In corporate culture, the notion of an “Employee of the Month” award often emerges as a great motivational idea. At first glance, it’s a concept that seems straightforward – commend an outstanding employee each month to boost morale and foster a sense of achievement. After all, who wouldn’t want their hard work and dedication spotlighted for all to see?
However, let’s take a closer look at why this seemingly noble idea might not be the universal remedy for recognizing exceptional work. In fact, it could probably be doing more harm than good.
Let’s break it down. In sales, for instance, the criteria for success is sales numbers. But wait, that’s precisely what the “Salesperson of the Month” award is for. When it comes to the broader “Employee of the Month” category, it gets a bit confusing when they try to figure out
………what exactly makes someone win.
………what does one need to do to get this award?
Imagine a workplace with 500 employees—when we talk about the Employee of the Month award, it’s not just about hitting certain targets like in sales, where numbers speak for themselves. It’s a bit trickier.
The criteria for being the Employee of the Month include things like how you approach your work, your ability to learn new stuff, if you’re a good leader, how well you cooperate with others, your knack for thinking up new ideas, and being someone other teammates can depend on. Sounds great, right? But these criteria require subjective evaluation—they’re not easy to pin down and measure precisely.
The question that looms large is, does everyone truly understand the criteria for winning this award? In many cases, the answer is a resounding no. The ambiguity surrounding the selection process and the criteria to win the award can cast a shadow over the good intention of this recognition.
End Result: People Stop making any effort or bring about a change in their actions to win the award. And if the majority of people are not making any additional effort to win, monthly recognition just becomes an activity that needs to be completed. Even the leaders with the best of intentions find it hard to pick a winner.
What should they base their decision on? How do you really compare the hard work by an HR team lead who hired the maximum number of people in a month to support a time sensitive project versus someone from operations who solved a big problem on the factory floor and saved the company lots of money versus someone from the finance team who managed the finances exceptionally and helped the company sail through tough times.
You see how choosing one ‘Employee of the Month Award’ is not an easy choice without making it personal and sometimes even random. Running a successful business can never be because of one person or 12 people in a year no matter what the team size, be it 100 or even 500.
In some industries employee of the month or employee of the week does work like fast food restaurants. Tasks are specific, achievements are measurable, and the recognition feels timely and meaningful. However, in these cases too, it might work well for the Employee of the Week, but a month-long perspective definitely demands a broader evaluation.
Consider this scenario: an employee achieves extraordinary achievement in one month, winning the Employee of the Month title. The following month it’s quite possible that the same person has continued to do extremely well, totally worthy of winning the employee of the month title. After all winners are winners, suddenly they will not drop in performance the next month.
Now leaders have a question – who should be the winner of Employee of the Month this time? The same person who has done remarkable work or probably someone else who may not have done as remarkable a work, but at least it allows the spread of Employee of the month award.
As a leader you reason with yourself and change your decision to maintain diversity and avoid monotony. This practice compromises the award’s credibility and people’s trust in recognition and thereby their effort to make a change.
So, while the Employee of the Month concept is conceptually a great idea, its effectiveness hinges on clarity and relevance. In the absence of this clarity, the award is of little value
Some suggestions to make the awards more meaningful, with absolute clarity of how to achieve them –
Sales Dynamo of the Month: Awarded to the team member with the highest percentage increase in sales figures for the month.
Customer Satisfaction Champion: Recognizing the individual who achieves the highest customer satisfaction ratings based on post-service surveys.
Project Precision Award: Given to the team or individual that consistently meets or exceeds project deadlines with minimal errors.
Innovation Maestro: Acknowledging the employee with the most implemented innovative ideas, boosting efficiency or creating cost savings.
Attendance Ace: Awarded to the team member with perfect attendance for the quarter, promoting punctuality and reliability.
For more award ideas, refer to
By incorporating specific, measurable criteria, these awards not only shine a light on exceptional performance but also provide a clear roadmap for employees to strive toward success. It’s like having a scoreboard where everyone can track their progress.
Ready to elevate your recognition game with awards that are meaningful? Reach out to Pinnacle today and let’s tailor an appreciation program that aligns with your organization’s goals.
Let the recognition journey begin! After all, when achievements are crystal clear, the celebration is even sweeter.
