Workplace
Success Stories - Best Practices 2002
Recognition
Strategies for a Diverse Workforce
| Practice Name: Annual
Organization-wide Events |
Workplace
Issues Addressed: |
Description of the practice
With the help of staff volunteers, the UHS administration
sponsors annual organization-wide events that cater to their 400
employees. These events give UHS multiple opportunities to recognize
and thank their employees for their year-round contributions.
Benefits
of adopting the practice
An employee writes: "The events provide the organization
with multiple opportunities to recognize and thank staff for year-round
contributions. They also make it possible for staff to interact
with other staff who they might not otherwise cross paths with
in their day-to-day work. Many of the events have been memorable
occasions and contribute in many ways to making the Tang Center
a great place to work. Both the organization and staff benefit
from increased staff morale and a heightened sense of community
and place." This practice meets the needs of a diverse workforce
in the following ways: There is employee input in the process.
The events are inclusive. Event times are varied to capture largest
workforce. Services are pared down and volunteers staff essential
services so that all can participate. Even retired employees are
invited to attend.
How
this practice works
This practice needs administrative support and staff or volunteers
to plan, coordinate, and organize events. If all events are catered
there will be a need for funding--or there could be a potluck.
Invitations should be extended to all (including retirees) and
employees should be encouraged to bring their family and friends.
Close offices or pare down services so that everyone can attend
events. Special features include: Fall Orientation (August): an
inspirational guest speaker, a diversity exercise, staff potluck
and partially catered lunch, senior managers work as food servers;
Holiday Party (December): musical entertainment, display tables
portraying how the holidays are celebrated by different cultures,
catered light food and refreshments; and Staff Appreciation (May):
awarding of University service pins with a "roasting"
of pin recipients pieced together by fellow staff members, catered
lunch.
What
you need in place to replicate this practice
A department needs organizational values that support diversity.
Management support and funding. Commitment to be inclusive. Support
of staff volunteers.
Tangible
improvements to the department as a result of adopting this practice
Employees feel acknowledged, improves morale, and there is
a greater sense of community. There is more camaraderie and a
celebration of differences. These events provide networking/opportunity
for employees to reconnect with folks they don't see every day.
They improve the organization culture overall in an inclusive/supportive
environment. An employee writes: "I love Fall Orientation
Day. It's a time to reconnect with our peers and to learn what's
new with them and the organization. I think it's very important
in many ways and really helps us do a better job."
Why
this practice was so successful and is worth replicating
Anecdotally, people say that these events are fun and make them
feel acknowledged. Also these all-staff events are inclusive of
staff at all levels and provide regular times during the year for
people who wouldn't come into contact with each other ordinarily
to get together in a large way. All employees are invited. All offices
close down except for the essential ones. The administration makes
arrangements so all can attend by getting volunteers for example,
to keep Urgent Care open. They make efforts to include as many people
as possible. For example, although evening workers are invited to
attend these noontime events, it is challenging for them to attend
the luncheon. So for the holiday events UHS tries to schedule them
toward the evening so that folks who start work in the late afternoon
can attend. For the lunchtime events, UHS saves food for the facilities
folks and puts it away for them with a note. Sometimes the supervisor
will stay a little late and present them with the food from the
luncheon.