Developing employee recognition programs that work for parks and rec agencies
No matter the size of a park agency, all of them struggle with resource needs. However, what some people often don’t recognize is that the most valuable resource of any organization is its employees. At the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB), a 2015 assessment of employee satisfaction resulted in the formation of a dedicated staff team to boost employee morale. This was the beginning of an effort to create a culture of recognition and appreciation throughout the agency.
Identifying Opportunities
The MPRB employs roughly 600 full-time, certified staff members and approximately 1,000 seasonal staff annually. Leaders took the results of the employee work culture and climate assessment seriously, working with staff members across the organization to create an action plan divided into focus areas. One of these was recognition of employees. Although three actions were included in this category, an ongoing recognition of employees has had a long-lasting impact. In February 2016, 11 employees who represent functions across the agency of all levels and tenure formed a Recognition Team. “As an employee, I struggled with feeling valued, and recognized that there wasn’t enough recognition of employees’ good work. It was important to me to have that voice, to help make sure that the employees, including me, felt valued at MPRB,” says Melissa Fly, a founding member of the Employee Recognition Committee.