Workplace cohesion
A few months back, I took the exciting 45-minute train ride from the suburbs to the city of Chicago to meet my sister and brother-in-law for dinner. At the time, my brother-in-law was working at a startup across the street from the train station, so I stopped by his office prior to meeting my sister.
We had some time to kill before my sister got out of a meeting, so my brother-in-law gave me a tour of the office. It was an open environment where people were able to actively communicate, which gave the impression that there was a lot of cohesion in the office.
In the spotlight
After a few minutes, we went over to his desk where he showed me the company’s “spotlight” program. This is a platform that allows employees to send and receive points when good work is being done.
These points eventually accumulate into “money” that can be used in the platform’s store where anything from gift cards to electronics to luggage can be purchased. While it is always nice to get “stuff,” my brother-in-law explained that this program helps to promote positivity in the workplace, as it encourages better work when employees are recognized for their efforts.
Work hard and achieve
The spotlight program is run through Achievers, which offers “employee recognition and rewards programs designed for today’s workforce and tomorrow’s workplace,” according to the website. Employees develop profiles that look similar to a LinkedIn profile and they are able to communicate with their coworkers through the interface.
Achiever’s main goal is to promote employee recognition in the workplace. They feel that since workplace appreciation drives employee engagement, they should drive that recognition.
Way to go
The rewards from the points are classified as dining, entertainment, travel, concierge, and Visa. Or, if you want the perks to be the gift that keeps on giving, points can be used to make charitable donations.
Achiever’s allows for specialized acknowledgement. The next time Sally saves the company millions by finding a snafu in the books, send her a little more than just a “way to go!” email.
