Community Forum – Reward & Recognition Programs

What is the optimal researcher reward and recognition program?

We are considering a new researcher rewards and recognition program at my company, and we would like to learn more about programs others have used. Items of particular interest include:

• Insight into how frequently to have a formal recognition event;
• Should awards be monetary, a commemorative plaque, or a gift item?
• What dollar values have you used?
• Have you seen your program to be a motivator?
• Are there things that have not worked?

Thank you for your thoughtful tips. – Research Director at a chemical & services company

Community Responses

Morgan Baker, Draper Labs Engineer​
How frequently to have a formal recognition event: Once a year seems ideal. Any more often than yearly makes the award seem trivial, and any less often makes waiting seem interminable. Yearly gives workers a reasonable amount of time for development without too much anticipation time.

Should awards be monetary, a commemorative plaque, or a gift item? Yes… a plaque is great but it should be coupled with some type of tangible reward. If the budget allows the reward to be a substantial amount, then money is best (money is always a good motivator). If the budget allows for only a couple hundred dollars or less, then gifts are best (people view gifts more like a prize and not like compensation).
What dollar values have you used? I’ve seen amounts ranging from $25 gift cards to $10,000 bonuses. Just depends on the scope/budget of the recognition program and also the company’s perceived added value due to the research accomplishment(s).

Have you seen your program to be a motivator? Yes. Workers actually tend to care more about being appreciated and feeling that their work matters than they do about their paycheck. This is only intensified when the workers in question are highly skilled, educated and hard-working.  Are there things that have not worked? Not that I’m aware of.

Sridhar Ranganathan, Kimberly-Clark​
We have an annual peer-recognition event at the department level that recognizes both hard scientific work and soft aspects such as mentoring. We use plaques and trophies but do not have any monetary component to this. The program has been viewed as a motivator, at least to a portion of the department, to conduct better quality scientific research and to improve documentation of results. In addition, we also have periodic performance awards on an as-needed basis with a modest monetary component (~$100s) for specific exceptional activities though these are not publicly announced.

Have a response to add?  Email us!