What an exciting morning! Our team was recognized for the second straight year as one of the 25 Best Medium Size Companies to Work for In America by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Great Place to Work Institute.

I couldn’t be more proud of our folks and it was a thrill to accept on their behalf. There are some tremendous companies on this list and to be amongst them is pretty incredible.

All the great conversation and thinking about topics related to people/business/culture inspired by the SHRM Conference prompted me to pull together this quick list of several Blue Papers (which are our version of white papers, but if you’ve seen our Blue Boxes around, you’ll know why we chose blue instead!) we’ve published.

These papers will get you thinking – and maybe even implementing – which is a good thing given the critical nature of the topics involved!

• The Power of Recognition
• Teamwork Matters
• Employee Recognition
• Employees as Brand Stewards

The SHRM Annual Conference and Expo is THE event in Human Resource Management – it’s the world’s largest exposition dedicated to the HR profession.

It’s a huge show – but to me its size is proportional to the importance of human resource management to every business. 

My first exposure to this show was last year when we were named one of the Best Small & Medium Companies to Work for in America (7th on the 25 medium sized companies) – honestly one of the most thrilling days ever – an honor for our team and an honor to represent them. It was wonderful to meet and be surrounded by so many people who truly recognize that people make the difference, and therefore professional, thoughtful and strategic human resource management is a fundamental building block of success.

This year, not only do we have folks from 4imprint attending the show as part of their professional development in HR, we’re also displaying at the expo for the first time as promotional products work in a variety of HR applications – recruitment, recognition programs, wellness programs, safety programs, corporate events and community outreach and much more. We got the booth set up yesterday (which always takes longer than you think it should!) with plenty of samples to look at and many more to giveaway (if you’re going to the show we’re at booth 3346-3348). I’ll be there when the expo opens this afternoon, and will be there tomorrow as well. Mary (our HR leader!), will be there from time to time (when she’s not at a seminar or checking out other booths) and John and Guenevere will be there throughout (thanks guys!).

I’ll be posting any additional thoughts (not only on the HR side of things, but also the trade show marketing side as well) while I’m here . The show atmosphere has also inspired me to pull together all of the HR/People/Culture papers we’ve published in one nice, handy post. We’ll get that out a bit later. 

I’ll get updates out via twitter as well if you’re interested. You can follow me @4imprintklt 

Thanks to The Oshkosh Northwestern Editorial staff for recognizing our ‘silver’ award for worksite wellness from the State of Wisconsin. We’re proud of the award and it was especially nice for our Oshkosh area folks to see it mentioned positively by others.

You can read about the program here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 1, 2009

For more information, contact: Brenda Haines or Heidi Strand, Communications

(920) 230-2583

Promotional Products Distributor 4imprint Releases ‘The Power of Recognition’ White Paper

Keys to Building an Employee Recognition Program that Works

(OSHKOSH, Wis.)—Looking for the silver bullets for employee motivation? Psychologists and management consultants say achievement, recognition and professional growth strongly and directly influence workplace satisfaction and motivation.

According to a WorldatWork survey, 89% of the companies are running an employee recognition program. According to Roy Saunderson, president of Recognition Management Institute and author of Giving the Real Recognition Way, that’s why company leaders are often puzzled when employees give the company low marks.

Saunderson says it’s important to distinguish between rewards and recognition. He says practicing ‘rewards’ but not ‘recognition’ leaves employees and team members longing for more.

“A lot of this is the please and thank you concept that mum taught us,” he said. “If you’ve done something noteworthy, don’t we just say thank you?”

Tangible rewards work best when they accompany recognition and opportunities for professional development, according to Dr. Aubrey Daniels. Daniels says rewards “anchor the memory” of exceptional performance, serving as a visual reminder to recipients that their effort and accomplishment is appreciated.

The Blue Paper^SM, 4imprint’s version of a white paper, profiles several different rewards options employers are using, ranging from on-the-spot cash bonuses to use of a MINI Cooper.

“This Blue Paper highlights many ideas that help employers bring out the best in their teams,” said Mary Curtin, vice president human resources, 4imprint. “And, by doing that, they’ll also get the most out of their rewards program.”

About 4imprint Blue Papers^SM

4imprint Blue Papers^SM are in-depth, how-to articles, distributed to 4imprint customers to help their organizations succeed. Accessible at www.4imprint.com/bluepapers, Blue Papers^SM have covered popular, cutting-edge topics such as podcasting, online social networking, search engine optimization (SEO) and guerilla marketing.

Most Blue Papers^SM also have corresponding podcasts which can be downloaded at the Blue Paper^SM Web site or through iTunes.

About 4imprint

4imprint is part of 4imprint Group, Plc, a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange, and serves more than 100,000 businesses with its innovative promotional merchandise throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, log on to www.4imprint.com.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number one reason people leave their jobs
is because they don’t feel appreciated. Shocking isn’t it? Or maybe it isn’t. We all want to
feel valued—it’s part of human nature.

Download PDF

With all of the business decisions that you face in a day, focus on the one element which serves as the lifeblood stage for business differentiation, growth and success.

Download PDF

NOTE: Originally I was going to do 12 ’mini-case studies’ about some of our customers, but we’ve got many more than 12 so I’ll just continue to post them over time. Love the ‘we set our standards and stick to them’ quote in this one. It’s a very simple statement, but incredibly powerful if you actually operate that way!

Growing Minds, Preparing Youth
Trinity Christian Academy, Dr. Marsha Barber

Trinity Christian Academy of Willow Park, Texas, isn’t your ordinary college preparatory school. Because, instead of preparing high school students only, TCA starts as young as possible – with Pre-kindergarten youth.

In fact, its approach has become so popular that every year the school has begun to add another class to each grade to accommodate such tremendous growth.

“We have waiting lists for some grades because we simply don’t have the space,” said Dr. Marsha Barber, chief administrator for Trinity Christian Academy. TCA plans to accommodate such growth through building another facility to house middle and high school students, fueled by an ongoing capital campaign.

But, TCA wasn’t always home to more than 400 students. When the school first opened in 1993, it had only 10 elementary students on its school roster, taught by two teachers.

Dr. Barber credits Trinity Christian Academy’s growth to its small class sizes, strong academics, character training and Bible-based curriculum. In 2008, TCA celebrated its 15-year anniversary.

“We put a good product on the market and do what we say we do,” said Dr. Barber. “We set our standards and stick to them!”

And, it’s paying off, as 100 percent of TCA’s last three graduating classes are currently attending colleges around the country.

Trinity Christian Academy also witnesses growth as a result of using promotional products as a way to spread awareness throughout the community, and as tokens of appreciation to grandparent organizations as well.

“Word of mouth has been the best form of advertising in establishing a good reputation in the community. Promotional items are great ‘thank yous’ and ‘leave behinds’ at community organizations,” expressed Dr. Barber.

Workforce for the Future
Odle Management Group

Leland Missionary Baptist Church held its 7th Annual Youth Tent Revival July 28-July 30, 2008.
Reverend Cecil A. Poe is the Pastor.  OMG was on hand for the entire event lending a helping hand.
The Community of Brightmoor attended the sessions held from 6:00 p.m. -9:00 p.m.  Many of the
youth in attendance were introduced to Job Corps for the first time.  Sisters Lori and Constance
Darby were excited learn about the Single Parent Program available at the Flint Genesee Job Corps
Center.  They completed an intake application and are planning to move forward in the enrollment
process.  Two new additions to the OMG Job Corps family.  It was a successful event.

Simply put, Lisa Odle and her team give 16-24 year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds the skills they need to succeed.

The Scottsdale, Arizona-based company recruits young men and women for education, training and job placement, under a contract with the U.S. Department of Labor Job Corps program.

Some dropped out of high school.  Others lack job skills or independent living skills.

Odle Management Group helps fill the gaps, helping young adults become self-sufficient and succeed in the workforce.

“The ultimate goal is to place them in meaningful careers, so they become self-sufficient,” said Lisa Odle, President and Founder, Odle Management Group.

Odle spent most of her career working in the Job Corps program.  Working in both regional centers and the corporate office, she gained a sense for the importance of innovation in programming and recruitment.

Odle Management Group mixes traditional newspaper and radio ads with ads on MySpace, city buses, door-to-door information drops.  Outreach counselors connect with guidance counselors, immigration agents and others to broaden their referral network.  Community festivals and outreach fairs are important recruitment events.

Promotional products help raise awareness about the programs and boost enrollment.

At outreach events in metropolitan areas, the team hands out sun visors, umbrellas or CD cases to entice attendees to learn more about Job Corps.  When outreach admissions counselors make visits to guidance counselors, immigration agents and others who interact with 16-24 year-olds, they distribute goofy pens.  When students enroll in the program, backpacks emblazoned with the Odle Management Group logo help them keep their papers in order.

In 2004, the company had one Department of Labor contract and recruited 2800 young adults.  By 2007, the company had identified and trained nearly 9,000 young adults at Job Corps Centers in 5 states.

“We are consistently applying our best and promising practices,” Odle said.  “That has been a large part of our growth and development for the past three years.”

Nothing Less Than the Best
ADS Corporation

When working for the Office of Naval Research (ONR), ADS Corporation sticks by its tried and true motto: We hire the best, expect the best and strive to be the best.

And, it’s paid off. ADS Corporation has been providing support to ONR since 1996 and has quickly grown from an initial three-person company to now more than 20 employees. The company’s dedicated team provides financial and budget analysis, engineering, science and technology program management and special process studies to ONR on a regular basis.

“A lot of times customers don’t want us out of their sight because we provide such outstanding support!” said Traci Ince, vice president of sales and marketing for ADS Corporation.

Ince credits the company’s success to the impeccable standards set and upheld by President and CEO Garry Perkins. ADS Corporation employees believe that quality is everything, and anything less than perfect is unacceptable.

“Your deliverables in a services-type industry speak for themselves,” expressed Ince. “Everybody wants to do well and provide valuable input and deliverables to their customers. Our customers respect our employees and value their services.  ADS has many internal rewards programs in place so you want to succeed and thrive!”

One such reward program, titled “On the Spot Awards,” honors employees who go above and beyond their normal job description with an immediate $250 bonus and a certificate of appreciation. Other reward programs include an end-of-the-year profit sharing bonus, a wellness reimbursement program and a “new employee welcome kit” that is stocked full of promotional pens, coffee cups, lanyards and a logo’d polo shirt. Coming in 2009, ADS will instate flexible spending accounts as well.

Incentive reward programs at ADS Corporation have contributed to a heightened sense of employee worth, morale, increased production and overall customer satisfaction. And, not to mention, significant company growth as well.

“We now have a reputation for bringing in the right people to do the right job,” said Ince. “Competition is fierce and ADS has really had to shine and show our services are superior, and it’s paid off in repeat and new customers.”