Improving employee engagement through recognition trophies, awards and plaques

Employee engagement is a somewhat new term used by HR firms and has become a popular measure used in businesses to improve performance and other employee attitudes. First coined by Kahn, W. A (1990) it is now a popular subject in academia and the workplace. While there is no universally accepted definition of the term, generally it involves psychological and behavioural elements. Psychologically, engagement is energy, absorption, involvement and commitment in one's role. Behaviourally it involves performing above what is expected in a positive manner. Engagement levels are assesssed most commonly with pen and paper tests given to employees as well as objective measures. This article gives a brief overview of engagement and how awards, trophies and plaques can be important in achieved high engagement levels.

The advantages of high employee engagement for an organisation include; more productive employees, higher profits and less staff turnover. As employees are most often the most valuable asset within a company, it is important to maintain an engaged workforce. It is even more important considering that lower engagement levels will lead to reduced productivity and high staff turnover. Having just a few disengaged employees can make the culture within a workplace drop, spreading to more disengaged employees. Therefore assessing engagement levels is important in preventing drops in productivity and then motivating employees to perform at thier best to improve organisational success.

New Zealand has seen a surge in the popularity of this measure which has been helped with by the annual "Best Places to Work" survey run by Kenexa|JRA . In thier 2011 annual report JRA identify four key drivers to high engagement levels; Vision and Values, Sense of Community, Learning and Development and Performance Culture within an organisation.

An employee recognition programme can contribute to the four key driver, achieving a performance culture within an organisation. A perfomance culture involves employees being valued for their contributions and being rewarded for them as well. Presenting awards, trophies and plaques can serve both goals. Presenting a plaque or trophy for performance shows that people are valued as well as being rewarded with a tangible trophy they can hold in their hands and display in the workplace.

A regular and consistent recognition programme can quickly create a performance driven culture. Once this culture is created it becomes the norm, thus disengaged employees will be seen as outcasts and may become more engaged as everyone around them is positive. Having awards and trophies displayed in the office provides a permanent reminder of people's success and cements a performance culture in the workplace. Having a large honours board or plaque is another great way of implementing a recognition programme. Displaying this near the entrance reminds and enforces the performance culture for everyone. Having this at the entrance is also great for visiting clients who will be able to see they are dealing with an organisation that recognises success.

It is important that the type of award, trophy or plaque reflects the achievement of the individual as well representing the company brand and culture. Xpress Awards NZ Ltd specialises in corporate trophies, awards and plaques. Have a look around their website to get some ideas. The timing and consistency of rewarding performance is also important, this will be the topic of my next post.

Why trophies and recognition are important

Abraham Maslow published his Hierarchy of Needs theory in 1943. It describes what being human is all about, what we need and want as we grow as humans. The needs are often portrayed as a pyramid shown below, the bottom being the basic needs, moving up to self-actualisation at the top.

So what do trophies and awards have to do with self-actualisation and psychology? They play a part in fulfilling the third and forth layers; belonging and esteem. Recognition is a key component in letting someone know they are loved and respected. Trophies, awards and plaques offer a formal way to provide this recognition that is a lasting reminder.

Maslow's Hierachy of needs (Wikipedia)

Providing you live in a developed country, the first two tiers of the pyramid are met; physiological needs such as shelter and food, and safety needs such as policing, healthcare and employment. Therefore in order for us to be happier we can move onto the next layers; a sense of love and belonging from friends, family, community and a sense of esteem from our jobs and hobbies. It is undeniable that in our daily life we respond positively to praise and postive comments from others, especially from our peers and those we look up to.

It is no wonder that trophies, awards and plaques play a large role in sports and corporate settings. They provide people with a sense of belonging and esteem which then further drives them to continue doing what they were rewarded for. This allows individuals to perform to their potential, trying harder to do better everytime they are rewarded. This is important in a business setting as well as sports and the economy in general.

Next time i will talk about employee engagement and how this is influenced from feedback and recognition in the workplace. If you are looking for ideas on what type of award, trophy or plaque to give to someone check out Xpress Awards and Trophies NZ for some ideas.