CUTTING E.D.G.E. WORKFORCES

Successful employee recognition programmes reinforce a company’s core values by recognising and rewarding employee results that reflect those values.  A powerful approach to recognition can align an entire workforce behind a company’s key goals and mission, directly impacting company performance and building a satisfied employee – and customer – base. 

By engaging their employees through recognition, companies bind workers more tightly to the organisation and increase employee retention rates, thereby reducing the costs of recruiting and training new employees. Studies show that engaged employees stay on the job longer, are more productive and conscientious, make fewer errors and are more personally invested in helping their company achieve its mission. 

To create a culture of appreciation and employee engagement, companies are turning to employee recognition solution providers like Globoforce.  Global Crossing is one company that is making strides in strategic employee recognition. Global Crossing, a leading global IP solutions provider, is focused on delivering a high-touch and personal connection with its customers regardless of where they are located in the world.  The company is equally committed to its employees by fostering a culture of appreciation among its workforce by making a strong commitment to its employee engagement and recognition efforts.   

Global Crossing’s recognition programme, called E.D.G.E. (Employees Driven to Global Excellence), is designed to give more than 5,000 employees across the world the opportunity to recognise each other for going above and beyond their expected responsibilities to achieve outstanding business results. The new programme replaces an older version that was primarily merchandise-based.  The new programme’s certificate-based model allows employees from around the world to acknowledge each other through a graded level of recognition – ranging from a simple thanks to a bronze, silver or gold-level award.  The certificate-based platform provides for timely recognition, acknowledging the extra employee efforts in close proximity to the results Global Crossing wants to reinforce. 

As Global Crossing’s worldwide footprint grew, the need for an equally global employee recognition solution increased.  Employee recognition has always been a core internal value at the company, but managing a program that would be both culturally relevant and desirable to all employees became an increasing challenge. After an employee recommendation and extensive research, the company overhauled its E.D.G.E. program and reintroduced it to employees in January 2008 with the help of Globoforce.  

Globoforce is a provider of on-demand, global, strategic employee recognition solutions for Global 2000 companies. The company delivers an innovative, easy-to-use software solution that engages employees across the globe, transforming the way enterprises motivate their workforce.  Leveraging Globoforce’s powerful on-demand software, Global Crossing created a simple, centralised process to reward employees in multiple countries with relevant, meaningful awards.  Different from the old merchandise-based programme, the E.D.G.E. programme offers awards that are digital, instant, and in the form of gift cards, gift certificates, or cash.  Equitable awards are now available in every geographic region and can be used by all employees to choose a personally meaningful and culturally relevant reward anywhere in the world. 

In addition to flexible choices, rewards can be combined, used in part, given away to family and friends, put towards an item, or even given to a charity.  Employees can do more with their awards than ever before.  Awards can be given in a variety of values or even as non-monetary pats-on-the-back in the form of thank-you notes, enabling more rewards to be given to more employees.   

“We have a culture of recognition, and employees regularly recognise their peers for going above and beyond,” said Bruce Colligan, vice president, Human Resources, Global Crossing.  “Today, we have a programme in place that allows us tremendous flexibility in the form of award certificates, including the ability to deliver them in multiple languages and currencies. We are very proud of the effort and creativity that our project team has put into developing this programme.” 

Global Crossing’s new E.D.G.E. programme has been up and running for six months.  Adoption of the program has been quick and widespread: more than 1,500 awards have been issued since the launch of the revamped programme.  Every employee – from senior executives to associates – is encouraged to reward individuals or teams for their contributions to the company and demonstration of its corporate values.  Global Crossing is seeing employee participation increase as it promotes winners through its Internet site called The Crossing and as word of mouth spreads.  

A successful employee engagement strategy creates a winning equation across the board. Employees from every facet of the organisation will experience new levels of job satisfaction and the company itself will reap the rewards of a motivated staff energized to align their efforts toward the company’s vision and mission.  It is truly the next ROI opportunity and delivers a measurable impact on the bottom line. Kicking off an ongoing program in your organisation can lead to new, high impact results. 

As Globoforce vice president of Global Strategy, Derek Irvine has specifically advised clients in the development of their strategic employee recognition programs, working with such global enterprises as  Avnet, Dow Chemical, Intel, Intuit and Thomson Reuters.