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u s O Kd Ideas and Information for The Recognition Experience 威
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90-DAYS TO LONG-TERM LOYALTY: Unisource Worldwide Inc. invests in earlier recognition Norcross, GA — You’ve heard it over and over again — good things come to those who act early. You know: the early bird; early to bed; early morning specials. Whether you’re trying to make a good impression or land the big deal, most everyone would agree it’s better to be early. When it comes to employee recognition, early is a good thing too. Just ask Unisource Worldwide Inc., one of the leading independent distributors of commercial printing and business imaging papers, packaging systems and facility supplies and equipment in North America. With approximately 90 distribution centers, a fleet of 2,000 trucks and 6,000 team members, Unisource says it’s using recognition to more successfully onboard team members and keep the company ahead of the pack. “We are a distribution company,” explains John Sills, chief administrative officer. “That means the value we provide to our customers relies solely on our team members. It’s important to have great team members because, ultimately, service is what we deliver to our customers.” For that reason, Unisource wanted to make sure they recognized new team members earlier in their careers Vicki Karch, with recognition moments that focus in on the organizaHuman Resource Manager tion’s core values and expectations. “We wanted to touch team members sooner and recognize them earlier in their careers for their choice to join our team,” says Vicki Karch, HR manager. “That’s why at 90 days our team members now receive recognition and the opportunity to provide and receive feedback about their initial experience with the company.”
“We want to touch team members sooner and recognize them earlier in their careers for their choice to join our team.”
A New Focus In business for more than 40 years, Unisource has refocused their efforts as a company over the last two years, putting renewed emphasis on defining the core values that underlie the company’s purpose, vision and their employees’ role in the organization’s success. “We’re passionate about our customer base,” says Julian Pawlowski, senior director of compensation and benefits. “Our values are built around the ultimate goal of operational excellence. This last year we (continued on page 2)
RECOGNITION SNAPSHOT
Wall Street and the Q12
The current round of quarterly financial reports and related conference calls between management and
stock analysts have included references to a surprising topic: Gallup Q12 ratings. Apparently Q12 stats are proving useful in predicting stock success. Gallup found that companies with Q12 scores in the top quartile posted rates of growth in earnings per share between 2001-02 and 2004-05 that were 2.6 times EPS growth rates of companies with below average scores. Jim Harper, chief workplace scientist at Gallup says, “You should expect that in an organization that is doing well financially, it does feedback into a good environment for employees. But statistically, the causal arrow goes more strongly from employee engagement to profits.” The bottom line? Engage your employees and get better business results. Source: Chicago Tribune, March 6, 2007
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INSIDE
this issue: Earlier Recognition = Longer-term Loyalty p.1 Good Medicine: Hospitals and Recognition p. 3 Summer’s Best Awards p. 4
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90-DAYS TO LONG TERM LOYALTY (continued from page 1)
have really focused in on creating programs that work to maximize the impact of our human capital, with tools and policies that support that goal. One of the first of which is our new recognition and awards program.” Why start with recognition? “Recognition of team member contributions is foundational to our organization’s success,” says Sills. “Effective change is planned, systematic and must con-
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after just 90 days? That makes a big difference, it really does,” says Edwards. It makes a difference to John Love, too. A newly hired supply chain analyst, Love left his employer of 11 years to join the Unisource team. “To be honest, 90 days passed so quickly, and the next thing I know my manager is giving me a 90-day award,” says Love. “It was completely unexpected and really appreciated. At that point I knew I was in the right place.” Fostering Leadership For managers, the Unisource 90-day program kicks off a series of recognition events at career milestones and creates conversations that lead to more positive working relationships. “While it does take a bit more time and effort than before, this is a great way to John Sills, Chief Administrative Officer show our team members that we really appreciate their commitment to the company and it helps build internal relationships,” says Digeesh Awasthi, supply chain manager. “I have never heard of anyone leaving a company and saying, ‘I just felt too appreciated and was overly recognized for what I did.’ It’s a really good process, actually.” Experts say Unisource’s upfront investment in their employees will make a bottom line difference when it comes to retention. “Most companies communicate well and expend enormous resources during the recruiting process, but turn silent once people join their team,” says Chester Elton, co-author of the best-selling Carrot series of business books. “Recognition, especially early recognition, is a smart way to leverage your investment in people.” Unisource managers are trained to use the 90-day award as an opportunity to sit down and talk with team members about their initial experiences with the company. “The whole point was to not just give feedback, but to get feedback — How are we doing? How are we delivering on the promises we made to you when we hired you?” says Karch. “We are hopeful that by starting conversations like these we will make our team members feel more comfortable, more part of the team and they will want to continue working at Unisource.” HRIS Team Lead Maisie Brock agrees that with a climate of constant change and push for improvement, recognition has become a meaningful resource Unisource uses to show appreciation and foster continued engagement. “Normally, I’m not the kind of person you have to keep stroking,” says Brock. “But getting recognition like this is really nice because it shows that the company is taking time to say thank you — and that means a lot.” And to get that type of impact, the recognition does not have to be fancy says Luci Lofton and HRIS senior business analyst for Unisource. “Every company is watching budgets,” says Lofton. “But the great thing about recognition is it doesn’t always have to be monetarily significant. A certificate, a thank you letter or a little thank you note, they are all forms of recognition that have impacted me and act as a good investment for the company.”
“The recognition of our team members and their accomplishments is very important in focusing energy, making our values real and establishing clear alignment.” nect at an individual level. We are focusing on consistency — from the highest levels of our organization — in terms of our vision and our strategies all the way down to what we ask every team member to do, and then how we celebrate and recognize the successes. The recognition of our team members and their accomplishments is very important in focusing energy, making our values real and establishing clear alignment.” In order to ensure every team member gets the Unisource message of value and alignment from the get-go, the company partnered with O.C. Tanner recognition consultants Scott Bayliss and Brenda Hunton to create a custom award to honor its newest team members at just 90-days into their career with the company. Unisource’s 90-day recognition award includes a custom frame and certificate of congratulations for team members with a note card for co-workers to sign. The kit also includes a card for managers with a message from the CEO on one side and a list of talking points for the manager to use when conducting the 90-day performance review on the other. “Many times new team members come in, get off to a fast start and they are expected to perform immediately,” says Karch. “Now, early recognition gives our managers an opportunity to sit down and establish a relationship and make sure the new team member’s needs, as well as Unisource’s, are being met in a very positive way.” And Unisource’s 90-day award recipients agree — the company’s recognition strategy has impact. “To get recognized at 90 days is...wow,” says administrative assistant Anita Edwards. “It showed me that Unisource acknowledges its team members by showing their appreciation, giving validation, and demonstrating real concern about you.” As a new team member to Unisource, Edwards recently left her employer of 10 years feeling unappreciated and somewhat ignored. “After working somewhere for so long and receiving no reward of any kind during the latter years, then to join Unisource and receive a card and an award
Digeesh Awasthi’s team (left to right): Tapan Shah, Anand Nandakumar, Pavithra Vembu, Sideth Ung, Digeesh Awasthi, John Love
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Accelerating Results Aside from retention, Unisource expects the program will lead to improved business results by encouraging managers and their teams to work together toward clearly defined goals. “We are changing our approach to recognition from merely a program, into a tool,” explains Pawlowski. “By changing recognition at Unisource from something our team members get in the mail every five years to something my supervisor participates in, addresses me personally, gives me some pats on the back in front of my colleagues and then takes time to discuss my feelings about the company and honors my contributions with a memorable award, we are communicating our respect for all Unisource team members. And if we can do the basic things well — treat team members with respect, pay competitively — we can use recognition as an accelerator to establish a culture of respect and communication throughout our organization, and that will directly impact our ability to retain good people.” New team member Judy Kuo agrees; when recognition can communicate in a positive way a vision of what the company stands for, it inspires all team members to reach a little higher. “Unisource goes out of its way to make you feel like a valuable asset to the company,” says Kuo an inventory management analyst. “Positive feedback, in your work environment motivates you to do your best. And from what I’ve seen in the short time that I’ve been here, I’m here to do my best for the company.” C O R P O R A T E
Executive Summary: ⽧ Unisource uses 90-day recognition awards to welcome and connect employees to the company ⽧ Earlier recognition gives opportunity to give and get feed back ⽧ Recognition communicates respect and fosters engagement
Maisie Brock, HRIS Team Lead
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Good Medicine:
Recognition at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital Albany, GA — Nursing can be a tough profession. Long hours. Sick patients. Worried families. Of course helping to heal people, encourage them through their trials and make a real difference in the process also makes the job very rewarding. However, for nurse Anza Richardson, a long week of unusually stressful situations made her wonder if she needed to make a career change. “There are just those days when you need someone to notice,” says Richardson. “There are days when you need to be told you did the right thing — and I was having one of those days.” Richardson admits she even contemplated walking out. “I love this hospital, I love being a nurse, but that particular afternoon I had just had enough. Then I sat down to my computer,” says Richardson. “The next thing you know I was reading the nicest thank you note from my manager. It was a thank you message from our recognition program, ‘Hands On Excellence.’ And it came just when I needed it most. To know that he did notice and he did appreciate me — it made a huge difference in that moment and, quite honestly, it probably made the difference in me staying here.” Although these types of make-or-break moments are rare, Dr. Nick Carden, recognition committee leader and practicing psychologist for Phoebe Putney, believes well-timed recognition can go a long way in cultivating loyalty and moving employees toward common goals. “Recognition is about culture and relationship building,” says Carden. “We’re trying to help every employee understand that what they do matters to us. Targeted recognition programs help us communicate that message and give people a sense of ownership. That ultimately impacts the patient and where they choose to go for healthcare.” A Competitive Advantage The increasingly competitive nature of the healthcare field has prompted Phoebe Putney and other hospitals to take a look at performance improvement projects that can make a competitive difference. “At our hospital, every task force was charged with coming up with a simple but profound leadership initiative,” says Carden. “We pursued service excellence as our leadership initiative and felt that a strategic recognition program was what we needed to drive that goal.” Based on the hospital’s core values and mission, the Hands On Excellence performance recognition program was rolled out to employees in the fall of 2006. Since its implementation, the program has recognized nearly one-third of
Phoebe Putney’s 3,400-member workforce and has made progress in the areas of increased employee retention, satisfaction and productivity, says Marcy McCarty, recognition program administrator and trainer. “Our goal is to define Phoebe Putney’s values, teach the values, give our employees the tools they need to apply those values and then reward them for doing it,” says McCarty. “It’s a healthy circle of clarifying, creating understanding, providing the tools and the recognition to reinforce it.” Clara Hall, employee relations team and activity leader, agrees and adds that recognition is ultimately about the patient at Phoebe Putney. “Our goal is to provide quality care and to provide the best care, we must have quality employees,” says Hall. “An employee who is engaged is here for more than a paycheck — they are here for the patient. We have talented employees and we just have to tap into that talent.” Finding a Partner Tapping into the talent pool at Phoebe Putney first required finding a recognition program that fit the culture and accomplished the hospital’s goal of encouraging service excellence. For that, Phoebe Putney’s recognition committee turned to O.C. Tanner recognition consultant Jeff Whitney. “I told my group, ‘We have to go with someone who knows what they’re doing, a partner (continued on page 4)
Greg Steele, Director of Nursing Services, left. Marcy McCarty, Recognition Program Administrator, center and nurse Anza Richardson, right.
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that will take a more long-term look at meeting the goals of the organization,” says Lacy Lee, recognition committee member and director of volunteer services. “And that was O.C. Tanner. We could have had a quick-fix with another vendor, but it wouldn’t have been strategic and it wouldn’t have been longterm.” According to Carden, one of the most important features of the program is that it recognizes new employees from the beginning of their careers. “The program focuses heavily on Welcome Awards that communicate to employees, ‘I recognize who you are, I recognize who you are at Phoebe, this is how you connect and this is how you fit the big picture,’” says Carden. “When we help people make that connection it gives them a sense of purpose.” Making the Connection And a sense of purpose is just what Annie Hodge, a respiratory therapist at Phoebe, felt when she received her recognition award. Hodge went above and beyond in preparations for the hospital’s Respiratory Care Week and department retreat. She was recognized with a thank you card and access code valid for Phoebe Putney’s custom recognition Web site. “When I opened up the recognition site, it was awesome,” says Hodge. “There was so much to choose from; it was great. Patient care is my mission.
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When I am shown appreciation for what I do, I appreciate it. I’m sure my patients can sense that, too.” Motivating people to do their best work in the midst of change and challenge is not easy, says Greg Steele, director of nursing services. “I’m focused on trying to improve the environment for both patients and Annie Hodge, staff. I realize that the staff on the front Respiratory line are the difference makers,” says Therapist Steele. “Change is necessary in today’s environment. These changes cause us to review our current practices and sometimes it seems we spend the majority of time focusing on what we could be doing better. To be able to have a way to say ‘thanks’ when we’re providing excellent service is an important part of continuing our success. That’s where programs like Hands On Excellence make the biggest impact.”
S P O T L I G H T
ku-dos - It may sound a bit exotic to your ear, but it’s a great word. It’s of Greek origin, and means to acclaim or praise someone for their achievements.
Seasonal Sensations Awards with a flair for fun
Kudos Volume 11 Number 2
The sun is out and the mercury is rising. Whether your idea of a perfect
summer day is in the mountains, on the lake or relaxing with friends, O.C. Tanner offers a wide variety of awards that scream adventure ahead. If it’s time to refresh your recognition offerings, consider these summertime favorites: 1. Beat the heat with some indoor fun. Play bumper pool, dine, or deal a hand with this Escalade three-in-one game table. Oak finished table includes two 48” sectional cues and chalks, bumper pool balls, table brush, playing cards, and poker chips. 2. Find your way to fun with this Garmin Street Pilot in-car GPS Navigator. The system features 3.5” color touch-screen, built-in antenna, turn-by-turn directions, and voice 2 prompts. 3. Rapids ahead! This Coleman two-person sit-on-top kayak is highly puncture resistant, and comes equipped with dual tracking oars for easier steering.
Publisher Editor Managing Editor Design/Layout Graphic Supervisor Award Photographer
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On the cover: Pfaltzgraff Dinnerware Set, Sterling/14K Diamond and Amethyst Cuff Bracelet, DeLonghi Espresso Maker
O.C. Tanner Recognition Co. Amy Skylling Mindi Cox Janice Takagi Shauna Raso Rick Hayward
KUDOS is published by O.C. Tanner Recognition Company, 1930 S. State St., Salt Lake City, UT 84115.
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Copyright 2007 by O.C. Tanner. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or whole without written permission is prohibited. Not responsible for unsolicited materials. Second-class US postage paid at Salt Lake City, UT 84101 and additional offices. Postmaster send address changes to above address.
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