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January 25, 2018

How to Set Up a Peer-to-Peer Employee Recognition Program

Filed under: Recognition & Motivation Ideas — Megan Duffy @ 1:15 pm

peer to peer employee recognition program

Most workplaces offer annual employee performance reviews. The boss lets you know how you’re doing and where you can improve, and after signing a few forms, you’re on your way until the next yearly evaluation.

But, what if your peers had input? Peer-to-peer employee recognition programs are beginning to gain popularity in workplaces across the country, so those who work together day-in and day-out can also give insight into your performance. If you work closely with your peers, their feedback can often be more valuable than the feedback from higher-ups.

The Benefits of Peer-to-Peer Employee Recognition Programs

The Society for Human Resource Management says this collaborative approach can bolster team spirit and employee motivation around the office thanks to the open and transparent nature of peer-to-peer employee recognition.  

As companies downsize or restructure to have more of a lateral organization rather than a tiered management style, this type of recognition begins to make increasingly more sense. More employees feel heard and appreciated, and it can be a great opportunity to recognize and address problem areas before they get out of hand.

Setting Up a Peer-to-Peer Employee Recognition Program

Offer constructive, helpful feedback. We all want to improve at our jobs, so praising the pluses and giving ideas for improvement are welcome, when done in a polite way. SHRM suggests the following to get started:

1. Define the program goals. They should follow the company values and culture. Consider targeting company attendance, sales numbers, or internal training measures. Share these goals with all staff members.

2. Involve the employees. Keep everyone in the loop as you set up a program, not just when you roll it out. Start a committee that anyone at the company, from interns to senior executives, is allowed to join.

3. Evaluate effectiveness. Take a survey before the program begins and again after the recognition has begun. What is working? What isn’t? Is it worth the overall effort?

4. Mix it up. To keep interest buzzing, mix up how you conduct the program and what rewards are offered. Take note of other companies and how they run their peer-to-peer employee recognition programs.

Trying a Program at Your Office

According to Forbes, several companies have this process down pat, so you can emulate one of these strategies in your office.

At Zappos, employees are each given $50 gift cards to give to a non-supervisor peer as a thank you for a job well done. What a great way for an employee to reward an intern or partner on a big project!

JetBlue lets employees share positive stories on an internal communications platform to lift each other up. Each recognition earns points that can be turned in for a reward.

You can also set up a bulletin board in a community area, like the kitchen or boardroom, and let employees fill out Post-It Notes with positive remarks, then post them on the board. The feel-good vibes flow each time a new card is added to the public area.

A voting method is another great option. Let employees nominate one person each month for recognition. Tally the votes and give the top five people a public shout out and certificate at a company meeting.

Are you ready to stock up on employee recognition certificates, lapel pins, trophies, and small gifts? Browse PaperDirect today to get ready for your peer-to-peer employee recognition program.

January 23, 2018

Happy National Handwriting Day! Here are 6 Ways to Celebrate

Filed under: Helpful Resources — Megan Duffy @ 10:26 am

national handwriting day

National Handwriting Day rolls around every January 23, giving you a chance to celebrate the art of handwriting. The holiday dates back to 1977, with the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association choosing the date to coincide with the birthday of John Hancock. Hancock gets kudos for providing the first and most illustrious signature on the Declaration of Independence. You can celebrate your own illustrious handwriting with these six fun activities.

Send a Handwritten Letter

Break out your favorite pen and stationery, and then sit down to write a handwritten letter. Yes, we know. A handwritten letter is a far cry from the usual fast and furious emails and texts you’ve become accustomed to sending. But it can give you a chance to perfect your penmanship while making the recipient’s day.

Practice Your Calligraphy

Break out your fancier pens and thicker paper to give fancy penmanship a whirl. Calligraphy and other types of hand-lettering transform handwriting into art, with styles that range from the elegant and formal to cutesy and sweet. Not sure where to begin? Look for online calligraphy tips or lessons to get the ink flowing.

Leave Notes around the Office

Make it your mission to leave a flurry of handwritten notes around the office. Write them on Post-It Notes, and leave them on individual desks, in common areas, or near the copy machines. The notes can contain wise words, inspirational quotes, or functional reminders. Let coworkers know you’re leaving this notes in honor of National Handwriting Day and encourage them to do the same.

Catch up on Your Lists

Lots of people love lists, and National Handwriting Day is the perfect time to make sure you have all of them covered. Make them fun and flamboyant with patterned paper and colorful ink. Create a list of workplace perks, personal goals, lifetime achievements, or reasons you adore your kids and pets. Get functional with grocery lists, task lists, or a list outlining the best order in which to complete your upcoming spring cleaning.

Experiment with Different Writing Tools

Everyone’s pretty much mastered writing with standard pencils and pens, but they’re not the only writing tools you can use. Play around with different writing instruments to celebrate the holiday. Try different types of pens, such as paint pens, brush pens, glass-dip pens, and quills. Give charcoal, chalk, and a variety of different markers a whirl.

Create Your Own Font

Creating your own font gives you a double celebration of National Handwriting Day. Not only will it force you to create neat and memorable letters, but you’ll be able to enjoy your new font on your computer going forward. Many online programs let you create your own font for use in digital documents, and some of them are even free.

You may end up enjoying the celebration activities for National Handwriting Day that you’ll make them a regular practice. So keep your stationery, notepads and other paper supplies stocked with options from PaperDirect, and then go make John Hancock proud.

January 18, 2018

6 Unique On-the-Spot Employee Recognition Ideas

Filed under: Employee Recognition Ideas — Megan Duffy @ 4:16 pm
creative employee recognition ideas

You adore your business team. Employees go the extra mile and come up with creative solutions each time you ask. If your verbal pats on the back are starting to feel a little lame or overused, surprise your standout employees with something a little more. These creative employee recognition ideas will express your gratitude and make a lasting impression!

Write a Thank You Note

Skip the email. Instead, use a nice pen and a thank you note to explain why you’re thrilled with your employee’s performance. Taking the time to express your feelings on paper shows more care than a simple thank you email.

Give a Gift Card

Keep a stash of $10 gift cards to popular coffee shops and lunch spots that your staff frequent. When you want to recognize a moment in which your employee shined, say thanks, then hand the employee a gift card as a small acknowledgment of their hard work.

Share Some Sparkle

Lapel pins featuring the company logo, positive words, or industry related icons show your gratitude. Be sure to pin them to little cards printed with a quote about positivity or teamwork before you gift them to high-performing employees.

Sit Down and Chat

Sometimes all an employee wants is a bit of your time. Visiting one-on-one, even for a few minutes, to highlight what went well and wrapping up with a statement of appreciation can perk up anyone’s day.

Share Something Sweet

When the afternoon snack cravings hit, be the star of the office with a drawer full of snacks and words of recognition. If a department hit a sales goal, drop off a basket of granola bars, cookies, and doughnut holes for them to share.

Prepare Award Certificates

If you’re preparing for a routine meeting but have big news related to an office accomplishment to share, prepare recognition certificates and turn the announcement into a ceremony. Framed certificates can later be displayed on office walls for visitors to admire!

Are you ready to be on your A-game when it comes to creative, on-the-spot employee recognition ideas? Stock up on paper certificates, lapel pins and mini trophies at PaperDirect.

January 16, 2018

5 Ways You Can Spice Up Your Annual Employee Reviews

Filed under: Employee Recognition Ideas — Megan Duffy @ 9:33 am

annual employee reviews

If your annual employee reviews set off a collective moan throughout the workplace, it may be time for a change. While you don’t have to overhaul the entire review process, you can make a few strategic tweaks that’ll leave employees grinning instead of grimacing when it’s time for their yearly evaluation.

Look Forward, Not Just Back

Instead of simply rehashing the good and bad aspects of an employee’s performance over the past 12 months, make sure your reviews provide guidelines for moving forward. Whether it’s working on weak areas, taking on more responsibilities, or amending job duties, ensure employees know precisely what’s expected of their performance over the next 12 months.

Include Feedback from Variety of Sources

You may be the manager with the employee directly under your charge, but that doesn’t mean other people throughout the workplace aren’t affected by the employee’s performance. Collect feedback from other managers, the employee’s peers, and even vendors or clients if applicable. An employee’s job performance can impact many people besides the manager, and it’s helpful to look at input from multiple sources to get a more well-rounded view of their work.

Make Sure It’s a Conversation, Not a Lecture

If your annual employee reviews are more like annual employee lecture sessions, the chances are low that the information will stick. When employees feel like they’re being scolded or reprimanded, they’re likely to feel deflated or even resentful.

Transform the lecture into a conversation by asking for employee feedback – and then actually listening to what they have to say. Employee feedback needs to go beyond excuses for poor performance, but should instead include their thoughts, ideas, and feelings on what’s being discussed.

Praise for Positive Performance

Keep a running tally of times an employee excelled throughout the year and mention them during the review process. A review riddled with only negative feedback can cause resentment. Make sure to balance out negative and positive aspects of an employee’s performance, praising where praise is due.

Reward for Positive Performance

Reinforce positive performance even more by rewarding employees for a job well done. While not every organization may be able to reward employees with regular raises or monetary bonuses, you do have other options.

Recognition certificates and trophies can be a fun way to acknowledge exceptional behavior. You may also consider things like a bonus day off with pay, a catered lunch for the office held in the employees’ honor, or other forms of recognition that fit within the company budget.

Not only can these ideas help ensure your annual employee reviews are more dynamic and intriguing, but they can make them more effective. Check out PaperDirect for enticing recognition items to use during your review.

January 9, 2018

New Year, New You: Best Free, Online Personal Development Courses

Filed under: Helpful Resources — Megan Duffy @ 11:45 am

free personal development courses

Whether you’re aiming to improve your spending habits, time management, or overall perspective on life, tons of free personal development courses are at the ready. Below, we found three websites that list hundreds of free personal development course options from which to choose the perfect course for your new year’s goals.

Class Central

Class Central is the go-to directory for Massive Open Online Courses, otherwise known as MOOCs. These courses can come out of universities that range from Princeton to the University of Edinburgh, companies that include Microsoft and Google, and online course providers that partner with schools, corporations, and professors.

Personal development MOOCs include more than 150 topics, ranging from honing your mental skills to maintaining a mindful life.

Taking the free version of a MOOC gives you access to all the video lectures, discussions, and other course materials. You also have the option in some cases to pay for additional features, such as graded assignments, mentorships, and certificates. Each course has its own study materials, schedule, and added features, all determined by the course provider.

LearnOutLoud

Designed to showcase the top online educational audio and video content, LearnOutLoud has been keeping minds sharp since 2005. One of the most popular sections of the website is the Free Audio and Video Directory, which is home to more than 10,000 courses, lectures, interviews, speeches, audio books, and other content that is free.

Choices range from time management to mindfulness, relationships to business and professional development. More than 850 free titles fall into the personal development realm alone.

DailyOM

While the courses offered on the DailyOm website are not free, you can still learn a lot from the free resources the site provides if you’re looking to deepen and enhance your spiritual life. Register for the free DailyOM, and you’ll enjoy a free daily dose of wisdom delivered straight to your inbox every morning. You can also sign up for free newsletters on the topics of music, horoscope, and inspiration.

The paid courses let you dive deeper into specific topics that range from healthy living to art and creativity, yet the free information may be enough to prompt the positive change you’re seeking.

Free personal development courses provide an ideal means of gaining insight, motivation, and guidance in the direction of whatever goal you choose. Even if you don’t receive a certificate from the course, you can reward yourself with a personalized recognition award, trophy, or gift in honor of your efforts. Check out PaperDirect for ideas!

 

January 8, 2018

Fight the Post-Holiday Slump: How to Keep Employees Motivated

Filed under: Recognition & Motivation Ideas — Megan Duffy @ 1:13 pm

how to keep employees motivated

As we all know, coming back to work after the relaxation and excitement of the holidays can be a struggle. Unless all your employees made a New Year’s resolution to excel at work this year, you might notice a lull in the first few week of the new year as everyone gets back into the swing of things.

Fortunately, there are a few simple things you can do to get your employees excited and motivated about the new year as soon as they get back to work. Here are four ways to fight the holiday slump and keep your employees motivated.

1. Set a goal with a reward system

One of the best ways to get people motivated is through a reward system. If you want to engage your employees after the holidays, give them an incentive to work harder. Outline the main goals your company has in the new year and create a contest that’ll have employees working to reach those goals. Healthy competition keeps everyone on task and giving 110%. Incentivize your employees with a free lunch, small prize, or certificate for the winners.

2. Take a work retreat

Give your staff a day to get them revved up for the new year by doing some team building activities outside of the office. Even though you just returned, a retreat is an excellent way to have your employees re-engage and align with your goals for the year.

Retreat ideas could include trying an escape room, playing laser tag, or completing a high-ropes course. Look for activities that require your employees to work together as a team.

3. Let your employees have a say

Ask your employees to voice their opinions about the way that things are being done. Your employees will feel more invested and appreciated when they are being heard. Set up a suggestion box or individually ask them to create a list of things they think would benefit the group. Be sure to implement some of their ideas so they know that their opinions are valued.

4. Add one small perk

Sometimes all your employees need is one small perk to regain their motivation at work. Cater their lunch once a month or stock the break room with free snacks and drinks. Send out invites for a monthly happy hour at a different location each month. Showing your employees appreciation through small perks will, in turn, help them to feel more motivated and invested in their work.

If your employees are struggling to get back into work mode, help to jump-start their go-getter attitude by investing in them, and they will give back ten-fold. Try one of these ways how to motivate your employees to create a positive, motivating workplace throughout the year.

Looking for additional ways to boost employee morale? Check out PaperDirect’s recognition products to help engage and motivate your employees for a prosperous new year!

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