Employee of the Month (and other well-meaning mistakes)
From personal experience, I can confirm the Employee of the Month is alive and well. My grandson works at McDonald’s. His photo went up on the wall. The family were delighted. He was less convinced. Which rather sums up the scheme.
I have never been comfortable with the idea.
It doesn’t sit easily with how we talk about work. We say it’s all about teamwork. Collaboration. Shared goals. Then we pick one person and stick their picture on a noticeboard somewhere between the rota and the out-of-date fire drill instructions.
It feels a bit staged. Like choosing the “best” member of a relay team. Yes, someone crossed the line. But they didn’t run the whole race.
And what exactly did they do?
That’s often unclear. Ask the winner and you may get a modest shrug. “Just doing my job.” Admirable. But not especially useful. Recognition is meant to reinforce behaviour. If no one is quite sure what behaviour is being recognised, the lesson is lost.
There is also the small matter of embarrassment.
Some people enjoy the spotlight. Many don’t. Having your photo displayed at work is not universally seen as a reward. For some it’s mildly awkward. For others it’s a reason to avoid the staff room altogether.
Then there’s the question no one quite asks out loud. Why them?
Which is where a well-meaning scheme starts to wobble. If recognition feels arbitrary, it divides rather than motivates.
It all has a faint echo of primary school. The gold star for “trying hard” and “being positive”. Charming when you are nine. Slightly patronising when you have a mortgage and a performance review.
And have you noticed? We don’t do it for managers. They get bonuses. No photo. No certificate. Just money. Which tells you what the organisation really values.
To be fair, the intention is good. Recognition matters. People want to feel noticed, valued and appreciated. The evidence backs this up. Only around a third of employees say they receive regular recognition for their work, according to Gallup. Those who do are more engaged, more productive and more likely to stay.
But schemes are not the same as culture.
You can’t outsource appreciation to a monthly ritual and hope for the best. If recognition only happens when HR sends a reminder email, it’s not recognition. It’s compliance.
There are better ways. Most of them are simpler. And cheaper.
Start with being specific.
“Handled that complaint well” beats “great attitude” every time. People need to know what good looks like. Vague praise is easily ignored.
Make it timely.
If you wait a month to say well done, the moment has passed. Recognition should be immediate. Or at least soon enough that people remember what they did.
Keep it human.
A quick word. A short email. A genuine thank you. Delivered properly, that will land better than a laminated certificate ever will.
Recognise the team.
Most work in local government is a team effort. Say so. Mean it. Share the credit. It builds trust and avoids the awkward “why them?” question.
And involve colleagues.
Peer recognition often feels more real. People know who helped them out. Who stayed late. Who made things easier on a difficult day.
Most of all, expect more of managers.
Poor management remains the biggest barrier to organisational performance. And one of the simplest signs of poor management is this: only noticing people when a scheme tells you to.
Good managers don’t wait for Employee of the Month.
They notice. They say thank you. They are specific. And they do it often.
Employee of the Month is not the worst thing an organisation can do.
It’s just a bit lazy.
My grandson got his moment on the wall.
What he really valued was something much smaller. His manager saying, “I saw what you did. Nice job.”
No photo required. And no need to wait until the end of the month.
