Employee Recognition Program Cancel The title field is required!

1. Pete Tescher

   

   0 posts
   
   8/25/2011 5:08 PM

   I am looking for some good ideas that are not to expensive for an employee recognition program.

   
   
   
   
2. Pete Tescher

   

   0 posts
   
   8/25/2011 5:08 PM

   I am looking for some good ideas that are not to expensive for an employee recognition program.

   
   
   
   
3. Keith Lamb

   

   3 posts
   
   8/25/2011 5:08 PM

   We use "Atta Boy" cards. Good for a round of golf w/ cart or $5.00 food & beverage.

   
   
   
   
4. Mark Van Lienden

   

   14 posts
   
   8/30/2011 7:08 AM

   We use a pay check every two weeks.

   
   
   
   
5. Hardy Andrew

   
   8/30/2011 11:08 AM

   Pay cheques every two weeks, that's funny. Anyway we have a dedicated parking spot for the "Staff Superstar". They get their own spot for 2 weeks until the next pay period. Since bonuses and prime golf perks were taken away, we really needed something to recognize service "above and beyond". And its not an award given to everyone so they feel all warm and fuzzy. In fact my rough cutters just shared it between the two of them for the third time this year.

   
   
   
   
6. Peter Bowman

   

   11 posts
   
   8/30/2011 12:08 PM

   kkisaok said: In fact my rough cutters just shared it between the two of them for the third time this year.

   
   
   Is that a double-wide parking space, or do they switch every other day?

   
   
   
   
7. Hardy Andrew

   
   8/30/2011 3:08 PM

   They each take a week. Well deserved

   
   
   
   
8. McCallum David K

   
   8/31/2011 12:08 PM

   We have 11 painted parking spots on our lot.........with another 20,000 of concrete apron around the building and lots of grass to park on. Let's see......we have 4 that walk to work, two bum rides with others, 1 rides a bike...........giving out a free parking spot by the door would not be viewed as a gift. More parking than we have vehicles.

   
   
   
   
9. Hardy Andrew

   
   8/31/2011 5:08 PM

   We are located in a rural area. So everyone drives seperatly, very few carpool. So for them it is of value and about as creative an award I have to give. Heaven forbid someone other than the regulars to these forums have a goddamn opinion.

   
   
   
   
10. Keith Lamb

    

    3 posts
    
    8/31/2011 5:08 PM

    Andrew,
    My crew is a large part of our success and especially with how the economy has been the last few years it has been very important for me to make sure I do everything in my power to take good care of them. Even with a budget that has decreased by 20% in the last 3 years, I have found money to give them raises in the last 2 fiscal years. When our members and guests compliment our course I always mention my crew as part of the reason. Being able to hand them a small token every once in awhile to recognize a good deed or extra effort is worth it's weight in gold. I take of them and they will take care of me. The comment that implies that they should be thankful that they have a job and get a check is short sighted and somewhat ignorant.

    
    
    
    
11. Hardy Andrew

    
    8/31/2011 6:08 PM

    Keith,
    
    I hear you 100% on this topic. Very frustrating to me that some people on here think that because something doesn't or won't work at their club that it should be written off. The golf economy in Canada is terrible as well as it is down there. Add in a shorter season and crazier weather patterns and owner's that take care of them first Retaining staff for many seasons is now a source of pride for me. I only wish I could reward some of them with a raise, but for now its a parking spot. Things can only get better.

    
    
    
    
12. Wahlin Scott B

    
    8/31/2011 6:08 PM

    kkisaok said: We are located in a rural area. So everyone drives seperatly, very few carpool. So for them it is of value and about as creative an award I have to give. Heaven forbid someone other than the regulars to these forums have a goddamn opinion.

    
    
    Andrew,
    
    I appreciate and understand your position. Some people are better leaders than others and you obviously have a good sense for what makes a good leader. In my opinion, what you do to reward performance is much less important than your ability to recognize and point out good performance. Nothing rewards more than pointing out a job well done and how that you made you feel, and nothing (in my opinion) is more harmful than saying, "Good job!" when the performance was poor. When I started out as an apprentice in South Florida in 1982 I rewarded my crew with roasted feral hog that I shot, marinated and cooked myself, along with salads that my wife made. They played horseshoes, frisbee, cards and dominoes while I cooked. It was a wonderful time for all, and a great meal. I also invited their friends and family.

    
    
    
    
13. Hardy Andrew

    
    9/1/2011 5:09 AM

    Scott,
    
    
    Its funny you mention that about rewarding poor performance. My first recipient of the parking spot showed up late the first day after being recognized!! By the end of the summer he was on his last strike for being dismissed for lateness. Then he turned it around and went back to the guy that started the season so well.
    A lot of these College students aren't thinking that some crappy summer job they had will ever impact their future job prospects but its amazing how many calls I get for references years down the road. I just posted on my blog a thank you to my summer staff for their hard work and dedication after I thanked them face to face. It likely means more to them that they earned a handshake, an invitation back next year and and thank you looking them straight in the eye. Their generation is missing this communication.
    My full-time seasonal staff well that's a different story. Many have played out their time here and make this winter a major transition for me. Many are leftover from the previous Superintendent (who is now GM) and its time for a change. A team needs to be built.

    
    
    
    
14. Shane Schutte

    

    0 posts
    
    9/1/2011 9:09 AM

    I like $5, $10, or $20 gas cards. We may not be able to give them raises, but if we can help them get to work?
    Gift cards work as well. You can even make a small line item in your budget for a gift program. Free lunch in the clubhouse.
    
    Saludos,
    Shane Schutte,GCS
    Ventanas de San Miguel Golf Resort

    
    
    
    
15. Calder Norley S

    
    9/3/2011 8:09 PM

    The thing I worry about is favoritism I want to motivate the whole staff to perform and I want employees to want to work at our facility and return if they are university students. We have a lot of BBQs and some with a staff best ball all which is on company time to the most part. We always spare no expense when it comes to the BBQ, 10oz steaks salad and double baked potatoes, usually a couple pies for desert. We either cook down in the yard or sometimes at our Hideout where people have special dinners. A BBQ is always available for the staff with burgers and dogs at a dead cost to the department.
    The club is 20 minutes from a small town and 45 min from a city so it is important for me to retain these employees. I also give a gas allowance though for car pooling.
    
    Norley Calder
    Sagebrush Golf & Sporting Club

    
    
    
    
16. Matthew Neff

    

    0 posts
    
    9/3/2011 10:09 PM

    The superintendent at the course I worked at in high school and college would have a few lunch cook outs per year for us as long as things were going well (i.e. everybody consistently on time and everything was getting done properly and efficiently). He lived on the property so his wife would bring a bunch of food over and he'd grill burgers and open the pop machine. He'd usually let us stay on the clock during lunch and would occasionally give us the rest of the day off with pay. A half day off with pay might be a hard sell to management in this economy - this was in the 90's when money still grew on trees - but even just the free lunch was always very appreciated by the crew. He was a great boss - probably one of the main reasons I'm in the business now. Never really lost his temper (with the exception of his annual mid to late July tirade) but because of stuff like this everybody wanted to bust their asses for him.

    
    
    
    
17. Melvin Waldron

    

    43 posts
    
    9/4/2011 8:09 PM

    Lot's of great ideas, I wonder how anyone who works for municipalities recognizes their employees. And I wonder how do those that are paying taxes think about "spending tax payers money" on lunches for crews? What about saving and turning in metal? That is really tax payers money, to save and turn in metal for a staff cookout, I think our city frowns on it. The city does do lunches and stuff for United Way fundraisers and stuff, but that is at the main building down town, I don't see us loading up in the truck and driving 20 minutes both ways plus the food eating time...there is stuff not getting done for our golfers.
    
    Mel

    
    Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
    
    
18. Tom Forsythe

    

    0 posts
    
    9/5/2011 10:09 AM

    BallMark said: Lot's of great ideas, I wonder how anyone who works for municipalities recognizes their employees. And I wonder how do those that are paying taxes think about "spending tax payers money" on lunches for crews? What about saving and turning in metal? That is really tax payers money, to save and turn in metal for a staff cookout, I think our city frowns on it. The city does do lunches and stuff for United Way fundraisers and stuff, but that is at the main building down town, I don't see us loading up in the truck and driving 20 minutes both ways plus the food eating time...there is stuff not getting done for our golfers.
    
    Mel

    
    
    Mel we work from that most important expression...It is far easier to beg for forgiveness after than it is to seek permission before.
    
    We will do the occasional staff BBQ at our courses and I usually try to schedule them on a day when we might have a shotgun start tournament taking place. In most cases once the tournament starts with two groups of golfers on each hole, our productivity for that day is shot anyway so we use the balance of the work day for such things as clean up around the shop, health and safety awareness talks or the barbecue. In some cases we have even bent the collective agreement a little and sent the guys home early...especially if they came in early to do the course prep prior to the shotgun (that would have required us to pay them double time for any time worked before their normal start time). My bosses are aware that we do it and support it but I am sure that there would be screaming from some of our taxpayers if they were aware of it.

    
    
    
    
19. Keith Pegg

    

    0 posts
    
    9/6/2011 6:09 PM

    This the best one I have seen in a long time and am going to do this myself. A parking spot is great!
    Thanks,
    
    Keith,
    
    

    kkisaok said: Pay cheques every two weeks, that's funny. Anyway we have a dedicated parking spot for the "Staff Superstar". They get their own spot for 2 weeks until the next pay period. Since bonuses and prime golf perks were taken away, we really needed something to recognize service "above and beyond". And its not an award given to everyone so they feel all warm and fuzzy. In fact my rough cutters just shared it between the two of them for the third time this year.

    
    
    
    
20. Steven Huffstutler

    

    11 posts
    
    9/7/2011 6:09 AM

    I beat them frequently. They seem to like it.

    
    
    
    
21. Robert Wright

    

    0 posts
    
    9/14/2011 7:09 PM

    Many times, we as superintendents, are given items like gift cards, hats, jackets, etc. I never keep these, I give them away to my employees during staff meetings. Recently we got a few golf bags from our old rental sets that were in decent condition. And of course, if we don't get enough prizes accumulated between staff meetings, paid days off always are popular.

    
    
    
    
22. Chuck Barber

    

    0 posts
    
    10/1/2011 6:10 PM

    I made the mistake of individual recognition last year and i won't do it again. Thank everyone as a team, coach/counsel individually, discipline with HR. That being said this year one of our vendors sponsored a staff bowling/pizza afternoon (timed with the shotgun) and yesterday the pro shop sponsored our carne asada bbq. We will play golf in the Greater Grounds Crew Open (stolen idea from a super somewhere) this month at some point. The only thing we give away is beer and food. The most important thing I have found is not these events but rather daily communication with the entire staff about our successes as a dept. Further, I have staff members whose families in Mexico and El Salvador can follow their relatives' hard work on our blog. I do the blog to inform a little but recognize staff more than anything else. I forward that to the entire company so they know how hard our grounds crew works. The key is to do it everyday and with a new emphasis or focus.

    
    
    
    
23. Andy Jorgensen

    

    1 posts
    
    10/2/2011 9:10 AM

    We do cookouts using money we got from recycling scrap metal. With scrap at a high price right now, we took over $800 worth two weeks ago, so our next cookout will be nice.
    
    We used to do employee of the month. But, after a few months of giving it to the same guy, that kind of went to the wayside. That and the $25 gift card to Wal-mart was getting expensive.
    
    We still do gift cards, but I use my Bayer points to get them. I figure the points are going to accrue anyways, so why not let the staff take advantage of them. We keep the cards limited at $25 to avoid tax issues. We're running through a stack of cards to Outback Steakhouse right now. Instead of doing it monthly and singling out a single employee amongst the crew, I will randomly hand them out to staff members that have gone above and beyond. For instance, I have two guys that are constantly assigned the hard labor tasks. Not because they are being penalized, but because we can count on them to get the job done right the first time. They never complain. So they both got a card.
    
    A simple "Thank you and good job" means a lot these days. It also doesn't cost any money to say it.

    
    
    
    
24. Fleegel Timothy

    
    10/2/2011 1:10 PM

    Chuck what happened to make you never want to do it again?

    
    
    
    
25. McCallum David K

    
    10/3/2011 10:10 AM

    Andy made a great point that you are often giving the award (whatever it may be) to the same one or two individuals over and over again. Kind of defeats the point and in time I suppose can actually be detrimental to those not winning. I am sure with large staff's of 20, 30, 40 employees it might be easier to find a broader variety of winners. We all like to say that all 6 or 8 or 10 on our staffs are great employees but I tend to agree that with smaller crews the awards end up in the same pockets month after month.
    
    BBQ's, crawfish boils, fish fry's that benefit everyone on the staff is the right approach to take.

    
    
    
    
26. Hardy Andrew

    
    10/4/2011 8:10 AM

    Why would it defeat the purpose?? Could it not be seen as an eye-opener to the other staff that the same people are being recognized?? In fact what if there were periods where you felt nobody was deserving of the award?? As I stated in my original post, I was rewarding for "above and beyond" not for anything less. The spot has been vacant for two pay periods now. The standard has been set and the staff have asked me why no one has been in the spot, the point was quite clear. And lo and behold I have a number of crew "gunning" for a "lowly" parking spot closer to the shop entrance. Doesn't seem like an ill-themed award for ME.

    
    
    
    
27. Holt Michael

    
    11/26/2011 9:11 AM

    I take the can money, as well as scrap metal money and we do bbq's. Frost delays are a great opportunity to cook breakfast for the guys at the shop. I deer hunt and make most of the meat into sausage and use that for the breakfast and eggs are fairly cheap. I try not to single out guys because they always seem to take it too far, we work with a special group of people and they seem to take it as a free pass. Think back to when you were on the crew and what you hated to see done and act on that. I always have felt like my effort to do as much as possible personally for my crew means more than 5 or 10 bucks to them. They work for us so I like to work for them.