Do no good deeds go unpunished? Or could it be that occasionally the "good" in the good deed isn't good enough?
A survey from OfficeTeam suggests that good is in the eye of the beholder, at least when it comes to recognizing employees for a job well done.
OfficeTeam used the approach of Administrative Professionals Week, April 19-25, as a reason to survey 600 managers and 900 adult workers in the United States and Canada about their attitudes toward recognition.
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As it happens, bosses think their efforts to reward diligence are much more effective than do those who actually receive the recognition.
When managers and direct reports were asked, "How effective do you think your company is at recognizing employees for good performance?" Here's what they said:
Very effective
Managers: 33 percent Yes
Employees: 27 percent Yes
Somewhat effective
Managers: 56 percent Yes
Employees: 43 percent Yes
Not too effective or not effective at all
Managers: 11 percent Yes
Employees: 30 percent Yes
Nearly one-third of employees said their recognition program wasn't working. Ouch.
"Acknowledging staff just once or twice a year for their hard work isn't enough – regularly saying 'thank you' or offering small tokens of appreciation can speak volumes," said Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. "Giving kudos for a job well done seems obvious, but when managers are time-strapped, this can be one of the first things that slip."
Go here to view a truly hilarious video on how not to recognize an employee. The same page on OfficeTeam's site offers examples of effective employee recognition programs.
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
