MAGAZINE

In some companies, employers have a difficult time rewarding employees for good work performance, because he/she may feel that they have to provide a monetary reward, that’s usually not in the budget.  However, acknowledging employees for a job well done doesn’t always have to be presented with a monetary reward.  Employee rewards programs are used as a good way to motivate employees to be more engaged in the workplace, to maintain or improve good work performance, as a retention strategy, as well as to recognize deserving employees for a job well done.  According to Achievers, a company that delivers a cloud-based employee success platform, “Employee recognition, helps companies align employees to business objectives by reinforcing behaviors tied to corporate results, and solidifies employees’ emotional connection with your company.”  All employees who perform their job duties well, should at least be acknowledged for a job well done.  In doing so, shows the employee that they are a valued member of your team.  It can also help to motivate those around them to improve upon their own work performance.  In some businesses, however, there are a chosen few, who get the opportunity to be recognized for good work performance.  Specific categories guide the criterion to which an employee can be recognized, without consciously identifying how this can be a form of discrimination.  Is it fair to only reward employees who fall into a specific category, who perform his/her job well and not reward employees, who don’t fall into a specific category, who also performs his/her job well?  For example: The full-time faculty member in higher education who gets accolades for teaching excellence; but what about the part-time adjunct instructor who is as excellent of a teacher, or the full time employee who is not considered Faculty, but who is also an excellent teacher as well?  What about the substitute teacher, or part-time employee who is excellent as well?   In my opinion, removing the categories and criterion to determine who can receive rewards and recognition, will help to make the selection process an equal opportunity for all who is deserving of such recognition. 
 

     Too often we use categories that isolate or separate us from others, without thinking about how “outliers,” might feel.  In my opinion, this is a form of segregation; just like assigning denominations to religion, but that’s a topic for another discussion.  Another example of this criterion setting, appears in some business magazines; you will see certain groups of categories where only a selected few can be recognized, based on criterion, so you cannot nominate someone if he/she does not meet a specific category.  For example, some magazines solicit nominations for people who excel in his/her field that are in the 30 and under age range or 40 and under, but what if an employee is 31 or 41 years of age, who is also excelling in their field?  All employees like to be recognized for a job well done, no matter the age, length of time with the organization, his/her position, or full or part-time status.  Just ask your hard working employees, who are unrecognized or not rewarded (if they are still with the company), does he/she feel appreciated and valued?  When employees are not at least recognized for a job well done, he/she may feel underappreciated, feel like he/she is not valued, and that his/her contribution to the company is meaningless.  Especially, when they see other employees who are recognized, while they are overlooked, just because he/she does not meet a specific category required for recognition.