March 30, 2011 Employee recognition can lead to increased feelings of satisfaction and loyalty. Everyone likes a nice pat on the back, especially at work.

And there's nothing better than a boss giving you a high five or lobbing a 'great job' over your cubicle. But while employee recognition programs can inspire teams, small business owners often bypass them altogether in favor of focusing on the day-to-day operations. “Many small business owners don’t think they have the money or time to implement a recognition program,” says Roy Saunderson, president of, a consulting and training company in Montreal, Quebec. “Instead, they are trying to get their business going and are focused on the sales side of a company.” don’t need to cost companies a dime—partly because they are different from reward, or incentive, programs. “Reward programs are very transactional,” Saunderson says. “They follow a very distinct path: You do this, you get that.

An Employee of the Month Program is great to. How to select the Employee of the Month. If you’re planning on implementing an Employee of the Month Program.

Recognition programs are designed to show appreciation for who the employee is and what they do—it is about taking time out to connect and say thank you in a meaningful way.” How do you start a recognition program? Here are a few simple steps: Employee Recognition Program Step 1. Clarify Your Vision Make sure to document reasons why you want to start a program. Do you want to inspire and motivate your employees? Increase sales? If you answered the latter, you may want to rethink your motive.

“There definitely needs to be a higher purpose for these types of programs; if there isn’t, people will see right though them as self-serving,” says Carolann Jacobs, president of, a business coaching consultancy based in Plano, Texas. Employee Recognition Program Step 2: Talk to Employees Employee temperaments can be as different as night and day. Some may find it inspiring when they are recognized publicly while others may prefer a more private pat on the back. “Sit down with employees individually to find out what they prefer; ask them how they’d like to be recognized,” suggests Saunderson.

This doesn’t have to be a major undertaking. If you don’t have time to interview each employee, Jacobs suggests sending out a quick survey with open questions for elaboration. A few popular survey tools include SurveyMonkey, FluidSurveys and Zoomerang. Translation Booklet. Employee Recognition Program Step 3: Form a Committee Regardless of your business’s size, appoint a few people to manage your recognition program.