36 - Awards

Summary

Recognition makes employees feel valued and appreciated, it contributes to higher employee morale, increases organizational productivity, and can aid in recruitment and retention. Recognition is a powerful motivator. It serves to reinforce the enthusiasm, commitment, and social conscience of employees and is a great vehicle for conveying the agency mission and goals.

University Library University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2012

EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION CAN result in increased motivation, improved performance and a more productive workforce; nominating members of your team for awards is one way to do this. Research shows that different rewards, both tangible and intangible, can influence an individual's behaviour (CIPD, 2015). There are many opportunities open to you as a manager to nominate individuals and teams from within your LKS for awards.

Awards may be local; for example, you could run an Employee of the Month scheme within your library to recognize the good work that individuals are doing on a day-to-day basis or introduce annual awards for customer service or innovation, such as those offered by the University of Colombia (2015). You could use this as an opportunity to praise individuals for completing work on a specific project, or alternatively to recognize their skills or dedication to their job. Some organizations have annual awards ceremonies for all staff who work there (not limited to LKS staff), which may be organized around organizational values or objectives, e.g. Most Productive Team. Finally, you may be able to enter an individual or LKS team for awards presented by external associations or organizations.

In their Task Force which investigated staff recognition schemes with a view to implementing a local initiative, the University Library University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2012) recommends that rewards offered should be:

• sincere

• meaningful

• adaptable

• relevant

• timely.

By nominating members of your team for awards, you are recognizing the good work that they do and demonstrating that you value their commitment and appreciate their contribution to the delivery of services, which can be great for motivation and productivity. If you nominate members of your team for awards within the organization, it will raise the profile of the individual or team and showcase the good work that they do. It can also serve to raise the profile of LKS generally, by sharing information about your work, which may not always be recognized throughout the wider organization.