THE FACILITY DOCTORS
Topic: Source: Victor Cohen, Manager - Mitchell Center Arena Response By: Kimberly Mahoney, Ph.D.
In a recent Venue Managers Open Forum, a question was posed about employee reward and recognition programs. This is an important is- are often the face of the organization, and both FOH and BOH per- sonnel play a critical role in the delivery of the event experience to guests. They want to be acknowledged as part of the team, and their the quality of their uniforms, accurate and timely paychecks, available opportunities for feedback, or even something as simple as a quick conversation with the GM during an event. More overt acknowledg- ment comes in the form of a well-designed reward and recognition program. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, two of the most valuable psychological needs we have as human beings are the need represent a fundamental need, while recognition and career advance- ment support higher-level psychological needs. Unfortunately, there is no simple solution that works across the
board. Venue managers must consider a number of issues when de- - personnel or part-time vs. full-time personnel? Should contractors be groups, such as students vs. retirees? Second, one must consider the logistics of implementation. For ex-
individuals in certain positions will have more opportunities to be rec- ognized, thereby potentially creating an unfair situation. For exam- ple, guest services representatives have more chances for meaningful guest interaction than a security guard working the freight elevator or a member of the changeover crew working overnight. You may are recognized by management, there may be concerns regarding per- ceptions of fairness or favoritism. When considering logistics, venue - fewer events than an arena. Convention centers host a high percentage of private events. Such considerations impact opportunities for recog- nition and implementation of the program. Lastly, one must consider the resources available for such a pro-
- pensive, such as a handwritten note from the team owner, event tickets, greater investment may be appreciation events for all personnel and their families, which may include a holiday party or a cookout at a
Co-Editors: Dr. Kimberly Mahoney & Prof. Gil Fried
minor league baseball game. An article in Forbes a few years ago addressed research on the secret to employee recognition. Not surprisingly, they found that those orga- nizations that give regular thanks to their employees far outperform those that don’t. While we often recognize individuals for length of employment, their research found that tenure-based reward systems have virtually no impact on organizational performance. Not to say there is no value in recognizing an usher who has been at a venue since it opened or a ticket taker who hasn’t missed a home game in 10 seasons, but that should not be the core of your program. The author #1
create a culture of doing the right thing, award someone for handling an employee of the month (or game). #2 – Implement peer-to-peer recognition (not top down). One’s
peers have a true understanding of what the job really entails, so when more meaningful. To ensure fairness, each employee may be permit- line, top-down recognition is often viewed as political. #3 – Share recognition stories. One of the most powerful practices
- thing great, tell people about it. These stories create employee engage- ment and learning. Speaking from personal experience, we shared my academic classes to emphasize the power and importance of the #4 – Make recognition easy and frequent. Make it simple for em-
ployees to recognize each other. Many of the modern programs they can give them to others. Then those points can be used for an extra #5 – Tie recognition to your organizational values and goals. When designing your program, connect it to the organization’s mission, pur- pose statement, or strategy (guest service, innovation, teamwork, etc.). - sion.
When your facility embraces a modern reward and recognition pro-
gram, and people start thanking each other, trust and engagement go up, which improves employee morale and service levels. The design and implementation of a comprehensive program is a worthwhile in- vestment in your employees and overall organizational performance. The full article can be found online at
Forbes.com (Bersin, 2012). For those attending VC17, the conference program includes a ses- - tion Combined with Creative Employee Incentives” (currently sched- uled for Wednesday 8/9 at 3:00 pm). See you in Nashville! FM
Kim Mahoney, Ph.D., is assistant professor in the college of business sports man- agement department, and Gil Fried., J.D., is professor – chair in the college of business sport management department both at the University of New Haven.
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