RPI Best Practice Program 2009
Nomination Form
Deadline for Entries: December 1, 2008
Thank you for taking the initiative to nominate an organization for the Recognition Professionals
International, (RPI - formerly NAER) Best Practice Award. Before completing this nomination
form, please carefully review the RPI Best Practice Standards.
Eligibility and Application Fees
Organizations may self-nominate or be nominated by someone outside the organization.
Please note: A nomination of any organization other than its own must be with the nominee’s
approval. Recognition consultants or resource providers may not nominate client programs that
are available to the marketplace for sale, however a client organization that has put the
consultant’s program into practice and is currently using the consultant’s program is eligible,
even if nominated by the consultant.
Nominees must be willing to share their programs and processes with RPI, be audited and have
the results published. RPI Best Overall Award Recipients must be willing to present their
programs/practices in a one (1) hour presentation at the RPI 2008 Fall Summit, Chicago, Illinois.
The application fee for submission of a nomination is $150.00 for nominees who are RPI
members and $400.00 for nominees who are not RPI members. The non-RPI member
application fee will include a one-year RPI membership. The application fee should be
submitted with this Nomination Form.
Completing the Nomination Form
Part A asks for basic information about your organization.
Part B asks for specific information about your recognition program in the context of the specific
items covered by the Best Practice Standards.
All nominations must be submitted on this Best Practice Nomination Form and must be
accompanied by a program document and/or other relevant materials sufficient to demonstrate
that the program is documented as required by the Standards. These materials must be
submitted via the online form, in an electronic format to Christi@recognition.org or sent
on CD to the below address. Please use pdf or jpeg images and Word programs. Materials
must be submitted to:
Recognition Professionals International (RPI)
1601 North Bond Street, Suite 303
Naperville, IL 60563
To assist our judges, please keep the following two important points in mind:
1. Please give specific examples in the Nomination Form, whenever possible, to
supplement general statements; and
2. Please include specific cross-references in the nomination form to the supporting
documents and supplemental materials.
As you prepare this Nomination Form, please refer to the Best Practice Standards for more
specific guidance on each item
RPI Best Practice 2009
Nomination Form Deadline for Entries: December 1, 2008
Page 2
Part A: General Information
Name of organization: Accenture
Dept/Division/Section (if applicable):
Address: 161 N. Clark Street
City/State/Zip: Chicago, IL 60601
1) Number of employees:
2) The organization is:
3) Industry:
186,000
___ non-profit
___ government
_X__ for-profit
Consulting, Technology and Outsourcing
4) If we choose to study your organization, whom should we contact for more information?
Name: Aura Wynne
Position: Global Recognition Manager
Address (if different than above):
City/State/Zip:
Phone Number: (_312__)
693-5760
RPI occasionally transmits information regarding the Best Practice program via electronic
communications (Email).
I authorize the Recognition Professionals International (RPI) to send association Email communications
to my Email Address: Aura.L.Wynne@Acceture.com
RPI occasionally transmits information to its members via FAX communications.
I authorize the Recognition Professionals International (RPI) to send association FAX communications to
my Fax number: N/A
Who referred you to RPI?
How did you hear about RPI?
I am a current memeber
Nominated by:
Name: Aura L. Wynne
Organization:
Accenture
Address:
161 N. Clark Street
City/State/Zip:
Chicago, IL 60601
Email:
60601
Phone: (_312__)
693-5760
RPI Best Practice 2009
Nomination Form Deadline for Entries: December 1, 2008
Page 3
Part B: Program Information
Please complete each of the specific recognition program elements covered by the seven Best Practice
Standards:
Standard 1.
Standard 2.
Standard 3.
Standard 4.
Standard 5.
Standard 6.
Standard 7.
Recognition Strategy.
Management Responsibility.
Recognition Program Measurement.
Communication Plan.
Recognition Training.
Recognition Events and Celebrations.
Program Change and Flexibility.
All nominations are judged first on Standards 1 and 2, which are the basic elements of a successful
recognition program, and then on Standards 3 through 7, which treat specific program elements in more
detail.
Please respond to each item in the spaces provided below. If necessary, you may create additional space
below the item as needed.
Standard 1. Recognition Strategy.
1. Describe the organization’s recognition strategy. Include the specific recognition strategy
statement and describe how the recognition strategy links to the overall organizational vision,
mission, and values.
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Combining
unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and
extensive research on the world's most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help
them become high-performance businesses and governments.
In the past year, Accenture was named to:
• BusinessWeek’s Best Global Brands/Top 100 Brands (Accenture ranked #47 in 2008, up from
#50 in 2007).
• Fortune’s “America’s Most Admired Companies” in 2008 for the fourth straight year, third year in a
row finishing first in the Information Technology Services category
• Working Mother magazine’s “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” in 2008, which is six
years in a row.
Accenture’s High Performance business strategy is supported by the talent of our people. Simply stated,
our people make the difference. As such, attracting, retaining, developing and rewarding our people is
paramount to Accenture’s long-term success.
Engagement correlates closely with high-performing businesses. External research shows a strong
correlation between engagement and areas such as employee retention, employee performance,
customer satisfaction and business results. Having a highly engaged workforce also means that we are
delivering on our commitment to our people about their Accenture Career Experience.
Recognition is a driver of employee engagement, and as a result, critical that employees feel regularly
and genuinely appreciated and valued. Recognition aligns with our core values of Stewardship, Respect
for the Individual and Best People.
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Nomination Form Deadline for Entries: December 1, 2008
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Accenture’ recognition strategy is focused on building a culture of appreciation through a globallyintegrated recognition approach to:

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
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Align and integrate formal (Celebrating Performance) and informal (low cost/no cost) appreciation
strategies that communicate and reinforce behaviors associated with Accenture’s Key
Performance Factors.
Develop a collective consciousness and broader focus around appreciation and all leadership
contribution areas – particularly “people developers” – so that managers take the time to
appreciate great work and great effort, in addition to great results.
Create a story telling environment that models behaviors of appreciation and recognition
throughout the organization.
Eliminate/prevent silos and barriers by encouraging appreciation across virtual environments,
regions, functions and departments.
Imbed “appreciation” into the fabric of the organization so it becomes a natural component of an
employee’s everyday job.
Continually reinforce Accenture’s internal brand.
Promote greater communication between managers and employees – using appreciation – to
build trust and accountability.
Help managers easily recognize employees – and employees easily recognize each other.
Measure improvement in employee engagement and sense of alignment to Key Performance
Factors and corporate goals.
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Nomination Form Deadline for Entries: December 1, 2008
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2. Provide examples of how the organization provides a three-dimensional approach to
recognition through the following:
(See the Best Practice Standards for definitions.)
Day-to-day recognition:
Accenture’s Celebrating Performance program is a global program which has proved to be valuable tool
for employee recognition, motivation and engagement. Accenture people around the globe have
embraced the opportunity to offer their colleagues “any time” recognition.
This program is available for employees to celebrate and reward high performance (as described through
Accenture Performance Factors)– whenever and wherever it happens. Using Celebrating Performance,
all employees at all levels are able to send e-cards and e-certificates to their colleagues and supervisors
in recognition of superior performance on a project or task. In addition to e-cards and e-certificates, the
program utilizes reward points, granted by supervisors and career counselors to employees in
appreciation for a job well done. Accenture employees can also use Celebrating Performance as a tool to
recognize service anniversaries.
Accumulated points can be redeemed for merchandise or services such as electronics, furniture and
getaway packages, which are displayed in local catalogs. Merchandise and services are available for a
range of “point prices” so that people may redeem points immediately, or opt to save them for higher
“priced” items.
See Attachments 20 and 21 for sample ecards available to our employees through Celebrating
Performance. These ecards and designed consistent with Accenture’s high performance business
strategy.
Informal recognition:
At Accenture, Informal recognition is frequent occurance among teams and on at our client sites. Our
Employee Engagement and Recognition website houses recognition best practices which are largely
informal. Our supervisors and business leaders are implementing these activities, such as team lunches
or dinners upon achieving a milestone or completing a key deliverable.
Other forms of informal
recognition come in the form of spot awards which can be accompanied by a variety of rewards such as
flex time, time away from work to focus on friends and family, charitable contributions, etc… We also
promote us of our Celebrating Performance tool as a vehicle to send a simple “Thank You” to our
employees via customizable e-cards. This is key to our strategy as our employee’s voiced in our 2008
Global Employee Engagement Survey that their top two preferred forms of recognition globally are
Celebrating Performance points followed by “Thank You” for a job well done. We also have paper-based
recognition cards that our employees can have sent to them to facilitate the exchange of more personal,
hand written thank you notes.
Examples of informal recognition tips posted on the internal Employee
Engagement and Recognition website include:

Say THANK YOU even for the little things – a small thank you goes a long way

Remember to recognize; at the beginning of each day put three coins in your right pocket;
transfer one to your left pocket each time you recognize a team member; by the end of the day
the three coins should be in your left pocket
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Nomination Form Deadline for Entries: December 1, 2008
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
Set a goal today to identify what each employee on your team does best and recognize them
for it; provide greater work challenges and opportunities as appropriate

Bring in the perks - specialty coffee, ice cream, movie tickets; whatever small tokens will bring a
smile to faces

It’s never to soon to celebrate; welcome new team members with a celebratory event or a
personalized card

Bring back souvenirs from travels to give to team members

Be specific and considerate with recognition; name certain accomplishments and ensure
rewards are meaningful

Remember to recognize, even in tough times

Understand and leverage the internal recognition programs, tools and best practices available
to you, i.e. Celebrating Performance and best practices captured on the Employee
Engagement and Recognition website

When your team has to work into the evening or on a weekend, surprise them with a catered
lunch or dinner

Recognize individual or team accomplishments in front of others. Consider publicizing them in
an upcoming newsletter or highlight at the next team meeting

Send personalized hand written thank you notes to your employees

Recognize personal and family events and milestones within the team, e.g. children’s birthdays,
completing a marathon, etc.
Formal recognition:
Accenture’s Celebrating Performance program is an integrating program which offers day to day, informal
and formal recognition. Employees receive monetary or non-monetary rewards for performance based
contributions as outcomes tied to our validated Performance Factors which are behaviors predictive of
high performance. When employees receive a monetary or non-monetary award through Celebrating
Performance, their supervisor and Career Counselor are copied on the award so that they are aware of
the contribution and may take it into consideration as an input to the form performance management
process.
In addition to Celebrating Performance, Accenture offers over 200 global and local recognition programs
designed to increase the engagement of targeted groups of employees based on identified recognition
gaps and preferences as well as driven by business goals. Attachment 1: Recognition Inventory 2008
captures these programs and provides a brief description of each. Many of these programs do involve a
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formal nomination process, review committee and result in a formal recognition ceremony, such as the
UK Oscars program.
At Accenture, we are largely a virtual workforce with over 186,000 employees in over 200 cities, 52
countries and 13 geographies. In order to spotlight our recognition success stories and best practices,
we leverage targeted recognition communications and postcards, feature news articles for internal
publications and post key information, reminders and success stories on the appropriate internal
websites.
See Attachment 1: Recognition Inventory 2008
3. Provide examples of documented procedures for the following:
a) Process for identifying and recognizing day-to-day positive behaviors
Note: The program specific details captured in this application are those for our largest global recognition
program, Celebrating Performance. Any details required for the 200+ recognition programs contained in
the attached inventory can be provided, as needed.
Accenture’s Performance Factors are the organizing principle (and critera) on which the
global Celebrating Performance Program was established.
Accenture’s Performance
Management process includes evaluation of high performance outcomes and behaviors.
Performance Factors describe the behaviors. We felt it critical to reinforce these critical
behaviors through our recognition program, thus linking it to our corporate goals and high
performance business strategy. Performance factors are workforce and career level specific.
See Attachment 2: Accenture Performance Factors for detailed descriptions of these factors.
These descriptions are also embedded in the Celebrating Performance platform such when a
manager or employee initiates the process to send an ecard or point award, they select the
appropriate performance factors and the description is automatically displayed to ensure the
contribution is appropriate for the factor identified.
b) Nomination, selection criteria, notification, and tracking procedures
As desicribed above, any employee can send any other employee (globally) a Celebrating
Performance award. A key design principle was to ensure the process and toolset was
simple. This is required for our diverse and virtual workforce. There is no formal nomination
and selection process for Celebrating Performance as we put the power of recognition in the
hands of our employees for this program rather than a review committee. The rewards are
for the people by the people and each employee has the authority to evaluate another’s
contribution
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Nomination Form Deadline for Entries: December 1, 2008
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Accenture has numerous examples of formal programs which follow the traditional process of
nomination forms, selection committees, etc… which we are happy to provide as required to
support this application. What is unique about Celebrating Performance is that it breaks
those traditional barriers and empowers our people to appreciate each other across levels on
a peer to peer, supervisor to employee and employee to supervisor basis. Our engagement
surveys tell us that this is what our employees value and what engages them in the area of
recognition.
In essence, we empower every employee to demonstrate appreciation and
increase the engagement of their colleagues through recognition at Accenture.
The Celebrating Performance website contains the program guidelines, terms and conditions
and FAQs to support the program is attached (Attachment 3). Additionally, our documented
guidelines for Human Resources regarding proper use of the program at contained in the
Celebrating Performance Usage Guidelines (Attachment 6). Extensive self service and
centrally managed reporting options are available to suppor Celebrating Performance. The
attached reporting job aid (Attachment 4) describes these reports available within the tool.
Our off shore recognition support team in Buenos Aires also provide custom analyses and
report to support employee and leadership requests related to our recognition program
offerings.
c) Award selection
As per above, employees are individually empowered to select the individuals who meet the
criteria to receive a performance award by evaluating their contribution against the
performance factor descriptions provided.
4. Describe the overall recognition program objectives and how they align with the recognition
strategy.
As stated above, the Celebrating Performance is designed to recognize above and beyond, high
performance contributions.
Our objectives during strategy development for this program were as follows:
 First, we wanted to expand rewards for “day-to-day” performance beyond the top 30 percent of
our people (which is the model of our performance management process as a meretocracy)
 Second, we wanted to institutionalize our Performance Factors as the standard for recognizing
effective behaviors
 Last, but certainly not least, we wanted to improve our employee engagement metrics
Our program achieved all three of these objectives within year 1 (2007). Our initial white paper
developed to document program intent is attached for reference (Attachment 5) which articulates the
desired outcomes and considerations.
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Nomination Form Deadline for Entries: December 1, 2008
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There is a clear and visible tie between the Celebrating Performance program and our overall
Recognition strategy. The program is first and foremost tightly linked to our high performance business
strategy, it is targeted to increase employee engagement and it is designed to meet the needs and
recognition preferences of our diverse and virtual employee population.
5. Describe how the organization builds continuous improvement into its recognition programs.
Continuous improvement is front and center in recognition in general as well as within Celebrating
Performance. The measurement section of this application describes our Global Employee Enagement
Survey which contains a section focused on recognition. The outputs of the survey are the leading data
points used to review the effectiveness of our recognition programs and learn what we can do to expand
our recognition offering and increase engagement. Additionally, in 2008 Accenture engaged in a global
effort to inventory recognition programs and activities in order to share best practices across the
organization and streamline efforts and realize associated cost savings. Finally, the recognition team
hosts monthly calls with the key recognition contacts within each geography to gather local feedback to
ensure we are offering the right mix of global and local programs that are having the desired impact on
the hearts and minds of people locally.
For Celebrating Performance specifically, we have hosted quarterly focus group discussions with HR and
employees to gather feedback on program effectiveness and gather information to ensure the program
remains relevant and attractive to our people.
Additionally, we survey a cross section of our workforce
monthly to gather their feedback on the program and gain insights as to how we can improve.
Standard 2. Management Responsibility.
1. Describe senior management’s role in defining and documenting the organization’s
recognition strategy and policies.
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Nomination Form Deadline for Entries: December 1, 2008
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Recognition at Accenture is embedded with our core values. Specifically, our value “Respect for the
Individual” references the expectation of giving people recognition for a quality job and saying “thank
you.” Our core values are truly part of the fabric of our organizational culture. They define who we are
and what standards we hold ourselves and each other to. These are not HR goals, but rather the
fundamental expectations of our employees supported by our CEO, the Executive Leadership team and
all employees globally.
Accenture’s Executive Leadership Team has been involved in defining and
supporting Celebrating Performance from the beginning of initial strategy and design discussions. Upon
reviewing employee ratings and comments in the area of recognition taken from our 2006 Global
Employee Survey, Accenture’s leaders saw an opportunity to address a perceived gap in engagement.
The Executive Leadership Team made a significant investment (both in visible support and financially) in
the development and delivery of a standard, global recognition focused on the performance of our people.
This was Celebrating Performance.
To demonstrate their commitment, Accenture’s COO personally
championed the program globally through communications and web-based video. With the support of
these global leaders in place, local support soon followed, demonstrated both through HR and business
leaders. A global campaign was executed, including leadership communications, to generate excitement
with our employees and position the program for early adaptation and sustained success.
2. Describe how senior management has identified and allocated adequate resources to
manage and maintain the recognition program.
Describe these general roles and
responsibilities.
Accenture leadership has established a recognition function with HR by expanding the engagement
function to Employee Engagement and Recognition.
This global function has 3 full time dedicated
resources to support the development and execution of the global recognition strategy as well as provide
operational oversight and support for the global Celebrating Performance program. The responsibilities
of the gobal recognition team include:
•
Design and deliver the global recognition strategy focused on instilling a culture of recognition
across Accenture
•
Drive design and implementation of the mix of global and geography specific recognition
initiatives and solutions
•
Manage Celebrating Performance program operations and enhancements
•
Drive resolution of escalated Celebrating Performance program, customer service, fulfillment and
site issues. Perform trend analyses.
•
Communicate functional, program and vendor scorecard metrics to stakeholders
•
Manage vendor relationships
•
Provide Celebrating Performance reports and data analyses to internal HR and business leaders
•
Educate HR and employees on the Celebrating Performance program
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Nomination Form Deadline for Entries: December 1, 2008
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•
Guide HR and business leaders on how to accomplish their recognition goals
•
Research and communicate recognition best practices internally and externally
In addition to the global resources, recognition is a key responsibility of the Employee Engagement and
Recognition HR contacts established within each geography and business entity. At the business level
and on the client sites which are closest to our people, the Project People Advocate role has been
established to focus on the engagement and retention of our people at individual client sites.
Accenture also invested over $30 Million to support Celebrating Performance in year 1. This figure as
grown proportionately to headcount since launch.
3. Give examples on how recognition is part of management reviews and agendas. Describe
how senior management holds managers responsible for constructively participating in
recognition.
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Nomination Form Deadline for Entries: December 1, 2008
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As Recogntition is a driver of engagement, business leaders are provided with their Global Employee
Survey recognition results for their area of responsibility annually.
targeted action plans are established as necessary.
These results are reviewed and
The global recognition team also performs an
expanded analysis of survey results as an input to global and local action planning.
Additionally, the HR Internal Report described in the measurement section of this application is circulated
to top HR leadership and higlights key performance indicators for the Celebrating Performance program.
HR leaders are instructed to analyze program performance within their area of responsibility and partner
with our business leaders to establish action plans to address performance gaps, as appropriate.
At the individual manager level, all employees are accountable for their performace as a “People
Developer”, which is a key leadership contribution area within Accenture. The performance management
process and evaluations are designed to measure an employees contributions as a People Developer
and reward them appropriately for their performance in this area. Recognition falls within the description
of People Developer.
Finally, business and HR leaders utilize standard Celebrating Performance reports to track participation of
our supervisors and leaders.
Reports inform leaders as to which employees and supervisors are
recognitizing our people and fully utilizing the resources and budget available to them as well as those
who are not participating. Targeted communications and emails are distributed to increase uptake and
remind supervisors and leaders of the importance of their support for the program and the corresponding
impact on the engagement of our people. At the very top, our CEO reviews a report of the Celebrating
Performance participation of the Executive Leadership Team to ensure our leaders are fully supporting
the program and modeling the recognition behaviors we want our managers and people to demonstrate.
4. Describe how senior management supports the recognition program, communicates their
support to all employees, and is personally involved in the program.
Leadership communicates their support for the program through town hall meetings and conference calls,
targeted local communications (see Communication section below for samples) and by role modeling the
desired recognition behaviors.
reviewed at the very top.
As stated above, participation in Celebrating Performance is tracked and
This happens within each local geography and business unit as well.
Accenture’s Executive Leadership team is provided with additional recognition budget based on their broad
leadership role and scope of responsibility which they use to personally recognize a large pool of
employees directly as a mechanism to both demonstrate support for the program as well as model desired
recognition behaviors.
Our entire population of over 4400 Senior Executives are also provided with
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additional recognition budget for the same purpose.
Even with the substantial business investment
Accenture has made in the Celebrating Performance program, our leaders want more.
The global
recognition team receives a high volume of requests from business leaders to purchase additional
Celebrating Performance “budget” (points) so that they can further leverage the recognition program and
tool to demonstrate appreciation while having a positive impact on employee engagement at the country,
entitly, client and team level.
5. Describe how senior management periodically reviews the recognition programs to
determine effectiveness.
Senior management reviews the Global Employee Survey results for recognition on an annual basis, the
monthly HR internal report described above, the standard and custom reports available through the
Celebrating Performance website and the Celebrating Performance scorecard described in the
Measurement section below.
Standard 3. Recognition Program Measurement.
1. Describe how your recognition program results are linked to recognition strategy and
program objectives and then measured for effectiveness. The measures should be statistically
valid and substantive in nature. (Examples could be nominations per communications dollar,
level of participation in programs, productivity increase per recognition dollar, and employee
feedback through surveys, etc.) Be sure to include at least one year of data.
As stated in the strategy section, fundamental to Accenture’s Recognition strategy is the measurement of
improvement in employee engagement and sense of alignment to Key Performance Factors and
corporate goals. Recognition and Celebrating Performance specifically are measured via the following:
 Global Employee Survey (Annually)
 HR Internal Report (Monthly)
 Celebrating Performance Scorecard (Quarterly)
 Celebrating Performance Customer Satisfaction Survey (Monthly)
Global Employee Survey
Each year Accenture actively engages our employees in providing direct feedback through our Global
Employee Survey (GES). The GES is the main vehicle Accenture uses to globally assess employees'
engagement and how they perceive their overall career experience with Accenture. The survey is one of
the most visible ways for people to let leadership know how they feel about Accenture and their work
environment.
The 2008 GES results were significant overall as well as in the area of recognition. According to an
independent analysis of surveys from more than 2000 companies, Accenture’s increase in engagement
this year positions them within the range for high performing companies.
In 2008, Accenture expanded the recognition category within the GES in order to assess not only whether
or not employees feel recognized for the contributions but also how often they are recognized and what
their preferred forms are recognition are.
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Another key change to the survey this year was the option to identify colleagues who have been role
models in developing our people. Nearly 53,000 employees globally were recognized for making an
important difference to the people around them. These employees will become the target population for
customized global and local recognition efforts to recognize their contributions as people developers.
Overall, the results of the Global Employee Survey allow Accenture leadership and Human Resources to
focus the efforts in the area of recognition and appreciation so that we are directly meeting the needs
expressed by our people and implementing programs and toolkits which will have the most significant
impact on increasing their engagement in this area.
The 2008 Global Employee Survey Results for Recognition are contained in Attachment 7. This
document describes in detail the specific questions asked which measure recognition at Accenture as
well as the results and themes across our workforce.
HR Internal Report
The HR Internal Report is distributed to Accenture’s HR leadership team and reports on the performance
of key HR and people initiatives. Key Performance Indicators for Celebrating Performance are included
in this report in order to enable HR leaders to keep a pulse on program performance and inform our
business leaders and engagement in action planning as appropriate. A sample of the HR Internal
Report is contained in Attachment 8.
Celebrating Performance Scorecard
The Celebrating Performance Scorecard will be distributed to the designated Employee Engagement and
Recognition contacts with HR beginning in January 2009. This scorecard is intended to be shared with
business leaders at the geography, country and business entity level, as appropriate. It is designed to
highlight performance against Key Performance Indicators for the program as in input into local action
planning. A sample of the Celebrating Performance Scorecard is contained in Attachment 9.
Customer Satisfaction Survey
The Celebrating Performance Customer Satisfaction Survey is a key element of the overall vendor
partner scorecard developed to measure the performance of our preferred external recognition vendor.
This survey is distributed monthly to a random sample of employees who have participated in the
Celebrating Performance program by receiving a recognition award and redeeming points earned for
goods and services available in their local country rewards catalog. A sample of the survey questions is
contained in Attachment 10.
2. Describe how the organization documents employee and manager participation in
recognition programs and include at least one year of participation data.
Employee and manager participation in Celebrating Performance is docucmented within our standard and
ad hoc reports. The reporting job aid (Attachment 4 ) describes each of the standard participation reports
available.
A sample report, Award Summary By Geography, is contained in Attachment 11.
This
parameters and data columns for this report are explained in detail within the reporting job aid. Individual
employee and manager data is available in the by user reports. However, data privacy laws prohibit
distribution of individual results externally.
3. Describe employee and manager satisfaction ratings with the organization’s recognition
programs. Explain how employee satisfaction was measured. Include at least one year of
data and/or a summary report.
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These results are contained withing the 2008 Global Employee Survey report described above (and
detailed in Attachment 7).
Standard 4. Communication Plan.
1. Describe the organization’s overall strategic recognition communication plan, its goals and
programs. Include specific information about branding, methods, frequency and content of
communications.
The Celebrating Performance communication plan is contained in Attachment 12. As stated within the
plan, the high-level global recognition communication objectives are that Accenture employees at all
levels:

Understand the importance and benefits of recognizing day-to-day behaviors and actions;

Establish a stronger recognition culture, including establishing a tighter and more recognizable
link between engagement and recognition. This includes driving more localized, targeted
recognition practices and communications building off of the 2008 Global Employee Survey
recognition related feedback.

Continue to support operations and drive successful uptake of the Celebrating Performance
program.
The plan is a fluid, working document maintained in partnership by the Global Recognition and Marketing
and Communications teams.
In addition to the detailed communications contained within this plan,
Celebrating Performance overview presentations are embedded the agendas for town call meetings or
conference calls, local (location specific) community or office meetings, integration activites and
numerous other local forums. Additional local, targeted communications are not included in this global
plan, but rather developed and communicated as required to support local education and uptake
initiatives.
2. Describe any tools or media used to communicate the recognition program (examples
include internet and intranet, presentation or trainings, bulletin boards, posters, video, CD, email, literature, telephony, etc.)
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A series of Celebrating Perofrmance “teaser” communications were distributed to employees leading up
to the Celebrating Performance was launch in January 2007. These were distributed via email postcards
and memos (sample contained Attachment 13). In addition, large posters and balloons were distributed
and posted in local Accenture offices globally (sample contained in Attachment 14). Upon launch, all
employees received a link delivered to their computer through our proprietary Accenture Connections
technology which drew them to the Celebrating Performance website to view the official launch video
featuring our COO as the champion of this new, global employee program.
During the first year, communications were primarity focused on educating our employees on basic
program rules and guidelines as described above through community and town hall meetings, calls and
webcasts. In year two the communications strategy has shifted to communications focused on program
success.
To celebrate the success fo the program after only a year in operation, Celebrating
Performance earned a prestigious spot as a headline news article for Accenture’s global internal portal
accessed by employees globally (Attachment 15). Additionally, local “story line” communications were
developed to for local distribution at the country level to tell the real stories of our award givers and
receivers in an effort to relate to our target audience and generate excitement and program uptake
(sample communication in India contained in Attachment 16). Where appropriate, Celebrating
Performance communications are distributed under the global brand established to consistently capture
the sprit of the program and establish brand recognition (Attachment 17).
Standard 5. Recognition Training.
1. Describe the organization’s overall recognition training strategy for managers and employees
and its role in the organization’s recognition strategy. Describe how the organization has
committed resources to the training. Include examples of training curriculum, literature,
materials, videos, etc.
Human Resources professionals were trained on the Celebrating Performance Program through
proprietary Accenture webcast technology. Managers and employees were educated about program
fundamentals through local town call, community and team overview presentations (see Attachment 19)
and launch communications.
Although these overview communications and training materials were
vital to program launch and continue to be used for integration purposes or refresher training sessions,
Accenture people work in unique and fast-paced virtual environment which requires new, creative and
engaging communication tools which appeal to them culturally.
Attachment 18 is an example of a
Celebratign Performance video created to generate excitement and encourage program uptake. This
video is a clear example of how our communications strategy is tightly integrated with our High
RPI Best Practice 2009
Nomination Form Deadline for Entries: December 1, 2008
Page 17
Performance Business Strategy.
2. Give examples on how the recognition training has met its objectives, how it has been
effective, and the results achieved.
As a result of the educational launch communications and educational materials, the Celebrating
Performance website achieved an 82% log in rate during its first year of operation.
industry benchmark data for first year programs of this nature.
This exceeds
Rather than continue to force ongoing
training attendance, the educational materials and program guidelines are embedded within the
Celebrating Performance website itself. The traditional model of classroom training is not successful nor
feasible in our fast-pased, virtual workplace. Putting the information in the hands of our employees real
time, when they need and where they need it, has proven to be a far more effective strategy in terms of
educating our people.
Standard 6. Recognition Events and Celebrations.
1. Describe the process for celebration, event planning, and/or award ceremonies to recognize
employees,
Celebrating Performance was established as a global program designed to meet the needs of our diverse
workforce. By design it is a virtual tool, free of required traditional on site rewards ceremonies and
events. Our employees told us in the 2008 Global Employee Survey that they do not value these events
as well as other forms of recognition and prefer the focus to be on receiving the virtual awards and
promoting more frequent use of an informal “Thank You.” However, beyond Celebrating Performance we
have numerous recognition programs in practice that include virtual and on-site celebrations and award
ceremonies.
For example, the UK and Ireland Oscars program described in the global recognition inventory are
presented with “Oscars” trophies as part of an awards ceremony built around the Hollywood awards show
theme.
Another example of a local awards celebration takes place in Bangalore, India where our
employees who are celebrating their two year service anniversary with Accenture are treated to an
extravagant evening of entertainment including their extended family members and popular local
celebrities. These activities, where appropriate given our environment, have proven to have a lasting
RPI Best Practice 2009
Nomination Form Deadline for Entries: December 1, 2008
Page 18
impact on the engagement of those being recognized.
Given the nature of our workforce and global reach, the most popular form of public recognition is given
through employee spotlight communications. As an example, top Celebrating Performance award givers
and receivers are featured in numerous communications and postcards which are driven locally.
2.
Describe how the organization has assigned responsibility for event planning and
implementation.
Event planning at Accenture is handled by contract employees who specialize in this industry. Business
leaders and HR professionals planning or facilitating on site award events or Celebrations utilize the
expertise of our contract event planners for this purpose.
3. Describe how the events demonstrate creativity, management involvement, and include any
event documentation – including photos, newsletter stories, etc.
Please see the description of the UK Oscars program and anniversary recognition in India above.
Examples of creative, local communications highlighting the stories of our award givers and receivers are
referenced in the communication section above.
Standard 7. Program Change and Flexibility.
1. Describe the regular process to review and evaluate recognition program elements and
change them as needed to promote the organization’s goals and values.
The measurement section above describes our performance criteria for Celebrating Performance and
recognition programs overall at Accenture. The most critical input to strategy development and evolution
are the results of the Global Employee Survey. Additionally, recognition performance is reviewed on a
monthly and quarterly basis as it is critical to ensure our offering is both effective and attractive to our
employees. The Celebrating Performance platform was also built to be scalable so that we can further
leverage the program beyond its current core intent as the recognition strategy evolves along the journey
to create a culture of appreciation across Accenture.
As the business strategy and/or priorities of
Accenture shift to meet the ever changing demands of our clients and industry, recognition needs to be
prepared to shift focus accordingly.
We believe at Accenture that our people initiatives, including
recognition, need to be relevant to our employees, which requires evolution to meet changing preferences
and business climate.
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Nomination Form Deadline for Entries: December 1, 2008
Page 19
2.
Describe how the organization has adjusted recognition to meet the diverse needs of
individuals and teams. Please describe the process, any significant changes that have been
made, the reasons for the changes, and how the changes have affected the programs.
Since the launch of Celebrating Performance, multiple enhancements have been released to
accommodate the changing and diverse needs of our employees and HR administrators. A key example
of this change is the introduction of a service anniversary recognition component to Celebrating
Performance.
We received feedback from our key HR contacts as well as directly from employees
through focus groups and other methods that there was a perceived gap in recognition for their Accenture
service anniversary. As a result, the global recognition team worked with each geography separately and
then as a collective, global team to design a standard service anniversary offering. This was introduced
as an enhancement to the core program and is currently available to our employees through custom ecards in Celebrating Performance as well as auto generated reminders of approaching anniversaries
distributed to supervisors.
Regarding recognition in general, our Global Employee Survey results have told us that our focus in 2009
needs to be on informal recognition. As a result, our strategy and priorities have been modified to include
this key element. Additionally, the global recognition team is engaged in strategy discussions with each
geography individually to discuss survey and data results and establish action plans for informal and
other recognition initiatives.
This approach allows us to more closely examine the needs of our
employees at a more local level so that we can target a mix of global and local solutions to meet their
recognition preference and focus on increasing their engagement in a meaningful and relevant way.
Is there additional information about the recognition program that would be helpful for us to
consider?
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Nomination Deadline:
Completed Nomination Forms with application fee must be postmarked by December 1, 2008:
RPI Best Practice 2009
Nomination Form Deadline for Entries: December 1, 2008
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RPI Best Practice Committee
1601 N. Bond Street, Suite 303
Naperville, IL 60563
Christi@recognition.org
If you have any questions about the Best Practice Program or the nomination process,
please contact RPI Headquarters at 630-369-7783 or Christi@recognition.org.
RPI Best Practice 2009
Nomination Form Deadline for Entries: December 1, 2008
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2007 RPI Best Practice Application Fee Form
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