Page 247 - How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times

234B RE-ENGAGE

employees, for example, would rather have time off than a spot bonus.
Some like the spotlight of public recognition, while others shy away
from it.

6. Make an ongoing commitment to catching employees doing something right, and use
those opportunities to magnify employee engagement.

: HOW DO YOU LIKE TO BE RECOGNIZED?

If you’re not sure how to tailor recognition to the individual, use the
chart that follows and check off all the ways you like to be recognized;
then circle your top five. If you don’t know how your direct reports
would complete the activity, ask them to do it, and then meet to dis-
cuss it. You will probably be surprised by what you learn.

: Salary increase Public praise
Simple appreciation
More responsibility
Fun activity
More autonomy
Time off
More visibility
Serve on task force
Promotion
Favorite work
More flexibility
Learning or training
Trophy or plaque
Inclusion in meetings
Peer recognition
Praised to higher-ups
Face time with the boss Special privilege Taken to lunch
New assignment
Thoughtful gestures Cash for great new ideas Customer recognition
: WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED ABOUT PAY
The operative word used in the survey question related to pay is “fair.”
That seems like a concept that would be open to wide interpretation,
but in practice only two themes resonate with employees, who are, in
fact, quite clear about what “fair” means to them:

: External equity. Employees do want to know if their com-
pensation with peers is generally comparable to what other com-
panies in the market offer.