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104 Retaining Top Employees

Addressing Multiple Goals, but with a Retention Focus
That is not to say that recognition programs cannot have multi-
ple goals. Indeed, most do—whether to achieve product quality
targets, beat sales targets, or improve workplace safety (for
example), most recognition programs are designed on one or
more operational goals as “hooks.” In general, those goals are
enough: meet these operational goals and we’ll recognize your
achievement.
To retain exceptional employees, however, designing recog-
nition programs involves adding another layer.
Outputs vs. Behaviors
The way to do this is to distinguish between outputs and
behaviors:
• Outputs are the operational goals that underpin the
recognition program, like achieving product quality tar-
gets, beating sales targets, or improving workplace safety.
• Behaviors are the ways in which employees meet or
exceed those goals.
Identifying retention-related behaviors allows you to design a
retention-focused recognition program.
Awards vs. Rewards
Before we consider how to identify retention-related behaviors
(and how to include them in a recognition program), we need a
word about outputs and behaviors and how you can best recog-
nize them in your programs.
By and large, it’s best to recognize outputs (when achieved)
through awards and behaviors through rewards.
Awards are perennial and they go to whoever gets closest to
the goal. There’s usually a plaque, shield, scroll, or other way of
indicating that this is an award and will be bestowed again in
the future. The Nobel Prizes and Olympic gold medals are good
examples of awards.
Rewards are not necessarily given at all; if they’re given, it’s