This document provides tips for engaging workers by recognizing their success. It recommends determining how individual workers are motivated, whether through recognition, financial incentives, or privilege rewards. When recognizing success, praise should be specific, show genuine interest, let praise stand alone, be timely, and sometimes private. Financial rewards can include cash bonuses, gift cards, or lunches. Privilege rewards are flexible shifts or time off. The key is recognizing engaging behavior authentically to encourage workers to repeat it.

1. Engage Your
Workers
WE ALL WANT EMPLOYEES TO BE FOCUSED AND
SELF-MOTIVATED. WHAT DO YOU DO TO DEVELOP
ENGAGEMENT?

2. How
 What gets workers to engage?
 How can we build an environment where people are
enjoying and engaging in their work?

3. Did you know?
 Just because a worker is motivated does not mean
that that worker is engaged.
 Wait, what? Really?
 Similarly, an engaged worker isn’t necessarily
motivated.

4. How are YOUR workers motivated?
 You need to determine how your workers are
motivated.
 Recognition
 Financial Incentives
 Privilege Rewards
 You need to recognize your workers in the way that
meets that person’s needs.
 Praise should be spontaneous and genuine!

5. Recognizing Success
 Saying ‘Nice Job’ or ‘Keep up the good work’ is nice, but doesn’t motivate.
 Pro Tip: spend as much time preparing your praise as you would to
give criticism.
 Be Specific – explain what you are praising and why.
 When you ….
 What happened was ….
 And the result is ….
 For Example, after you presented the team training about customer
service, our customer service ratings increased by 10%. That exceeded our
expectations, so thank you and well done!

6. Recognizing Success
 Show Genuine Interest
 What did they do to prepare?
 What steps did they take to complete the project?
 How do they feel about the outcome?
 Let Praise Stand Alone
Celebrate their success for the success it was.
Avoid mentioning ways to improve until another
time.

7. Recognizing Success
 Recognize Quickly and Time it Well
For the biggest impact: give your praise as soon
after the event as possible.
Praise for praise sake
Do not do it at a time when it will be tied to a
request or a negative.

8. Recognizing Success
 Public or Private Praise?
Give praise one-on-one!
Some workers do not want to be singled out.
You can ask if you can share it with their colleagues
(for example, in the next staff meeting).
It is important to give praise generously.
Try to find success in all of your employees
throughout the year.

9. Financial Rewards
 In addition to the verbal praise, you can also offer any
number of financial rewards.
 The financial rewards can be announced or
spontaneous.
 Cash bonuses
 Gift cards
 Free lunch for the staff

10. Financial Rewards
When to announce
 Bigger rewards will take
longer to earn, creating
an environment of
engagement during the
competition that may or
may not continue after
the completion.
When to be spontaneous
 Smaller Rewards are
earned day-to-day
promotes on-going
engagement.
 Prizes are:
 Dinner for two
 Staff Lunch
 Single Use Gift Cards

11. Privilege Rewards
 There are many inexpensive ways to reward engaged
workers
 Extra-long lunch break
 Flexible shifts
 An afternoon off
 A better parking space
 A plaque

12. Engagement Program
 The truth is that you do not need a formal
engagement program to get your workers to engage.
 If you are recognizing when your workers are
engaging and succeeding, you will find that most of
your workers will continue to repeat that behavior to
earn that authentic recognition again.

13. Engagement
 Get the most engagement out of your workers
 Workers need to find value in the work that you are asking
them to do.
 Workers need to feel valued.
 Keep it simple and authentic.