Case study of employee recognition at KeySpan

RECOGNITION PROGRAMMES

Case study of employee recognition at KeySpan

KeySpan, the fifth largest distributor of natural gas in the United States, has all the recognition programmes you would expect, but it's the way it seeks to recognise "unsung heroes" that sets it part, according to a recent issue of US human resources magazine Workforce Management.

The company aims to recognise employees who may not have stood out in a high-profile project, but who are still members of the team, working in the shadow of more visible accomplishments by other but indispensable to the company's success.

KeySpan combines a somewhat unconventional "unofficial approach" to employee recognition with an official approach, which is a "model of best practice", writes Matthew Gilbert, the author of the Workforce report.

KeySpan's recognition programmes

The CEO Award, given collectively once a year, honours approximately 200 employees selected by their peers for exemplary contributions to corporate goals. The Above & Beyond Award honours managers and employees for exceeding "corporate expectations in support of department/division goals and project delivery." The Pride in Workmanship Award cites employees who exemplify corporate values, personal commitment, site leadership and work support. The People’ s Choice Award recognises both individuals and teams. Successful new ideas, whether they yield qualitative or quantitative results, are given Suggestion Awards. Most of the programmes are open to both managers and employees, rely on nominations from peers as well as department heads, and feature gifts and cash awards of up to $5,000.

Source: "Recognizing unsung heroes", by Matthew Gilbert, Workforce Management, November 2004.

Want to know more?

Title: "Recognizing unsung heroes", by Matthew Gilbert, Workforce Management, November 2004.

Availability: Workforce Management magazine is published monthly. For subscription services, tel: 001 313 446 0450 (USA: 888 448 1422). Contact the online editor Todd Raphael for more information, email: raphaelt@workforce.com.

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Posted 22 November 2004