Employee Recognition Teams are responsible for building and administering programs that are meant to acknowledge, appreciate and reward employees for their hard work and achievements. Having a team or committee that oversees your recognition programs and strategy is crucial to helping ensure employees feel valued and motivated to perform better, and that the organization is reaping the benefits of an engaged workforce. By having more than one person administering your programs, you are setting your team up for success when there are changes in role, or when somebody is out of office. While every organization will look different depending on resources, the following are suggestions for the roles and duties of an Employee Recognition Team or committee:
- Team Leader: The team leader is responsible for leading the team, setting goals and guiding the development of strategies for employee recognition. The team leader should have excellent communication and leadership skills, as well as a highly strategic mindset. This person should also be persuasive, as they will be leading the charge for recognition with other leaders in the business and potentially meeting with a steering committee or c-suite executives to make decisions.
- Recognition Coordinators: Recognition coordinators are responsible for organizing and implementing employee recognition programs. They work closely with the team leader to identify recognition opportunities and plan strategy for programs. You can think of this role as the boots on the ground role for the recognition team. These are your team members that will be most involved with the platform and especially with implementation.
- Event Planners: Event planners are responsible for organizing recognition events and activities that engage and appreciate your employees. They work with recognition coordinators to plan events that align with your current recognition programs and ensure that appreciation efforts are organized thoughtfully.
- Communication Specialists: Communication specialists are responsible for helping put together a plan for communicating recognition programs and events to the employees. They develop a content strategy and ensure that recognition messaging is clear and consistent across channels. This role will work closely with Recognition Coordinators and Event Planners when there is a need to communicate new programs or changes to existing programs.
- Data Analysts: Data analysts are responsible for collecting and analyzing data on employee recognition programs. They provide reports to the team leader and help to identify areas for improvement. They are also responsible for making sure the business understand ROI and ties between recognition and engagement, retention, and employee satisfaction scores.
- Rewards and Incentives Specialists: Rewards and incentives specialists are responsible for researching and developing rewards and incentives for employees. They work with Recognition Coordinators, Event Planners, and Data Analysts to determine the most effective rewards and incentives. This role would also be responsible for fulfilling any custom Rewards, answering employee questions about redemptions, and running transaction reports for employee taxation.
- Budget Managers: Budget managers are responsible for managing the budget for employee recognition programs. They work with the team leader to ensure that the budget is used effectively and efficiently. They would also maintain oversight of point allocations and assist when there is a request for a bulk recognition.
- Feedback Coordinators: Feedback coordinators are responsible for collecting feedback from employees on recognition programs and events. They work with the Team Leader, Recognition Coordinator, and Data Analyst to come up with a game plan for improvements based on employee feedback.
Ultimately, it is recommended to form an Employee Recognition Team or committee because they play such a crucial role in program oversight and administration with a goal to motivate and retain employees. By maintaining programs that acknowledge and appreciate the hard work of employees across the organization, the Employee Recognition Team helps to foster a positive and productive work culture, and each role is valuable for building a successful culture of recognition.