Tips for Effective Employee Recognition

Tips for Effective Employee RecognitionTips for Effective Employee RecognitionEmployee recognition reinforces and rewards the most important outcomes that people create for your business. Employees gain a better understanding of how you would like to landsee them contributing in the workplace. Recognition programs can help to motivate employees in a way that encourages positive approaches to their jobs and their tasks at hand. When developing such a program, make sure to follow some simple standards to gain the most benefit for your firm. Make everyone eligible You need to make all employees eligible for the recognition. You should never exclude any employee or group of employees. This is especially important to consider when different employees have entirely different responsibilities. Depending on the nature of your firms business, you may need to create multiple recognition programs for different departments or different types of jobs. Define criteria clearly The recogniti on must supply the employer and employee with specific information about what behaviors or actions are being rewarded and recognized. The more clearly you design and communicate the criteria for eligibility for the award, the easier it is for employees to perform accordingly. Since this is the performance you most want to see from employees, its a plus for the employer if many employees attain eligibility. Equal opportunity Anyone who performs at the level or standard stated in the criteria receives the reward. Or, in an occasionally used approach whenthe affordability of the reward by the employer is a concern,every employee who meets the criteria has his or her name added to a drawing. You must communicate on the front end the fact that one name or three or however many employees you plan to reward will be selected randomly from among the employees who met the eligibility criteria. Be timely The recognition should occur as close to the performance of the actions as possibl e, so the recognition reinforces the behavior the employer wants to encourage. Monthly recognition might be too infrequent and not reinforcing. Annual recognition, plaques, and gifts reinforce the performance youd like to see even less effectively. Depending on the nature of your business, rewards can be as frequent as daily. An teil of surprise also is beneficial. If you frequently reward employees with a free lunch, gradually the lunch becomes a given or an entitlement and is no longer rewarding. Set objective standards You dont want to design a process in which managers select the people to receive recognition based on subjective criteria. Employees will see this type of process forever as managerial favoritism, or they will talk about the recognition in words such as, Oh, its your turn to get recognized this month. This is why processes that single out an individual, such as Employee of the Month, are rarely effective. When recognition is based on objective figures- such as sales totals- it will be much more meaningful and effective. Supervisors must also apply the criteria consistently, so you may find the need to provide some organizational oversight.

How to Make a Job Sound Super Impressive on Your Resume

How to Make a Job Sound Super Impressive on Your ResumeHow to Make a Job Sound Super Impressive on Your ResumeWhen it comes to applying for jobs, looking good on paper is important. After all, youll only get to the next step- an interview- if your resume grabs the attention of hiring managers. If youve already done the basics of crafting your resume, its time to move on to the next phase making each individual position shine with the work experience section. But how? Weve rounded up tips and tricks thatll help make jobs sound impressive on your resume- without going too far, and making yourself appear boastful or silly. Use Numbers Which sounds better? Option 1 Served tables at busy restaurant or Option 2 Served 15 tables simultaneously at busy restaurant. Youll probably plattl option number two, which is just a bit more descriptive thanks to the use of numbers. Its surprising how meaningful metrics can be- and thats true even for positions that are English-major friendly. If you r position is staff writer, your resume can list how many articles you write each month or how many page views you receive online, for instance. Go ahead and quantify your job descriptions with numbers, whether its tables served, customers helped, or percent of growth in sales. Prioritize Readability You probably thought about formatting, from font choice to margin size, at some point during your resume creation. But take a second look at each job description that you have listed, with an eye toward how easily each description can be absorbed. Consider the readability from both a copy and a design perspective. If its a bit too take in, consider cutting some copy or using less jargon. (Some jargon is good, but using all buzzwords and acronyms can make a resume hard to read.) And, make sure theres plenty of white space- you can add this by using bullet points or paragraph breaks. Of course, it goes without saying that having typos or grammatical errors in your job description is d etrimental to their readability. Use this resume proofreading checklist to help guarantee your document is error-free. Talk Accomplishments, Not Tasks Its tempting when describing a job on your resume to create a bulleted listof tasks, essentially writing down your day (or weeks) to do list when you were on the job. But most likely, thats information that hiring managers already know from looking at the job title. Instead of a to-do list, share accomplishments and achievements. Rather than write, Designed window display on monthly basis, you might write, Increased customer walk-in rate by 10% with themed window displays, updated on monthly basis. If you led a meeting, talk about what happened during that meeting, how you steered it, or what got done as a result of your leadership. Or, if you create a monthly report, talk about why the report matter- did it help keep the budget on track, prioritize sales efforts, or engage customers? landsee more tips for sharing accomplishments on your resume. Choose Powerful Words A caution Dont go over the top with your word choice. No need to break out the thesaurus on a hunt for zany, unusual words But be aware that some words are just more exciting than others- here are some recommended power words to use on your resume. Review your job descriptions for words that get re-used throughout the document. Try to vary them more. Instead of managed, for instance, try supervised or coordinated. There are some words that often come up on resumes. Think team player or detail oriented. These words and phrases can feel stale to hiring managers. Consider ways you can show off that you have these skills rather than stating you possess them. For instance, instead of saying detail-oriented maybe you can have a bullet point about Releasing clean code and helping others track down small code errors. One cautionary note Theres making your job sound impressive and meaningful- and then theres boasting. If you puff up recognizable posi tions with over-the-top language, it can really backfire and make you seem silly. The hiring manager will know what it means if your job title is assistant or manager and aggrandizing the positions responsibilities with inflated language wont help you land an interview. And definitely, do not be deceitful or dishonest. Lying on your resume can cost you a job opportunity and is even grounds for dismissal if the lie is discovered after youre hired on- heres more on why its important to keep your resume honest.

5 Ways to Communicate With Confidence

5 Ways to Communicate With Confidence 5 Ways to Communicate With Confidence Communicating with confidenceis the difference between telling your boss that you need the day off and asking if it would be possible to take the day off. While you shouldnt act self-righteous or disrespect your superiors, it is important to take charge and act on what you need.It can be a hard to communicate with confidence, especially if you arent used to actively telling people how you feel and what you need. However, once you learn how to communicate confidently, youll notice an immediate difference in how others treat you for the better.1. Explain, Dont AskHow would you react if someone asked you, Can I take this day off? If its too busy or you cant make it work, thats fine?You would probably checktheschedule for that day before deciding whether or not to let that person take a day off.Now, imagine they said this instead I need to take this day off because I have a personal obligation.Youd probably ac t pretty differently, right? When you make a statement instead of posing a question, people tend to accept it. When you ask for a day off, you suggest it isnt a big deal if you cant take off. When you assert that you need a day off, people will assume its important.2. Know Your ValueI often see people undervaluing themselves and their success on their resumes. To communicate with confidence, you need to know your value. Dont let anyone undermine you or make you feel as though what youre communicating is unreasonable.Try to always have concrete evidence backing up what you are communicating. Try to predict and plan for possible objections or concerns in advance. If you are confident in your statement, others will be, too.3. Prepare Ahead of TimeThe key to communicating with confidence is to prepare ahead of time. Very few people feel good about going into situations unprepared. Determine your strategy ahead of time and practice what you want to say so you feel comfortable and dont st umble. You may want to practice multiple times The more you actually say what you want to say out loud, the more comfortable you will be.Another way to prepare is to write down the pros and consof your statement. This way you can acknowledge different viewpoints but still argue in your points favor. Acknowledging others perspectives shows them you have taken various points into account and still believe your own option isbest.4. Dont Back Down If You Dont Believe Its RightPart of being an adult is admitting when youre wrong, and there is nothing bad about that. However, if you truly believe that youre right, dont back down. If you want to communicate with confidence, you need to show others that you are not second-guessing yourself. When you lose confidence in what youre saying, others will, too.5. Accept That You Dont Always Have to Say YesIts human nature to want to help others, but saying yesisnt always in your best interest. You dont have to say agree to something if you arent c omfortable with it and that includes when people ask you to take on new tasks at work. If theres too much on your plate, be clear and communicate that. No one will penalize you for wanting to do a good job with what you have already taken on. If taking on another project will cause you too much stress, politely decline.It is important to realize is that you dont owe anyone at work an explanation if you cannot do extra work that is above and beyond your original agreement. Simply saying I cannot do that should suffice. If someone prods you for more information, all you need to say is I have a lot on my plate, and I want to make sure I can do everything to the best of my ability.We all find ourselves in situations where we need to assert our wants, needs, and abilities, butdoing so can be difficult. Communicating with confidence shows others that you arent going to back down and let them choose for you. Whether you are at work, with friends, or with your family, being able to communi cate with confidence will help you take control of your life.Michele Lando is a certified professional resume writer and the founder ofWrite Styles.