mgmgrand-integratingbestrecognition.docVIP

MGM GRAND - INTEGRATING BEST RECOGNITION PRACTICE YIELDS MEASURABLE BENEFITS A Recognition Professionals International White Paper Every year Recognition Professionals International (formerly The National Association for Employee Recognition) honors organizations that exemplify standards of recognition program excellence. The 2007 Best Overall Recipient is MGM Grand Hotel Casino, which excelled in all seven categories. The organization institutes effective employee recognition practices consistently and MGM Grand officials believe these practices are instrumental in continuously improving employee satisfaction. The company’s program has increased revenue, decreased employee turnover, and led to an ever more positive experience for their guests. Recognition Professionals International 7 Best Practice standards of recognition program excellence are: Recognition strategy, Management responsibility, Recognition program measurement, Communication plan, Recognition training, Recognition events and celebrations, and Program change and flexibility. The standards reflect thorough research that included examining successful recognition programs, reviewing academic literature, and conferencing with experts. They are meant to provide guidelines for the creation and evaluation of recognition programs for all organizations. MGM Grand’s Director of Slot and Employee Events, Bette Gaines-Snyder, started working at the company in 1993 as a tour guide. She has been promoted 15 times and knows, firsthand, how recognition affects profit. “You can’t put an actual number to it,” she said. “But I would say that at MGM Grand we have found that recognition is important business. It is clear that effective recognition, in all its forms, strongly enhances morale and ultimately increases productivity in the workplace. When you have an effective employee recognition program, that makes for good business and everybody wins.” The MGM Grand recognition program consi