Employee Recognition & Engagement Blog listing page

Administrative Professionals Day is April 27, 2022 and is always observed on the Wednesday of Administrative Professionals Week. 

Hospital staff work some of the most demanding jobs there are physically, emotionally and spiritually – and it takes its toll on all medical staff. That’s why it is especially fitting that we celebrate National Hospital Week and National Nurses Week every year – to take the time, to take care of the people who spend their careers taking care of us.

Employee Appreciation Day is quickly approaching on March 4, 2022. 

It's an opportunity to let your employees know that their work is meaningful, and your company values them.

C.A. Short Company is often asked, “Is it possible for you to provide a total cost analysis, down to the penny, for our service award program?” 

In almost every executive, leadership, management, or employee survey conducted the results always show the importance of engaging and recognizing your workforce. 

The first Friday in March is Employee Appreciation Day. This year, it’s celebrated on March 4.

It was created to focus the attention of employers — in all industries — on employee recognition.

C.A. Short’s All-In Awards honor and recognize individuals and organizations who have put their “all in” to create and foster a culture of recognition.

Learning to adapt to a flexible work schedule in healthcare became even more important with the outbreak of Covid-19 at the beginning of 2020. We quickly saw that the healthcare sector is in dire need of reorganization and restructuring. 

Nurses, physicians, and other medical staff were overworked, and many countries experienced a lack of medical professionals. Since patient care is always a priority in healthcare, staff coverage and proper scheduling are crucial.

Let’s dive in and look deeper into all the ways the healthcare sector can adapt to flexible work schedules. 

If you’re like me, you’ve probably seen an awareness day or two floating around your Facebook and social media accounts in the form of National Taco Day or National Pizza Day. While these days can often feel manufactured, with some created for the sole purpose of boosting an industry, when implemented correctly you can use these select awareness days to increase employee engagement and foster rewards and recognition. 

National Customer Service Week (NCSW) has been celebrated during the first full business week in October for more than 30 years.

This year’s theme is Celebrating the Heart of Service. Customer-facing employees play a vital role in developing life-long customers.

Service anniversary awards (also referred to as years of service awards, milestone awards, service awards, service milestone, and employee anniversaries) recognize employees when they hit a specific work anniversary.

Appreciation letters are essential for the presentation of your service anniversary awards, but sometimes it can be a daunting task to get started.

With these templates, you’ll never have to create appreciation letters from scratch. Use them as a guide for your employee's next service anniversary!

Employee engagement is as personal to your employees as it is to your organization.

People are not engaged in programs, they are engaged in other people.

Creating a strong corporate culture and increasing employee engagement is about fostering that individualism and making it a part of your brand.

By recognizing your employees for that brand loyalty and for living your organization’s vision, you are not just measuring engagement, but growing it.

National Nurses Week (May 6-12, 2022) and National Hospital Week (May 9-15, 2022) is the perfect time to give your healthcare employee an extra dose of appreciation.

Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS)

Employee Net Promoter Score, also commonly referred to as eNPS, is a way to measure how your employees feel about your organization.

Two Employee Pitfalls to Anticipate and Prevent

A recent Gallup poll revealed that, historically, well-being and engagement have gone hand-in-hand; however, the current pandemic has produced a new phenomenon:  a divergence in employee well-being and employee engagement. 

Here we are well over a year into the new world order of COVID-19 protection and prevention. For most of us, this means working from home part or all the time. Working from home brings with it a multitude of stressors.

LOTO means lockout/tagout. Lockout/tagout procedures control hazardous energy and protect your workers from harm.

When machines or equipment are prepped for service or energy, they often contain some form of hazardous energy.

A handwritten note from an executive. An award to honor years of service. Maybe even a personalized gift from a manager. For most companies, the responsibility of recognizing and appreciating employees typically falls on management. 

However for the modern workforce, peer-to-peer recognition is much more impactful than traditional methods of recognition. Why? Peer recognition provides timely, specific, and consistent recognition to your employees.

Safety awareness events and compliance dates are centered around bringing awareness to a specific subject area. 

Celebrating employees and recognizing their success probably seems like a reasonable and natural concept, but its value goes far beyond creating a pleasant, professional atmosphere. An organized and detailed recognition program can serve as a tool to help engage and retain valuable workers.

Traditions in the Corporate World

It’s possible to become so wrapped up in tradition, we can forget why we’re doing something. When that happens, we run the risk of simply “going through the motions.” Sadly, this occurs far too often when it comes to honoring employees for their loyalty and commitment.

When I am asked, “Paul, how can I improve productivity and achieve sustained business success?” I give an unconventional reply— “Sustained success starts with a noble purpose beyond making money.” Without a noble purpose, I explain, “All tasks degenerate into thankless, boring chores.”

Employee turnover happens when an individual leaves their company, and a new person is hired to fill the vacant role. The reasons and costs for the turnover may surprise you. 

Workforce engagement is always important for your business, but it has probably never been as challenging to achieve and maintain as it is right now. Many businesses worldwide are still managing a fully or partially remote workforce while also toggling coronavirus prevention measures for on-site workers, making it difficult to focus on core organizational goals like employee engagement.

Most people want to feel valued in various aspects of life, and work is certainly no exception. Since employees study, train, and strive to gain professional experience they can share with their employers, they need to know that their efforts are appreciated.

Creating a work environment that fosters a culture of positivity can often-times be quite challenging. To create a positive culture, the leaders of your organization must not only promote this behavior, they must also understand its importance. Employees who feel they are treated with respect and dignity are more engaged and productive than those who don’t. Let’s take a look at a case study where a hospital was able to improve its workplace culture and patient experience.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, hosting employee events and celebrations has been difficult and uncertain. What many managers and employers are struggling to address is the need for social interaction among employees. Workforces around the world are craving face-to-face engagement, but employees also want to feel safe while participating in group events. While the task may seem unapproachable in the current health climate, it is something that needs to be a priority for businesses as we head into 2021.

What is an employee wellness program?

Wellness programs are more than just a trending topic in business. Over the course of history, workplace benefits have expanded to include a myriad of insurance offerings – all of which are more expensive when there are a greater number of high claims – leading employers to begin considering the importance of overall employee wellness and the return on investing in wellness as an employer.

Regardless of the work environment—from a chaotic warehouse to a laid-back office—workplace safety is an essential responsibility of employers. Company owners and their safety management teams must ensure employees' safety for their well-being, and the financial health and brand reputation of the organization. 

The following blog is the 5th blog post in a series of posts about creating high-performance teams and references the 7 New Rules of Employee Engagement Wallchart. To view previous blogs and resources click the links below: 

I worked at an organization for about 5½ years right out of college. On the anniversary of my 5 years of service, I received an envelope on my desk with no explanation, my name misspelled, and a small coffee stain on the right corner. I honestly thought I was getting fired in the most inappropriate way I could imagine. 

If the assent of millennials in the workplace once seemed like the slowest moving train in the world of demographics, it’s safe to say that train has finally reached the station.  

Over the years we’ve mentioned in countless articles the importance of employee engagement, and how your commitment to your employees can result in higher productivity and a reduction in costs. You may be saying to yourself “that all sounds great, but we don’t have the budget or the need to implement some fancy program” that’s where you're wrong. 

Employee recognition plays a huge part in making sure your employees feel appreciated, which can in turn generate significant improvements to employee productivity and performance. In order to successfully build a culture of total recognition, there are five main elements that should be considered. Read along as we discuss how they can be used to improve your employee recognition program. 

Shelby, NC: C.A. Short Company is proud to announce that The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center has won the Recognition Professionals International 2020 Overall Best Practice Award. 

C.A. Short used its People Are Everything™ employee recognition platform to help the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center’s Bravo Program provide tools and resources that fulfill day-to-day needs and increase recognition practices. The interactive platform allowed the program to offer nomination based-awards and manager tools for monitoring program performance and engagement levels. 

Employee engagement is all about creating a culture that ensures employees feel they have what it takes and everything they need to give their all during the workday. It aims to define how committed employees are to company goals and success, as well as their own personal growth within the company. 

Wellness programs can have great effects within the workplace, including boosting productivity and cost-saving benefits. It’s no wonder why wellness programs have become so popular with more employers looking to invest in more opportunities to promote health and fitness. Even though these programs have a multitude of positive effects, they are still an investment in both time and money. 

By offering your sales team with unique rewards such as trips, experiences, or fun gifts, Sales Incentive Programs can be a great way to drive revenue and bottom-line growth. 

Years of Service and Employee Engagement Awards play a key role in helping you attract top talent, foster employee engagement and promote employee retention. These awards are not only great for boosting employee morale, but they also can give your business tax benefits. 

Revenue solves a lot of problems. When done correctly, sales incentives bring revenue.

This blog post is the 3rd in a series of five blog posts about creating driver engagement.

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week will be here before you know it!This year the festivities kick off on September 13, 2020, and continue through September 19. If your company is looking for ways to help celebrate your road warriors, then you’re in luck!

This article is dedicated to Buford Ellis, whose dedication and commitment to C.A. Short Company has inspired us for more than 60 years. You’ve made us better employees, better managers, and better friends. May your retirement be filled with the same love you showed all of us.

YOS awards have been a mainstay in the business world for decades. However, a rapidly changing workforce has altered how we must approach them. What worked 30, 20, or even 10 years ago is no longer enough.

That’s why C.A. Short Company is proud to share with you these 10 best practices for offering employee Years of Service awards in 2020. In this article we also share how we used these tips to recognize one of our own team members and promote employee engagement throughout our organization.

Most employers would agree that it’s important to be proactive when it comes to workplace safety. But, do you know why it is so important to identify, measure, and improve the most significant leading indicators, so you can prevent safety incidents before they occur? Capturing historical data, developing predictive trends and determining ROI will help to keep your employees safe and this derivative is crucial for many reasons.

Service award programs are meant to celebrate success, relationships, and promote recognition. However, some programs lack excitement and others may not be loved by the ones that participate in them. If your current years of service program is not engaging your employees, it’s time for a program upgrade. Discover how you can improve your years of service program from the traditional off the rack approach. 

Historically, sales incentive & recognition programs have been treated as an afterthought instead of a strategic initiative.

One key to a positive work environment is the ability for employees to feel comfortable and inspired. Environments that allow employees to express their ideas and collaborate openly with coworkers can boost employee morale and overall engagement. By encouraging employees and giving them a voice, you can foster a positive work culture and gain fresh and exciting new ideas. 

When working with remote teams, it may be difficult to find ways to support and excite your team from home. Even though you may be interacting with your team more via virtual communication, some employees may be missing the social aspect of the workplace as well. As a business leader or HR professional, you can develop a strategy for celebrating your employees even when working remote. Learn our tips for boosting employee morale through virtual office celebrations.   

Having an environment where employees may feel down or uncertain about the future, building employee morale can help shape company culture and ensure motivation in the workplace. If your employees are currently in low spirits, try implementing some of our employee morale boosting activities to improve overall energy and encourage your employees. It appears we're coming out of this thing. The COVID... We will be returning to a "normal" soon. However, our people will be slightly different. Morale will be an issue.

Let’s take a quick look at some of the top tips from around the industry for a successful and effective Years of Service Recognition program:

At C.A. Short Company, like most, we have been watching the world and national events surrounding the COVID-19 virus. Like you, we are making the very best decisions, day by day, for our people and for our customers.

Are you looking to improve productivity in your workplace? 

One of the most effective ways to make your business successful and to exceed expectations of your clients is to keep employees happy.

Were you the kid at school that always did their homework on time and never got recognized for it? The injustice that you probably felt still exists even in the workplace.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last five to ten years, you’ve been hearing the terms “employee recognition platform” and “employee recognition software” pretty much all over the place. The realization that employee recognition and encouragement is a vital part of success in retention and recruitment has taken over the world of human resource management. But what exactly is all the buzz about?

Here are some creative and low-cost ways to recognize your high-performers and encourage a positive and supportive organizational culture.

1) Just say thank you

For my fourth and final blog in this series, C.A. Short Company asked me to discuss the single most important tip for activating an organization’s motivational engine. The engine was designed to function within a tribal setting, so creating such a setting is a MANDATORY first step for activating the engine.

More than 80 years ago, C.A. Short Company decided that we would do things differently. At a time when employers were demanding more and more from their employees while offering them less and less, we believed there was a better way.

There’s a natural ebb and flow to human motivation-- no matter how contented your employees are, and no matter how fulfilling they generally find their work to be, there will be lackluster days when key people feel a little down and the general mood of the office suffers. Knowing this ahead of time is half the battle won, though! A forward-thinking approach to compensating for the inevitable motivational lulls can keep your team from completely succumbing to the doldrums.

The dust of the Christmas season has barely settled, but it’s already time to start thinking about gift-giving again! Administrative Professionals Day (once known as Secretary Day) is moving in fast. This year’s date is Wednesday, April 22nd-- right around the corner! Are you ready for it? Do you have a list of gift ideas, or plans for otherwise recognizing the people that keep the gears moving smoothly in your organization? Let’s assume that you don’t need to be convinced that your secretaries, assistants, clerks, aides, and all-around office miracle workers deserve to be recognized and feted royally, and just jump right in with some ideas!

It’s an exciting and dynamic time in the world of business. There’s a generational hand-off occurring in the workplace, as more and more Boomers retire, Gen X moves into leadership roles (51%), and (by 2025) Millennials pass the seventy-five-percent-of-the-workforce mark. With this inevitable movement comes a tectonic shift in the fundamentals of workplace expectations, and the desires and goals of modern employees. Managers and business owners who want to lead in their industries must ride the wave of these changes. To be successful in this rapidly changing world, you have to be out in front, leading the way, in the areas that matter.

Social Media. Love it or hate it, there’s no denying it’s become an integral part of society-- including the modern workplace. And while there are plenty of negatives we could complain about, there are also advantages that can contribute to the overall growth of a healthy, supportive social structure within your workforce. If the thought of memes, inspirational quotes, and cute cats cluttering up the communication channels of your office make you break out in a cold sweat, just take a step back and give the concept a quick second look.

Have you ever brought in a potential new employee, shown them around your business, made your pitch, and felt confident that they were committed, only to receive a disappointing email the next day, letting you know that you’d lost another great recruit to your biggest competitor? Have you ever lost a fifteen year employee to a start-up with no idea what caused them to ditch the stability of a lifetime career? This is a familiar story for an increasing number of HR Leaders, and a troubling one for anyone interested in the long-term stability of their organization. Constant employee turnover is a costly and inconvenient problem for any business seeking sustainable growth.

“Does employee recognition and engagement really work?”

This is a question we’ve been asked a lot over our 80-year plus history in the employee recognition and engagement industry, and it’s one we never get tired of answering. At C.A. Short Company, engaging and recognizing employees isn’t just our job – it’s our passion! Every morning we wake up with one goal on our mind – how can we recognize and engage as many employees as possible.

Studies have shown repeatedly that an atmosphere of encouragement and appreciation has a huge impact on employee performance, engagement and retention. Simple, yet personal methods for recognizing the work of your employees is the way to gain traction in these areas. Let’s take a look at ten creative, high value ideas for showing employee appreciation and promoting a healthy, purposeful atmosphere within the ranks.

A call from your spouse. A message from a friend. An email notification from your gym.

Life’s little distractions add up, and getting sidetracked at work can be an unavoidable annoyance. It’s easy to take for granted the pesky and seemingly unending diversions that distract us during the workday.

I didn’t expect my last post of 2018 to be about an old football game. And I guess, in many ways, it’s not.  

It’s about underdogs achieving the impossible. It’s about identifying what it takes to be successful and then doing it. It’s about what defines us, as a company and as people. And for C.A. Short Company, it’s all about our incredible employees and customers.

We’ll get into all of that a bit later. But first, football.

When it comes to identifying the benefits of employee engagement, there’s certainly no shortage of information. There are hundreds of studies, thousands of blogs, and millions of search results dedicated to the topic. You can easily discover how employee engagement decreases turnover, improves staff morale, and reduces safety incidents.

What you might struggle to find, however, is detailed information on how to measure your employees’ engagement impact on your firm’s overall productivity. We’re going to change that with today’s article!

Join us as we take a closer look at how small improvements in employee engagement can lead to big changes in productivity.

It’s hard to believe – 2018 is quickly coming to an end. Fall is already in the air, and the holidays will be here before you know it. That means your organization will soon have a tremendous opportunity to recognize and reward your employees for their hard work.

Are you looking to create the safest possible workplace for your employees? You’re not alone. We’ve spoken with thousands of companies that are seeking the same results. To get there, it will likely require a different path than you’ve tried in the past. So while the following tips will help you get there, they will require you to often think outside of the “safety” box.

Can a safety incentive program be OSHA®-compliant? If so, how can my company ensure these standards are met? What type of safety program is right for my business?

We hear these questions a lot because there’s a great deal of misinformation surrounding these topics. Today, we aim to clear up that confusion.  

For an agency that has been moving at a near-record pace this year, July and August proved to be exceptionally active months for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA®).  Recently, an OSHA official gave a long-awaited update regarding the processing of Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) applications. The agency announced it’s delaying the compliance date for certain provisions of its general industry beryllium standard. And finally, the administration released comprehensive FAQs and training videos on their 2016 silica rule.

Let’s dive in.

We are surrounded by machines.

I’m using one to write this article. Before I finish, my watch will alert me that it’s time to stand. I will likely hear Aurora – the tone my smartphone plays when I receive a new email – more than a dozen times.

Earlier this year we met internally to talk about how we see our role in safety incentives in the workplace. And the one thing we all kept coming back to is that we are "all-in" on helping organizations build a culture of safety that drives increased performance and job loyalty.

That's why we took our OSHA-Compliant Safety Incentive Program to the next level by partnering with ProcessMAP, the industry's leading data intelligence cloud platform for Risk, Health, and Safety Management.

One of the most effective means of improving engagement and safety at any organization lies in ensuring every employee knows that they’re a valuable member of the team. And while many businesses offer employees Years of Service awards when they reach significant milestones, most companies fail to provide their employees adequate recognition throughout the year.

If a business fails to utilize day-to-day recognition, they are making a crucial misstep that could have a significant impact on not just employee morale, but on their company’s bottom line. The following five tips are designed to help your company recognize employees without the need of a special event.

We are all connected.

At times, this is easy to forget. There’s always another email to send, phone call to return, or report to deliver. With so many tasks and responsibilities, it’s hard to remember there are actual humans involved in the process. That’s a crucial mistake.

So much of our success depends on others. There is power in our relationships, the kind of strength that only comes when we combine forces. Together, we prove that we are greater than the sum of our parts.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA®) has made many significant changes in 2018, and the agency shows no sign of slowing down. In the past few weeks, they proposed a new rule that could affect 100,000 crane operators, launched a database of workplace chemical information, and extended a major enforcement date. The U.S. Senate also weighed in, proposing a boost to the agency’s budget while also calling for the timely online posting of workplace fatalities.

One of the reasons I love working for C.A. Short Company is because they get it. They understand that a company’s greatest asset isn’t our intellectual property, production capabilities, or financial holdings. It’s our employees.

People Are Everything (PAE) is more than the name of our employee engagement, recognition, and safety platform – it’s the foundation of every decision we make. The best part is, we’re not alone!

There are many reasons I’m proud to work for C.A. Short Company.

We have a long and rich history in the employee engagement, recognition, and safety industry – with more than 80 years of experience. Every employee, from part-timers to senior members of management, starts their day with the same goal in mind – to improve the well-being of employees and companies across the globe. And, perhaps most importantly, we practice what we preach.

Something so simple – to say what you mean and mean what you say –  is a rare practice in today’s world. In the corporate landscape, it’s rarer still. Yet, at C.A. Short Company, it’s the standard. So when we recommend that our clients and prospects become involved in supporting their community, it’s because we have seen the impact it can have first hand.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve written a great deal about Safegagement™ and its role in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) sector. We’ve done this by tackling big issues head on – dedicating full articles to key concerns such as safety or turnover. But today’s post is different. Instead of further breaking apart and segmenting the data, we’ll put all those pieces together to see how Safegagement improves your employees’ lives, your customers’ health, and your company’s bottom line.

For nearly 20 years, C.A. Short Company has been a member and sponsor of Recognition Professionals International (RPI) – an organization that works tirelessly to reward and recognize employees around the globe. While it’s typically our CEO Jeff Ross who’s busy doing the thanking, he recently found himself receiving the recognition this time – taking home a significant accolade from the association.   

We’re proud to announce that Jeff has been named the 2018 Spotlight Winner for his ongoing commitment and support to employee engagement, recognition, and safety! 

Can you name your company’s greatest asset?

I’ll give you a hint. It’s not your streamlined processes, your patented intellectual property, or even the superior products you produce – it’s your employees.

It’s easy to take the products we use for granted. If we need a new toothbrush, we just visit the closest store. If we need a new television, we can order one online and it will arrive that same day. Some companies will even deliver groceries directly to our fridge.

But, what if there was no one to manufacture your favorite product? What if there weren’t enough employees to operate your closest fulfillment center? Or, what if there was no one willing to drive the product to your store or home?

The Consumer Packaged Good (CPG) industry is responsible for many of the products we use on a daily basis – from the food we prepare for dinner to the detergent we use to clean our clothes. For those products to reach our homes, they must travel through a variety of sectors, including manufacturing, warehousing, and transportation.

Each year healthcare businesses have a unique opportunity to honor their employees during National Nurses Week and National Hospital Week. With both celebrations falling the week of May 6 - 12, that means you still have some time to prepare.

To help you on your quest, C.A. Short Company has put together a list of last-minute (and cost-effective) ideas you can use during the big week. Let’s take a closer look at a few small ways you can make a big impact!

Your company gets it. You know your employees are the lifeblood of your organization; you understand how important it is to reward them for their hard work; and you realize just how critical it is to recognize your team for their years of service.

But when it comes to throwing a great service award banquet that makes a lasting impact, you could use a little help. Good news, C.A. Short Company has you covered with three ideas that are sure to be big hits!

While many truckers will drive more than three million miles over the course of their careers, few do so while working for just one company...or even two. Yes, by all accounts, turnover rates in the transportation industry are staggering.

Fines are on the rise, an agency is on a mission, and a landmark court decision is shaking everything up. What does all this mean for you? If OSHA® determines your business is a “repeat violator,” it could cost you an enormous amount in fines – regardless of when the violations occurred.

They come in early. They stay late. And day after day, your employees give it their all. Don’t they deserve a break? The answer is yes – and so do you!

Nearly 1.5 million. That’s the number of Americans who currently live in nursing homes and long-term care facilities across the nation. People who, in many cases, depend almost entirely on their caregivers – men and women who have dedicated their lives to helping others. Rarely is this an easy job.

Last week, United Airlines announced their plans to replace quarterly bonuses with a lottery rewards program. As you might imagine, their employees didn’t react favorably. In fact, the backlash was so severe, the company was forced to pause their plans almost immediately.

Chances are, you didn’t enter the medical industry just because you wanted a better parking space or a bigger paycheck. You joined the world of healthcare to make a difference, to save lives, and to change the world around you – one patient at a time.

Patient Safety Awareness Week, which runs from March 11-17, provides an awesome opportunity to do just that. To help you make the most of the big week, C.A. Short Company has put together the following resources, tools, and content you can use to participate in — and spread awareness about — the event.