Case Study | Using Recognition Programs to Inspire Employees
Link Property Management revitalized its employee recognition program by transitioning from Google chat to a dedicated LMS platform called "Actions That Inspire," enabling real-time tracking, easy nominations with culture-based badges, and fun incentives to reduce burnout and strengthen company culture across multiple locations.
Using Recognition Programs to Inspire Employees and Revive Culture
The Challenge
Capturing Employee Recognition Effectively
Link Property Management is a rapidly growing property management company based in Ohio, with offices in Columbus, Toledo, and Jacksonville, Florida. Established in 2015 as a real estate management firm, they now serve over 50 communities, helping people manage housing throughout the Midwest and Southeast. The company emphasizes internal accomplishments, adherence to company values, and aims to motivate employees through an engaged company culture. Their goal is to foster camaraderie, connection, and excitement, especially during times when burnout is prevalent.
Previously, LINK nominated employees who embodied their cultural values using Google’s chat feature. However, this method made it difficult to track recognition, refer back to specific messages, and valuable information was often lost amid daily business communications.
The Solution
Actions that Inspire
To minimize burnout and generate excitement, LINK needed to ensure employee recognition was being fully utilized. This required improving their ability to track recognition messages across company locations, capturing recognition in real time, and highlighting team acknowledgments.
LINK revived their employee recognition program by moving the process from Google chat to a designated spot on their LMS (Learning Management System). They created easy-to-use processes and introduced fun incentives, naming the program Actions That Inspire.
Easy Navigability and Easy Use
To nominate someone for Actions That Inspire, employees log in to the LMS and click the prominent ‘Submit a Nomination’ button on the sidebar. This leads to the nominations page, which features a quarterly countdown clock for nominations, sections for individual and team nominations.
For individual nominations, employees can choose from one of five badges based on LINK’s culture code:
- Actions that Inspire
- Always Ask Why
- Make Authenticity a Daily Practice
- Own the Outcome
- Play for Each Other
Each category allows employees to view previous nominations and make new ones. Nominees receive a badge for the company value they embodied.
Increasing Recognition Tracking Abilities
By relocating their recognition program, affirmations are no longer lost in chat threads. Appreciation is now captured on an employee’s profile with a badge representing one of LINK’s five core values. These snapshots of recognition allow employees and management to refer back and remember accomplishments.
Since the recognition program is integrated into LINK’s LMS, management can easily track data associated with the page. Reports can be generated instantly to see who was nominated, for what, and when, as well as to determine engagement rates. The badges, reflecting cultural values, also help management identify which values may need more emphasis within the company.
Upholding Company Culture and Team Morale
At the end of each quarter, directors pull a report based on badges and nominations, announcing winners at the quarterly town hall meeting. To further incentivize and gamify the experience, badges equate to points that employees can save for the next quarter or spend at the employee swag shop for prizes. Prizes range from company swag and apparel to a PTO day. Since these rewards are for those who embody company values, LINK effectively incentivizes employees to uphold company culture.
The Benefits
Inspired and Appreciated Employees
Previously, LINK’s management had to constantly remind employees to nominate teammates for awards, making the recognition process difficult to organize and track. After implementing Actions That Inspire on their LMS, they exceeded their nomination numbers in just one quarter without prompting team members. The process is easier to navigate, has increased visibility and impact, and offers clear incentives. The program is fun, reduces employee burnout, highlights the culture code, renews employee inspiration, and increases connection among team members.
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