Example 1: Monthly hero from Zappos
Zappo’s has an extremely effective formal recognition method that it calls ‘Monthly Hero’. In this program, every employee of the company is given $50 which he/she is supposed to give to another worker or employee for his/her efforts or excellence in performance. The managers or executives then pick one name among the employees who have received the $50 from others and name him/her ‘Monthly Hero’. Then a mini-parade is held to announce to everyone who that Hero of the month is. The hero then receives a $150 gift card, a cape to wear and a covered parking space as a reward.
Example 2: Learn from your employees as well
Another amazing example of an effective formal recognition program is the ‘Giraffe Award’ which is awarded by an agency to those employees who stick their neck out by taking risks, accepting challenges and inspiring others to follow suit. The whole idea behind this award is to encourage high performance and contribution from employees and to create a sense of ownership of the place among the workers.