Communication & Marketing for Employee Recognition

A successful recognition strategy is a consistently communicated recognition strategy. Frequently, when working with companies, they are looking for ideas and suggestions to spread the word about how their organization encourages and rewards their employees. We've seen businesses use numerous approaches over the years to get the message out there and ultimately, we've developed a rule of thumb that encourages finding 3-4 ways of marketing to your employee base.

Here are some suggestions:
• The company newsletter - A classic approach that insures all employees, and often times people outside of the organization, are aware of the company's program, events, goals, and winners.
• Posters - Have some fun by creating a theme and posting images of program and its goals in different common areas throughout your different facilities.
• Online Tools - Company intranet and internet sites can be very effective ways to communicate the successes of your people to one another and those outside of the company.
• Local Press Releases - Often times local business journals and newspapers are looking for positives stories about everyday employees who accomplish extraordinary things.
• Send Communications to the Home - Whether you're dangling a carrot for a sales award, celebrating an internal achievement, or inviting employees and their families to a recognition event, it is more meaningful when correspondence is sent to the residence for all to see.
• Check Stuffers - Find a way to coordinate with payroll to include fun or educational information about your recognition initiatives with that weekly correspondence. Credit Card companies do it effectively, so can you!
• Company Meetings - Get top management involved by having them communicate the impact and importance of success employees are having to the overall direction of the company. This does not have to be a one-time message.

Whichever routes you choose to go to get the message across to your people, remember the old radio advertising saying, "Repetition Sells!" The more frequently people hear the message the bigger impact it will have on the employee and your business!