Page 122 - Retaining Top Employees

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110 Retaining Top Employees

recognition process right,
Be Sure You Have
by recognizing that your
What It Takes
Do you have the best performers probably
resources to pay awards,make vaca- have a lot to contribute to
tion arrangements,give frequent flier the design and implemen-
miles,or whatever else you’re promis- tation of an effective
ing as recognition? It is,unfortunately, recognition process?
far from uncommon for organizations
not to deliver on promises made in Setting Fair Outcomes
recognition programs.The impact on
retention is easy to predict. After ensuring that your
recognition program is
specific and attainable, the next “pre-launch check” is this: Is it
fair? If not, your recognition program will only build
resentment and cynicism.
Anticipating the First, is the program
Implications of fair to the employees for
Implementation whom it’s designed? There
Especially when dealing with top per- are three main ways in
formers,where rewards can be sub- which an employee recog-
stantial,you must anticipate the impli- nition program can be
cations of implementing a recognition
unfair to the employees
program.As part of its recognition
involved:
program,one company I know very
well (I was the co-founder) paid for • The program fosters
selected top employees to attend negative competition
Harvard Business School for a six- among employees. No
week course each summer for three
employee should have
years. Unfortunately,no one thought
to stand on the heads
through the operational implications of
losing a key executive for six weeks. of others to achieve
The company had to drop the scheme. recognition. Recog-
nition programs that
foster negative competition are bad for retention.
• The program requires employees to neglect
their regular responsibilities. Recognition programs
should not be used as a back door to persuading
employees to take on additional duties for little or no