide on an worker to be rewarded every month? An important factor is establishing some standards for worker of the month. You wish to outline it as a lot as attainable so that each one workers perceive how the winner is being chosen. It will assist keep away from any claims of favoritism. 

As talked about above, having all workers vote or submit suggestions to assist make the choice every month is a superb thought. Define the standards that each one voters ought to think about earlier than making their alternative. Listed here are some elements you possibly can think about together with in your standards:

• Achievements
• Angle
• Reliability
• Co-operation
• High quality of labor
• Willingness to be taught
• Service to purchasers/clients
• Punctuality 
• Attendance
• Downside-solving capability 

When you’ve chosen the standards that take advantage of sense for your corporation, you possibly can create a sliding scale for judging folks’s efficiency throughout the classes. It could possibly be so simple as “from 1 to five,” or you possibly can assign descriptive scores corresponding to:

• Exceeded expectations
• Met expectations
• Met some expectations
• Under expectations

This ensures everyone seems to be graded on the identical scale utilizing the identical standards. 

How are you going to have a good time and acknowledge your worker of the month?

You’ve finished it—chosen your first worker of the month! However how do you have a good time them? Along with a pleasant certificates (see our easy worker of the month template certificates under), there are tons of nice methods to point out your appreciation to your worker of the month. Discover one thing that resonates with you, your crew, and your corporation. 

Listed here are ten worker of the month concepts to get you began.

1. Provide profession improvement alternatives

Whether or not you provide the chance to every winner or maintain a winner-wide occasion on the finish of the 12 months, profession improvement incentives may be a good way to assist workers proceed on their path towards success. You may usher in profession improvement consultants or consultants in your discipline to speak about how workers can attain their private profession targets. 

2. Host a month-to-month celebration

Internet hosting a month-to-month lunch or dinner celebration to honor the worker of the month is a good way to get your entire crew concerned. Everybody will take pleasure in a free lunch, and you will discover a personality-appropriate method to have a good time the worker of the month. This offers your entire crew one thing to stay up for and helps get everybody on board with the worker of the month program. 

3. Provide a PTO top-up for the winners

Trip days are a robust forex for all workers. Successful an extra PTO day or two is a good way to inspire workers to attempt to win worker of the month. Tip: there could also be logistics concerned on this relying on your corporation construction. Be certain to do your analysis should you determine to to include PTO into your worker of the month program. 

Clarify how it may be redeemed in a approach that makes it as simple as attainable for winners to make use of their day without work whereas not placing you and the remainder of your workers out. 

4. Donate to a charity of their alternative

Who doesn’t love to present again? Select a set sum of money to be donated to a charity of the winner’s alternative every month. This is a wonderful approach for the worker of the month to be rewarded whereas making a distinction of their group.

5. Give winners a one-time bonus

When you would possibly really feel bizarre giving out a money bonus to your workers, money is essentially the most sensible reward. And, it may possibly make a giant distinction on your workers. Even a $100 bonus can considerably impression somebody’s life. 

6. Give winners a present card of their alternative

For those who really feel too unusual about handing out money bonuses, think about giving out reward playing cards as a substitute. Giving your workers a alternative is necessary when choosing a present card. Whereas one worker could be joyful to get a present card to a gasoline station, the worker who takes public transportation will probably be much less enthusiastic about it.

7. Pay for them to take an evening off

Whereas PTO is superb, take it to the subsequent stage by paying for them to do one thing on their evening off. You could possibly have a listing of experiences on your workers to select from. That is additionally a enjoyable method to spotlight different native companies and may even be a good way to cross-promote should you converse with the opposite enterprise house owners. Some concepts embody:

• Dinner and a film
• Live performance or theater tickets
• Paint evening
• Indoor skydiving
• Escape room

Brainstorm concepts which are native to you together with your crew to get a listing that will get folks invested. And ensure that the evening out is for 2 so the winner can carry somebody alongside for the journey.

8. Shout out your workers on social media and your web site

By no means underestimate the ability of a public thanks. Take to your social media, web site, or firm e-newsletter to speak in regards to the impression and significance of the worker of the month. Take the time to interview them and ask about their expertise working for your corporation to incorporate within the caption. Remember to embody a photograph they’ve authorized and spotlight all the great they’ve finished over the previous month. 

For those who’re feeling misplaced on what to incorporate, you need to use the identical query for all workers and create a generic worker of the month template on your month-to-month social posts to avoid wasting time and maintain it simple.

9. Create firm swag only for winners

For those who’ve already acquired some superb firm swag, take into consideration personalizing it for worker of the month winners. For instance, if everybody in your crew wears a uniform, look into having one embroidered or silk-screened with their identify. And you probably have swag that’s extra for enjoyable than uniform, put collectively a present basket with some objects which are solely given to winners. 

10. Give them a certificates or trophy

Don’t underestimate the significance of bodily illustration of their onerous work. A certificates to acknowledge the worker of the month provides you a tangible award to border and hand to the worker while you announce they’ve received. 

Make it really feel official by having a certificates template that you just use every time. Remember to embody your organization emblem, model colours, and fonts. It’s additionally a pleasant gesture to incorporate a customized letter for the worker highlighting why they’ve received. 

Not artistic? To not fear. Our downloadable worker of the month template under is a straightforward method to begin!

Worker of the month downloadable template

Easy methods to acknowledge and assist your workers each day of the month

As talked about earlier than, recognizing your workers steadily, promptly, and in significant methods is important to a profitable worker recognition program. An worker of the month template is a superb place to start out, however with Homebase, you are able to do extra.

With our communication app, you possibly can shout out crew members for a job nicely finished privately or in group messages with your entire crew. Homebase additionally tracks efficiency metrics like on-time arrivals, so you possibly can simply monitor who’s within the working. From worker of the month templates, to digital excessive fives, to creating even bonuses and additional PTO a breeze, Homebase is your all-in-one answer for managing your crew.

Behind each nice enterprise is a superb crew. And behind each nice crew is the instruments wanted to assist them. Strive Homebase at no cost.