In this episode, Karen Kirton explores the relevance of Employee of the Month programs and whether they still serve as effective recognition tools in the modern workplace. While they remain popular, particularly in retail and office environments, their effectiveness depends on execution.

In today’s episode, you will learn about:

• The pros of Employee of the Month programs – Why they are simple to implement, provide social proof, and can motivate employees who enjoy public recognition.
• The cons and challenges – How they can lead to perceptions of favoritism, become meaningless if overly structured, and fail to recognize individual preferences.
• The importance of recognition – Studies show that two-thirds of employees would quit if they felt unappreciated, making employee recognition essential for retention.
• Alternatives to traditional Employee of the Month programs – Using peer-to-peer recognition tools, tracking recognition records to ensure fairness, and focusing on behaviors and values alongside performance.
• The impact of financial incentives – Insights from research on whether adding monetary rewards enhances or diminishes the effectiveness of recognition programs.

Karen discusses why traditional Employee of the Month programs may be outdated and suggests alternative approaches that foster specific, personal, timely, and differentiated recognition—key elements for motivating employees effectively.

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Also Mentioned in This Episode:
Do your employees know you appreciate them?
Episode 13

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