If ever there was a contentious discussion in the world of company culture, it’s the Employee Appreciation Program (EAP). Once an unrefuted necessity in establishing a happy workplace, it is now often scrutinized for its’ effectiveness. How do employees really want to be acknowledged for their performance and is a program capable of meeting this expectation? We think these programs ARE worthwhile and it is in the INTENTION behind them and FOLLOW-THROUGH with them that determines their effectiveness.
An appreciation program needs to be thoughtfully developed. We know what it's like to start a new project like this, everyone is excited about it and so it’s met with general success in the beginning. But then over time the enthusiasm gets buried under the weight of day-today business and the program’s implementation becomes inconsistent. And we all know what happens then.
Let's discuss the key components in developing and maintaining an employee appreciation program.
The foundation of an EAP
- What is the why behind the EAP? It’s crucial to identify why you want to develop an EAP because doing so will help align objectives to the goals behind them. Do you want the program to inspire productivity? Or simply to acknowledge an already hard-working team?
- Establish the criteria. How will employee performance be measured? It's important to identify this AND ensure employees understand them.
- Make certain awards are relevant and desired. Visit this blog for some ideas!
- Present acknowledgements in a timely manner. This helps to strengthen the employee's trust in the program AND helps prevent any forgetfulness!
- Stay consistent, follow-through, and evaluate the program over time. A good tip for success? Keep it simple. At the outset make sure the program’s components can be met easily throughout the year.
An EAP is an excellent tool for building and maintaining company morale and we all know that a healthy company culture translates into talent retention, innovative collaboration, and greater productivity. Also, acknowledging the hard work of employees is the right thing to do!
If you’re interested in learning more (or getting going!) Eos HR can help! We’re a team of HR professionals helping small businesses implement smart solutions to stay relevant and create positive change in their industry. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more.
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