The title of a new book immediately caught my eye: “1501 Ways To Reward Employees.”
The subtitles state, “Low-Cost and No-Cost Ideas. Best Practices. Latest Trends. Proven Strategies. Ways to Motivate the Millennial Generation.”
The author, Bob Nelson, Ph.D., is a leading authority on employee recognition, motivation and engagement. He is the president of Nelson Motivation Inc., a management training and consulting company based in San Diego.
Nelson, who visited Milwaukee last week, cited nine Wisconsin companies in the book for their unique reward strategies:
* Cerac Inc. of Milwaukee cross-trains employees to ensure that they understand how their work fits into the overall operation. “Thanks to cross-training, we’ve been able to push sales up 15 to 20 percent per year, while maintaining a high-quality product, delivering performance and providing technical customer service,” said Jim Baka, president of the company.
* Core Creative of Milwaukee celebrates and rewards its exceptional performers in creative ways at the end of every summer.
* Country Kitchen International of Madison gives its restaurant employees embroidered gold stars to wear on their uniforms after three-month terms of employment.
* CUNA Mutual Group of Madison gives its “Big Bone Award” to the outstanding members of its leadership team. (It’s an actual four-foot-long rawhide dog bone.)
* Lands’ End Inc. of Dodgeville was cited several times in the book. CEO Mike Smith forwards positive letters from customers to specific employees. Lands’ End organizes a series of “zany” awards programs for its employees throughout the year, including the “Big Bean Award” for employees who “use their beans” to help the company’s mission.
* The Marcus Corp. vice president of human resources Dick Radell writes a short note on the back of his business card and gives it to a server immediately when he receives exceptional service at one of the Milwaukee company’s theaters, restaurants or hotels. Also, employees who work one month without an accident are awarded a “Megabuck” state lottery ticket.
* Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. Inc. of Milwaukee provides dozens of clubs, ranging from fishing and running groups to a company chorus for employees.
* Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. of Milwaukee also is cited several times in the book. The company recently introduced a new program that allows employees to take one paid day per year to perform volunteer service. The firm also offers flexible summer schedules and time off on Friday afternoons.
* S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. of Racine also receives several citations in the book. The company has developed a mentoring steering committee to help employees advance their careers. The firm also has nine resort facilities in different parts of the nation for vacationing employees and their families, ranging from the Lighthouse Resort in Fence Lake, Wis., to resorts at Cape Cod and Lake Tahoe. Nice. Real nice.
All of these Wisconsin companies are worthy of salutations.
However, I would like to make one suggestion to the author of the book. I would have changed the title to “1501 OTHER Ways to Reward Employees.”
To quote the great philosopher Jerry Maguire, “Show me the money.” Between 1997 and 2008, median U.S. household income fell by 4 percent after adjustment for inflation. If the U.S. economy is ever going to truly rise from the Great Recession, its middle class will need to get back on its feet and start spreading the wealth around again.
Steve Jagler is executive editor of BizTimes Milwaukee.
