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It’s familiar fixture at your local grocery store or pharmacy: A yearbook photo of a smiling face and a freshly pressed uniform, mounted on a faux wood plaque.

It’s a tough time for HR: Regular career-hopping is now considered par for the course, and markets are unstable at best.

Last summer, the Society for Human Resource Management found that 80 percent of the organizations they surveyed had employee recognition programs.

So, you've already made personal new year’s resolutions, but how about corporate and organizational ones?

As more and more companies cut costs, workers are increasingly receptive to better offers from other employers.

Attention, HR personnel and employers: Today’s economy is creating an abundance of talented workers with impressive experience.

When recession hits, businesses look for ways to save while they see out the storm. It’s an obvious reaction, and one that makes sense.

Check any “top 10” list of reasons employees leave companies, and lack of recognition will be in there. Every time!

Having loyal and happy employees at your company is a great source of free marketing and PR. You can’t put a value on the benefits of having your employees share with everyone how great your company is to work for. This praise automatically transfers to your products or services, too.

The role of the human resources professional is forever changing and becoming more involved. The modern human resources professional is responsible for many more tasks within a company than her or his predecessor—hiring, training, performance management, team building, rewards and loyalty programs, compensation, pensions and the list goes on.

Most companies recognize the value of employee retention. The longer employees stay with a company, the more they become adept at their role within the organization. Employees that stay with a company for a long time are more willing and able to take on extra tasks within the organization. In short, employees that remain with a company for many years form the spine of the company and create the kind of family atmosphere that leads other employees to follow suit. This is a positive cycle.

Happy employees who are on board with your company’s goals and strategies are more productive employees. And if you want your employees to be on board, happy and productive—then you need to hold regular performance reviews with them.

Performing a task because it’s your job is one thing. Performing a task because it’s your job, and knowing how by doing your job you are helping the company and are appreciated for doing so is another thing entirely.

In today’s fast paced and economically challenging environment, employers often struggle to figure out how to motivate and retain their workforce. Many businesses are solving these dilemmas by developing a culture of employee recognition. More than ever...

As a small business owner, competing with larger companies in terms of salary and benefits can be a difficult, even impossible, task. As a small company, you must rely on other means to attract new employees and retain existing personnel.

Chester Elton, co-author of The Carrot Principle, a book on employee motivation that is based on a 10 year study of 200,000 managers and employees, states that many managers do not recognize employees for the simple reason that they are overwhelmed and ...

Where many companies falter and fail to retain key employees, others use a variety of methods to preserve essential employees, reduce turnover and avoid productivity disruptions. Through the use of formal or informal incentive programs ...

Several motivation theories have been developed throughout the years; today, companies are using these theories in their employee recognition programs and daily interactions to optimize employee satisfaction and productivity. Understanding what factors ...

The Best Employers in Canada appear to have at least one thing in common; these companies place importance on employee recognition and rewards, something that less successful companies do not.

We have all heard the saying, “There is no ‘I’ in ‘Team’”, which encourages us to let go of our individual needs and selfishness in order to focus on the goals of the team or the group. Although team work in a team setting is critical to succe

Recognizing safe behaviour, whether this involves awarding employees for an accident free year or handing out a safe driver award, contributes to supporting safe behaviour and perpetuating safety in the workplace.

As you consider your personal and business resolutions for 2011, be sure to top your list with Employee Incentive and Recognition Programs. In view of the recent economic times, certain managers may sneer at the thought of spending money on these programs

Financial analysts state that the recession is over and that an economic recovery is on the horizon, it is now time to reintroduce certain things that were cut from the company budget. As history repeats itself, a normal occurrence will be to witness a rapid growth period following the end of this recession. With the economy picking up, the trend is to re-implement employee recognition programs that may have been thrown to the way side in the “do more with less” economic reality.

Employee recognition consists of four different forms of acknowledgement: existential or personal recognition, recognition of work practices, recognition of results and recognition of job dedication.

The well-known “dangling carrot” is at the center of human behaviour, motivation, psychology, and ultimately, business success. An increase in employee retention rates, a boost in motivation related performances and sales; the prospective payback of sales incentive programs (SIP) are easy to get excited about. If you’re ready to energize and inspire your people to greater levels of achievement by having them associate success with meaningful sales awards, then you are likely ready to set up sales employee incentives programs at your company.

Employee recognition is not simply a nice gesture, but an effective communication tool which reinforces and rewards the most significant outcomes people create for your business. Effective employee recognition programs reinforce through a specifically chosen method of recognition, the behaviours and actions that you want your employees repeat.

The ever increasing popularity and the purchase of gift cards so readily accessible via the Internet it is easy to opt for these types of gifts to commemorate an anniversary, a birth or to simply say thank you. Although these types of gifts are very much appreciated by many people, from an employee’s point of view these little cards basically represent additional taxes. The thought is wonderful and as an employer it is important that you recognize the contribution of your employees, a gift card may not be the best way to show your appreciation. A gift card is considered a near cash gift and due to tax implications, it is better that employee recognition be offered in the form of a non cash gift.

It is said time and time again: You are only as strong as your weakest link. The quality and the dedication of the individuals employed at your company or organization are its most important asset. Unfortunately, it is not enough to say it; employers must show their employees that they are important and appreciated. An employee recognition program is one of the simplest ways to recognize your employees’ hard work and commitment.