The case study found that Intuit’s employee recognition program “Spotlight” helped create an exciting

performance-driven culture in just three years. “Spotlight” also helped motivate Intuit’s workforce of
8,200 global employees through relevant, meaningful, on-the-spot rewards that are tied to company
values. Globoforce provided strategic guidance, as well as the technology behind the program.

"The ‘Spotlight’ program nicely brings into focus two related issues: is recognition valued when it is
scarce, or does it work better when it is frequent, and whether recognition works best when it is a
'surprise' or when it is expected by employees," said Hayagreeva Rao, the Atholl McBean Professor of
Organizational Behavior and Human Resources at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

The study demonstrated the effectiveness of Intuit’s strategic “Spotlight” program, which produced:

More rewards: Awards given at Intuit jumped by 400 percent within the first three months.

More recipients: 85-90 percent of all eligible Intuit employees received an award within two years.

Immediate recognition: Company wide rewards immediately recognized a job well done. Rewards were
linked to business outcomes, uniting employees behind a common goal.

More choices: “Spotlight” provided a variety of gift card options, which were preferred over cash,
enabling employees to choose from thousands of desirable, locally relevant gifts in the categories of
stores, restaurants, entertainment and travel outlets – even charitable donations.

Widespread acceptance: By the end of 2007, the program was ingrained into Intuit’s culture.

"Saying ‘thank you’ in a meaningful way is a powerful lever as part of an organization's overall
performance feedback mechanisms," said Jim Grenier, Vice President, Human Resources, Intuit. "Having
the right tools that are easy for employees to use can increase adoption of a rewards program. Most
importantly, however, is how the different pieces of a program are all connected to drive the right
messages to teams and individuals, while building momentum for success and growth."

The Intuit “Spotlight” business case, used as a teaching tool in a new course at Stanford Business School
on managing employees for competitive advantage, is designed to help graduate business students
understand how employee recognition can positively influence a company’s culture and bottom line.

“Employee recognition may seem easy to implement, but most companies wrestle with the how,” said
Eric Mosley, CEO, Globoforce. “This study illustrates the power of employee recognition done right.
Intuit’s program united employees around core values, empowered its workforce to publicly recognize
others, and rewarded employees with desirable gift cards. Moreover, it was championed by
management and reinforced through ongoing communications. These are the keys to widespread
adoption and shaping a performance-driven culture.”
Every year, the software giant hosts a company-wide award ceremony at which
the Failure Award is bestowed on a team whose unsuccessful idea resulted in
valuable learning

Millenials –

By 2020, more than 50% of the employees in the workforce will be millennials.

They are creative, technologically advanced, multi-taskers, and critical thinkers.

They do not mind long working hours and are always seeking new challenges

Millennials want to get their jobs done efficiently but also quickly.

They want to have immediate results of their good work and hence instant
recognition for the job!

Organizations must comprehend the drivers on which millennials are aligned.The

employee-employer relationship must go beyond the conventional once-in-a-blue-
moon work review.
Introduction to the Employee Recognition Framework:

Purpose -

A Focus on Driving Business Results

An Empowered and Engaged Workforce - recognition is intended to demonstrate to
employees that they are appreciated and their work is valued - Ultimately, this can improve
employee engagement, which can increase employee performance, satisfaction and retention.
An Attractive Culture

Before moving on from this section of the Framework, ask yourself and
your colleagues the following questions.
• What are our organization’s top three business goals?
• Which behaviors do we need people to engage in to help us reach
those goals?
• How can we ensure that the recognition program is encouraging
employees to engage in those behaviors?

Gain some awareness of the agency’s attitudes about reward and recognition; 2. Measure current
reward and recognition patterns; 3. Determine the gap between current and desired patterns; and 4.
Identify the personal recognition patterns of agency leaders

Additional information that you may want to gather would include responses to the following questions
from selected senior managers:  How free are people to comment on one another’s behavior and
contributions?  Would you consider your feedback process to be a plus in your organizational culture?
 Are you pleased with your agency’s current situation?  Do your agency’s communication patterns
encourage recognition?  If you could make changes to improve communication, and thus recognition,
what would these be?

10 - We live recognition – it is embedded in our culture. Everyone freely recognizes each other through a
myriad of recognition vehicles that are in place within the organization.

7- We acknowledge the importance of recognition in our organization’s philosophy. There is an

organization-driven recognition program in place. In addition, some of us do the spontaneous peer-to-
peer things.

5- We are average – there is formal, agency-driven recognition program(s) in place and most people are
comfortable with it.

3- We do a little – the agency head gives some awards each year to recognize what we’ve done. A few
top performers are identified.

1-Recognition? No need to recognize anyone- a true professional knows his own worth and doesn’t
need that type of thing.
Why people are not recognized –

The reason forthis is three-fold. First, many employees do not know what they have

to do to be recognized – either they do not understand or were never

told. Second, some employees just do not meet the requirements to

be recognized. Third, employees who should be recognized are not

because an employee’s manager does not want to spend the time or