#employee-recognition

#employee-recognition

For the first time, the President's Awards for Employee Excellence united Cornell employees across time zones and continents, as staff gathered in the Statler Ballroom and tuned in from New York City and Qatar to celebrate the achievements and contributions of their colleagues. More than 75 employees were honored in this year's ceremony on Dec. 3, representing Cornell's Ithaca campus as well as Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City and Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar.

When Greg Giczi retired in February, his company threw him a party. Giczi had spent 12 years as president and general manager of WNIT-TV, a public television station based in South Bend, Indiana. Public broadcasting isn't known for lavish budgets, so the party took place at the studio-a "big, open space with dramatic lighting," Giczi describes. There were appetizers, wine, and beer, as well as heartfelt speeches.

Recognition is often overlooked. Managers assume a salary alone is enough, but people want to feel appreciated for their unique contributions. Phrases like this can help motivate your team: "I really appreciate how you handled that client", or "Your attention to detail made all the difference in this project". Small acknowledgements cost nothing but can deliver a huge motivational boost.

For one, a lot of the projects that go well are the culmination of months or years of effort. Indeed, sometimes by the time the project is officially deemed a success, many of the participants in the project are tired of it. In addition, successful projects rarely have the equivalent moment of crossing the goal line where it suddenly gets classified as a success.

"It's a completely anonymous, global program across Disney's theme parks. Cast members (Disneyspeak for employees) nominate each other and submit testimonies, with tens of thousands of nominations globally. The identity of nominees is kept under wraps, and it all culminates in a secret ballot. This is the voting process for one of Disney's highest honors, one that goes to fewer than 1% of park employees."

Employee spotlight templates are pre-designed formats used by a company to consistently and engagingly highlight individual employees' achievements, stories, roles, or personalities.

Positive feedback reinforces behaviors that drive success, build confidence, and give people a sense of momentum. It's the mile marker on the long highway of work; without it, we can lose our way.

For the fifth year, employee survey company Energage has partnered with Schneps Media to honor the best places to work in New York City.