Page 20 - MetalForming May 2015

Human Capital By Debbie McGrath
Using Social Recognition Through Technology as Part of Your Talent-Management Strategy
Posted to HR.com by Michelle Hughes, Applause IT Recruitment
Social employee recognition (SER) has become a critical
component of a talent-management strategy; it can
impact every employee every day, and play a key role in your talent-management initiatives. Despite many business- es thinking it’s something relatively new, the strategy can be traced back to the Ford Motor Company in the early 1900s, when Henry Ford rewarded his employees with gifts in order to retain their services and meet his production quotas.
The world is somewhat different now and today’s employ- ees aren’t rewarded with gifts to retain their services or to ensure that they carry out the duties they are paid to perform. It always will be a challenge for companies to engage with and retain employees.
Social recognition ticks the ‘individual’ box and looks at one of the most important aspects of human recognition— acknowledgement with peers. Call it a buzzword if you will, but social recognition is a very powerful tool. It’s real, it’s impactful and it’s set to hit the mainstream as more and more realize how effective it can be for employee retention. And, it’s also enjoyable and cost effective.
What is Social Recognition?
In short, social recognition is an employee being recog- nized by his peers via technology, including mobile and social-media channels. This practice enables employers to give an employee instant appreciation of company values and behaviors and accolades for producing the kind of results the company desires. SER uses the latest platforms to recognize employees, rather than the old “call them into the office and give them a pat on the back” scenario.
SER not only lets employees see that you have recog- nized their performance, but all the other team members and employees also can see it—a modern mutual-appreciation society, if you will.
Nobody at any level wants to feel as if their efforts are going unrecognized. The majority of employees merely look to feel valued and recognized for their hard work. They simply
Content for Human Capital comes courtesy of Debbie McGrath, founder and chief instigator of HR.com, Auro- ra, Ontario, Canada. McGrath has a degree in comput- er science and business administration from the Uni- versity of Guelph. Founded in August 1999, HR.com aims to help build great companies by connecting them with the knowledge and resources they need to effectively manage the people side of business. www.HR.com
tel: 877/472-6648
want to know that their employers take notice of the extra effort they put forth for the good of the company. Ultimate- ly they want their loyalty to be rewarded, but not necessar- ily in monetary terms. Sometimes a ‘thanks’ is all it takes.
The key to successful SER is to implement it companywide. Different programs for different departments lead to confu- sion and frustration. Only by developing a blanket system across the entire company can everyone know they are singing from the same song sheet. Consistency equals har- mony in the workplace and without this, in today’s cut- throat world, you are asking for trouble.
What You Can Do To Make
Business Meetings More
Meaningful and Productive
Posted to HR.com by freelance writer Anita Ginsburg
For business people who attend multiple meetings each day, week or month, these sessions can start to feel the same and blend together. You may not feel engaged with the topic if it doesn’t pertain directly to you or isn’t presented in an interesting way. To make meetings more productive and meaningful for employees, leaders can follow the following suggestions.
Use visual aids—videos, slideshows, diagrams, white- boards and handouts. These allow meeting planners to bet- ter explain certain topics in a way in which participants will better respond. Visual aids, especially interactive comput- er ones that allow attendees to follow along, add another ele- ment to the discussion, making it more likely that individ- uals will take an interest in the topic and add to the conversation.
Provide food—It’s a simple idea, but having food at meet- ings often leads to greater productivity, especially in the morning or near lunch time. Many employees don’t have time to eat well-balanced meals in the mornings because they are in a hurry to get out the door. For meetings, planners should try to order a wide variety of options, or ask participants for their preferences.
Pay attention to the meeting venue—For training meet- ings, moving to offsite locations help to accommodate larg- er groups and keep the focus on the topic at hand. Moving outside of the regular workplace can make meetings more memorable for employees, so they are more likely to remem- ber the topics discussed and apply them in the workplace.
Present relatable topics—Meeting participants may feel more invested in a topic, especially during training, if it is compared or related to something in which they are
18 MetalForming/May 2015
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