Employee Recognition for Social Workers

Employee Recognition For Social Workers

What is it about our profession? We take the time to recognize the achievements our clients make, but we spend very little time recognizing our colleagues for their achievements within the profession. It's high time for social workers to engage in some good old fashioned employee recognition! It doesn't have to be expensive or time-consuming to recognize the outstanding contributions of the Social Workers in your department.

Not only do Social Workers make a difference in the lives of others;
they also make a difference in each other's lives!

Employee Recognition Ideas For Social Workers

Hold a quarterly meeting devoted to publicly recognizing the achievements of the entire organization's social workers. Consider starting a Super Social Worker award.
Grab some social work Greeting Cards or Postcards and put notes of appreciation in the mailboxes of your hard-working colleagues. Or use them as invitations to a special employee recognition event.
Pick up some gift certificates for a popular local restaurant or order in pizza for the staff as a token of recognition for their efforts.
Incorporate humor into your recognition off employee accomplishments. You can find humorous items specific to Social Work at the Fried Social Worker Store. Items for general office humor can be found at Office Playground.
Put formal recognition of employees' achievements in their personnel file.
Recognize your supervisees or colleagues with framed motivational art for their office. Present the employee with their gift publicly with specific mention of the employee's achievements.
Pick up the phone and tell a Social Work colleague or supervisee that you not only noticed how hard they're working, but that you sincerely appreciate it too.
Post a note of appreciation on the company's intranet or in your organization's newsletter.
Commit random acts of recognition. Surprise a colleague or supervisee with a Social Work Mug filled with candy or chocolate. Leave it on his/her desk with a note of appreciation.
Recognize your employees' achievements by paying for their attendance at a conference or seminar that meets CEU licensure renewal requirements.
Play "Button Tag" at weekly staff meetings. Get a Social Work Lapel Button and bestow it on a Social Worker. Tell him/her in specific detail what you appreciate about him/her. Allow that Social Worker to wear the pin for a week. The following week, the Social Worker who was "pinned" the previous week publicly pins it on another worker and says in front of everyone why the next Social Worker deserves to wear it. Try this or something similar to promote collegial recognition of each other.

Find low cost Social Work products here.

Read more about Employee Awards here.

Return to Celebrate Social Work page.