Are you helping your managers recognize your best employees?

[Mel Kleiman]

Gallup Polls reports that over 60% of American workers say they received NO recognition at work in the last 12 months and yet, if you think about it, all of us thrive on recognition. So here are two suggestions to help your managers use recognition as a motivation and retention tool:

1. Give each manager a set amount of money they have to spend on recognizing their best employees. It does not have to be a lot $50 - $100. Notice I said they have to spend it.

2.We may think we are grownups, but everyone loves stickers. You will be suprised what you can get for giving one of your employees a Gold Star or a Thumbs Up sticker. (Last week I got an upgraded room at a hotel for a Gold Star that I gave the front desk clerk for having such a great attitude when I checked in at 1:00 a.m. Interesting to note that, when I checked out that afternoon, the front desk person wanted to know what she had to do to earn a gold star too!