August 26, 2019
Like all businesses we seek and encourage feedback from our customers. We love the messages that sing our praises. But we also appreciate and learn from the ones that show where something has gone wrong.
We recently received a message sent to our online UK Live Chat team from a person, who is not an employee of a client of ours, but nevertheless felt compelled to connect with us to express their dismay at the way their Long Service Award experience had been handled by their company:
I applied last year for my 20 years Long Service Award. I have been with _______ for 20 years, I started on 20/07/98. I chose not to go to the awards ceremony as I don’t drive, I did not hear a thing from anyone, did not receive a certificate, badge or any recognition from anyone, so was quite disheartened.
The discouragement it conveys is truly unfortunate. No doubt that the management of the company would be shocked that their Long Service Award Programme had delivered such a negative effect, the complete opposite of what they would have wanted to achieve.
Long Service Awards must never be viewed as just another HR task to be executed in silence, but as an overt and public celebration that is visible and communicated to all employees. Done well, Long Service Awards connect all employees to the values of the business and shows newcomers just exactly how they can expect to be treated in the years to come. They are an uplifting and valuable tool in boosting morale.
One message like the one above is one too many. To avoid failing their most valuable employees, HR professionals require all parts of the organisation and senior management to become involved and committed to excellence in Long Service Awards.
Terryberry UK have vast experience in managing and administrating programmes by engaging leadership in the process and streamlining administration in order to avoid overlooking employees who have earned recognition.
