With the announcement of the ‘50 Best Small & Medium Companies to Work For’ today at the SHRM Conference, many of us were debating and sharing ideas about what makes a company a truly ‘great place’. I posed this question via twitter:

“in 140 characters or less, what makes a company a great place to work?”

Here are a couple of the responses:

@imbrimful said: What makes a place one of the best places to work? Flexibility and caring, kind managers that take interest in their employees

@tlcolson said: decision autonomy within your sandbox, results oriented culture, “right-sized” company, market based comp/benefits

Jack Welch (at the Sunday keynote) stressed trust and communication (amongst a few other more colorful thoughts!).

What’s your take? Comment here or let me know via twitter:  @4imprintklt. It’s an important topic.

Especially in today’s economic climate.

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

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.