The traditional view of long service is out of date. ALL service, loyalty and achievements deserve recognition.
Rewards for 20, 25, 30 years plus service are all very well in principle, but are increasingly out of date in today’s business environment where more than 10 years service is quite rare.
Of course loyalty should still be rewarded, and any milestones reached acknowledged in an appropriate way, however, quality of service, not just quantity, should also be recognised with ongoing schemes. Employees will feel more engaged and valued, which in turn will boost their morale and performance and therefore that of the wider organisation.
A crucial element in this is public presentation of the reward. For too long there has been a reticence in the UK in regard to the recognition of achievements, with modesty and understatement being an integral part of the British psyche.
Yet, in the majority of cases, acknowledgement in front of peers is known to mean more to the recipient than the reward itself.
Therefore dedicating some time to present the reward in public and say a personal thank you will enhance the overall sentiment of the gift, and a congratulatory certificate or letter given in a folder alongside the reward will make it even more memorable.
Frequent and regular rewards to recognise service in every sense are crucial whether it’s for quality of work, ideas put forward, results achieved, or loyalty, as recognition pays dividends through performance and profits.
John Sylvester is the divisional managing director at marketing services agency, P&MM.
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