\n\tBy Roy Saunderson<\/p>\n
\n\tMost orientation and onboarding programs are manager-initiated or online portal-delivered sets of steps, policies and procedures, and general ground rules to function on the job. Whether it is health and safety guidelines, learning the full benefits package, taking assigned online learning presentations, or signing off on required Human Resources documents, it can turn into a lot of information cramming and a check-box mentality of task completion.<\/p>\n
\n\tThere are lost opportunities when onboarding is not used as a loyalty-boosting retention strategy right from the beginning to engage employees the first day they start on the job. All it takes is some careful planning and synchronizing with all of the company\u2019s engagement initiatives\u2014recognition giving being just one of those components.<\/p>\n
\n\tToo often recognition and rewards is seen as purely something the employee receives. Our recommendation is to turn that attitude around and make recognition about what each new employee can give.<\/p>\n
\n\tHere are some ways to take a different orientation toward recognition giving:<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat We Stand For<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tYour culture must drive recognition giving. Instead of listing the corporate vision, mission, and values statements in rote format in a PowerPoint slide or handing it out on a laminated card, have new employees hear live shared or video-captured content from employees telling stories demonstrating how other employees are living the values of their organization.<\/p>\n \n\tOften, it\u2019s difficult to get your head around the values of an organization in terms of what they mean or what living them looks like. By sharing examples from the lives of employees within the company, it\u2019s easier to know what to recognize when you see it.<\/p>\n \n\tMake sure your values lead people to action\u2014giving recognition is just one of those positive actions that should come from them.<\/p>\n \n\tTell Them What Recognition Means<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tRosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School professor, gave a succinct quote that helps to define recognition when she said, \u201cCompensation is a right; recognition is a gift.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tToo often we lump recognition and rewards together, and employees don\u2019t know the difference between the two. Rewards are much more transactional in nature and follow an \u201cif-then\u201d criteria: If you do this task in a certain time line or set of criteria, then you will receive this reward or incentive. Rewards are conditional upon task completion.<\/p>\n \n\tRecognition, on the other hand, depends on the relationship between the giver and receiver and truly is \u201ca gift.\u201d While often hoped for, recognition does not automatically occur. Recognition is about relationships.<\/p>\n \n\tKnowing what a company means by giving recognition is a great start to appreciating the wonderful things that go on behind the scenes at work.<\/p>\n \n\tPracticing Recognition Giving<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tIn our attempt to orient completely, we may introduce employees to our wonderful \u201crecognition\u201d programs. Some programs provide an opportunity to nominate peers for awards, which may have certain levels or currency of points associated with an award. Other programs are manager initiated for living corporate values or completing certain strategic initiatives aligned with the business goals. The focus is more on what the employee can receive.<\/p>\n \n\tWhy not change the focus and place it on giving recognition and having new employees practice the fine art of expressing appreciation to someone who helped them during their first few days on the job? Teach employees to give meaningful recognition through social recognition platforms, existing in-house recognition programs, or a handwritten thank you card.<\/p>\n \n\tAt the end of each day, former Campbell\u2019s Soup Company CEO Doug Conant took a half-hour to write at least 10 notes of appreciation to employees for contributions he had observed or been informed about.<\/p>\n \n\tBe sure to build time into your onboarding to have employees access your recognition portal or give them a thank you card and send words of appreciation to truly instill a recognition-giving mindset.<\/p>\n \n\tDemonstrate Authentic Appreciation<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tInstilling Real Recognition starts right from the top. A Wirthlin Worldwide survey of CEOs and Human Resources vice presidents found 89 percent of respondents said \u201csenior leader participation\u201d was the leading factor for success of any recognition program.<\/p>\n \n\tWhile many onboarding sessions now are conducted by the hiring manager, don\u2019t lose out on the chance for new employees to connect with senior leaders in a small, informal, and intimate forum. Ensure each leader doesn\u2019t just make a presentation but has the opportunity to be introduced to new employees and can chat with them and learn of their aspirations and goals with the company. Real Recognition is about appreciating people for who they are and recognizing them for what they do.<\/p>\n \n\tImagine if, following the onboarding sessions, those senior leaders made time to send a personalized note to the employees they met, referenced their conversation together, and invited them to reach out to the leader any time they had an idea to suggest or a question to ask.<\/p>\n \n\tRecognition is a felt phenomenon and must be experienced in order to become a way of life in our organizations. Why not make recognition giving an expectation on Day 1 of your onboarding?<\/p>\n