Want to Show Employees You Care? Give Recognition Year Round, Not Just During the Holidays
Recognition Strategist Globoforce Offers Five Tips to Energize and Engage Employees Throughout the Year

Southborough, Mass., and Dublin, Ireland – December 02, 2008 – ‘Tis the season for holiday planning and companies are beginning to break out the fruit baskets and catalogues in search of that perfect employee gift. But, there’s faulty thinking in that well-intended initiative. One that could cost companies their very best talent. Frequent, ongoing recognition is what drives up employee engagement and satisfaction levels and creates a year-round culture of appreciation within global organizations. In turn, this positive culture can impact company performance – by as much as 27 percent, according to a 2007 Gallup survey.

“That yearly fruit basket or anniversary company clock is just money down the drain,” said Derek Irvine, Vice President of Global Strategy, Globoforce. “The way to truly impact your workforce and your organization’s culture is through ongoing recognition programs that thank employees year round. These programs – which encourage frequent public recognition for a job well done – motivate employees through thank you moments and desirable gift cards that offer the power of individual choice. That’s the kind of gift-giving that has real sustainable impact.”

According to recognition strategist Globoforce, engaging employees year round is within reach when you have a strategic recognition program in place – one that is easy to manage and measure. Tips for building a successful, global, strategic employee engagement program include:

• Building a ‘Culture of Appreciation’ Year Round: Use the holiday season to kickoff a new, year-round employee recognition effort or energize your existing one. By recognizing and rewarding employees throughout the year, it creates a culture of appreciation and a highly motivated and satisfied workforce within your organization.
• Creating a ‘Recognition Moment’ through Meaningful Rewards: Giving employees the generic company watch or piece of junk jewelry that will end up at the bottom of a desk drawer is an uninspiring way to say thank you. Rather, award your employees by giving them a choice of meaningful, self-selected rewards such as gift cards, quality merchandise or travel vouchers. When employees redeem their award, it will create an important and memorable recognition moment with impact.
• Empowering Everyone in the Process – From the Board Room to the Mail Room: Employee recognition should not reside solely on the shoulders of management. Every person in the organization should be empowered to acknowledge their peers and co-workers for a job well done. This enables frequent recognition and engages the entire staff –not just the top 10 percent – in the process.
• Tying Rewards to the Bigger Picture for Bigger Results: Employee recognition should be directly linked to the company’s mission and goals. This aligns the entire workforce toward achieving critical company milestones.
• Communicating, Again and Again: Frequent program communication raises awareness, increases participation, boosts performance, and, most importantly, helps develop that valuable, lasting culture of appreciation.

For more information on these and other tips, click here to request Globoforce’s white paper ‘Top 10 Tips for Running Successful Strategic Recognition Programs’ or contact Tim Rossi.

About Globoforce

Founded in 1999 and co-headquartered in Southborough, Massachusetts and Dublin, Ireland, Globoforce is the world’s leading provider of global, on-demand, strategic employee recognition solutions for Global 2000 companies. Named a 2008 Inc. 500 company, Globoforce delivers an innovative, easy-to-use, on-demand software solution that engages employees across the globe, transforming the way enterprises motivate their workforce. Globoforce’s blue-chip customer base, which includes Avnet, Dow Chemical, Global Crossing, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Intel, Intuit, Nortel, Procter & Gamble and Thomson Reuters, reflects the importance of recognizing and engaging the workforce in the 21st century. For more information, visit http://www.globoforce.com or visit the Company’s blog at http://globoforce.blogspot.com/.

Media Contacts:

Tim Rossi
Global Public Relations Manager
+1 508 229-1543

Laura Feng
Tier One PR
+1 978-975-1414