Recognition & Rewards

That’s not fair! Equity requires more than fair pay

11/10/2011

Conventional wisdom says that paying employees well goes a long way toward making them feel like they’re treated fairly. Not necessarily. Employees don’t consider pay or salary increases as the top factor in determining whether they are rewarded fairly, according to a new study.

Holiday sampler: 4 treats to make HR’s season bright

10/08/2011

The holidays are special, but they’re also an HR headache. Our early gift to you: Advice on everything from planning seasonal celebrations to handling end-of-year scheduling hassles.

No-raise promotions: A handy tool, but beware risks of ‘title fluffing’

08/11/2011

While salary budgets are up this year—merit raises are running near 3.0% compared with 2.7% in 2010—some still-skittish employers are more likely to dole out title raises rather than extra cash. The danger: Organizations may give gratuitous no-pay promotions instead of using the practice as a selective reward and retention strategy.

All together now: Teaching workers to ‘manage’ their bosses

08/02/2011

Pay-for-performance is effective only when managers spell out for each employee exactly what he or she must do to get paid more or reap perks like flexible scheduling. In reality, too few managers do that. They need to know supervision is a two-way street. Solution: Sometimes employees must “manage the boss.”

Sodexho honors its ‘heroes’ who volunteer

07/22/2011

Among the 120,000 employees at Sodexho USA are a handful of “Heroes of Everyday Life.” That’s what the food and facilities management services company calls its employees who work to fight hunger in their local communities.

The great 8: Smart tips from the ‘best places to work’

06/16/2011

Is your organization a “great place” to work? Every year, the employers that are bestowed that title seem to consistently include companies that provide creative HR practices in areas such as perks, benefits and worker management. Some of the leading ideas:

Mich. firm holds employee banquet for 21st straight year

05/31/2011

At HHA Services in St. Clair Shores, Mich., managers go all-out to reward high-performing employees with a fancy banquet at a local country club. In fact, they’ve never missed the chance to say thanks in 21 years, even during the recession.

3 ways to motivate extra employee effort

05/17/2011

In lean times, managers sometimes need employees to go above and beyond their normal duties. Don’t beg and plead for volunteers to step up. Instead, offer three kinds of rewards to persuade employees to give of themselves for the greater good of the organization.

5 mistakes to avoid when recognizing employees

01/18/2011

If a star employee has ever surprised you during an exit interview by saying she had been dissatisfied with her job for a long time, you’re not alone. It’s common to find a vast divergence between employee satisfaction and management’s take on the situation. Managers frequently make five big mistakes that can send your valued employees packing. Luckily, they’re easy to fix.

Bonus for exempt workers: What’s the best way?

11/25/2010

Q. Everyone has been working extra hard this year, especially our exempt salaried employees. We want to reward them with extra pay. Can we pay them overtime if they put in more than, say, 50 hours in a week? Or is it better to offer a one-time bonus? I don’t want to affect their exempt status.