Got Carrots? Showing Your Employees They Matter

Recently I’ve been working with a fabulous warrior woman, Xena Jenn Forgie from Image Group Inc. on company related items. I’ve only just recently had the opportunity to work with her but man..not only does she wear me out, she keeps ME motivated. When I say, ‘wear me out’ .. it’s not a bad thing in this situation. This woman has always got her A-Game on. Always. She’s a go-getter, a warrior, and full of so much passion for her job and client, she just really blew me away at the first interaction.

I’d like to share some of her motivation, passion, and insight with you. Jenn puts out a once-a-month newsletter, “Promo Battle Tips from Xena Sales Warrior” on the Image Group Inc. website and one of her articles touches a subject that very few businesses want to discuss.

In her Nov. 26, 2009 newsletter, “Got Carrots? Showing Your Employees They Matter” she says,

Lately, I’ve been hearing from far too many clients that the company decided not to do employee gifts this holiday. No party, no “thanks for a great year.” Nothing.
Forget the Holidays, what about the rest of the year? More and more I’m hearing about Employee Recognition Programs that were in place before, are now defunct because, well, “it’s not in the budget.”

I believe that employees are everything to a company. And I believe employees who feel valued, give their best work. Happily, I am one of those employees. Unhappily, far too many aren’t.

Here’s the thing I don’t get: Companies spend massive amounts of money, effort and time seeking and selecting the “right” employees for their business. So why wouldn’t they invest in the continual appreciation of those employees beyond the initial hunt and hire?

Chester Elton, author of The Carrot Principle did a 10-year study of over 200,000 people across continents. He concluded: “Recognition is the accelerator of business performers and the chief driver of employee engagement. Almost 79% of the employees leaving the job are known to do so due to lack of appreciation.”

And while we’re here, how about this one from The Carrot Culture site: “Employee turnover is an estimated $5 trillion annual drain on the US economy.”

Ouch.

So what are you doing about it? Not to suggest your people are donkey’s but a delectable carrot now and again, on a consistent basis, is not just good food but good sense.

Here are a few of my own Carrot suggestions for you to chew on:

Carrot 1. Lose the Scrooge attitude: Yes, it starts with you. You, the company, the employer, making the decision to start (or continue) appreciating your staff, no matter what. No matter how many budget cuts there have been, no matter how small or large your company is and no matter what mood you’re in; showing your employees they matter starts with your decision to do so. So, decide.

Carrot 2. Find the money: Money is everywhere, and lots of it. And sometimes, yes, you have to do a little creative digging to find it. Pulling a little here and there from the HR budget, the Marketing and Promotions budget, or the Advertising budget can tally up surprising amounts of money that you can invest in your workers. I have clients who have Employee Recognition Programs as an uncompromising part of their yearly budget planning. So, get digging.

Carrot 3. Allocate the money:  Okay, you’ve decided not to do the $50 year-end gift for your employees as you’ve done in the past because, yes, it’s been a little lean this year. BUT you did decide to do something for your employees, and you’ve found the money! Now, how much can you allot per person for their gift? Five dollars? Ten dollars? Not $2 because honestly, why bother? You insult the employee and you waste your money not to mention the opportunity to connect with your workers.
Carrot Caution: Avoid cash because the perceived value of a cash gift has a short term perceived value – about as long as it takes to slap that cash down on their Visa bill. Connect with your marketing and promotional rep for ideas because I can guarantee you, there are countless ways to thank your staff and not blow the budget.

Carrot 4. Get Personal: As human beings we’re suckers for feeling good about ourselves and we love it when others appreciate us. It doesn’t matter if you’re the night shift janitor or the executive assistant to the VP of Sales. Everyone likes a personal touch. For gifts under $10, for example, you can get personal with something as simple as a desk mug. Have your company logo screened on one side and each employees own name on the second side. I remember the feeling I got when one of my suppliers sent me a mug that had “Xena Sales Warrior” on it and god help the person in my office who uses MY mug. That’s the other side of getting personal with us human beings. We like to have our things: My Mug, My Pen, My Desk – you get the picture. It’s small in dollars but the effect is huge.

Carrot 4.5. Get Even More Personal: Want to really show your employees they matter to your company? Then deliver their gift in person. Thank them with your words, your presence. If you can’t personally deliver (because your company is too big or that person is in another city) then send a hand written note (anybody remember how to write with pen in hand these days?) Don’t email a note. Don’t just courier a gift. Get personal with them because you know what?

When you get right down to it – in our personal and professional lives, we have pretty basic needs.

To be and feel valued and appreciated.

If you enjoyed Jenn’s newsletter above, head on over to Xena’s Promo Battle Tips and check out more of her fantastic and motivating newsletters here: http://bit.ly/aicC7n

Tags: Employee satisfaction, Image Group Inc, Jenn Forgie, Promo