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Free pizza was often seen by bosses as a useful way to reward staff. Then came the memes, which carried an underlying tone of resentment from workers.
The online jokes take on many forms but the premise boils down to the idea that a few slices of pizza is an inadequate reward for a job well done, a poor substitute for better compensation and are too often used to Band-Aid over a toxic culture.
The corporate pizza party has come to symbolize a patronizing attempt at low-cost employee recognition. In some cases, it could backfire, reinforcing negative feelings about workplace culture.
“A team is burnt-out, they might be understaffed, they’re hitting impossible deadlines, they’re pushed to the limits – and all of a sudden management shows up with a surprise pizza party,” says Muni Boga, chief executive officer of Calgary-based recognition platform Kudos.
Mr. Boga says there’s nothing wrong with pizza parties, or other food rewards, but they don’t address the real issue at hand.
“If people have sacrificed their time, their energy, their well being, you can’t buy goodwill with a pizza,” he says.
Employees who go the extra mile feel like they deserve more than a slice of baked dough, but in the current economic climate few employers have the budget to do much better.
In a recent survey conducted by Kudos, 64 per cent of managers and HR leaders said budgetary constraints are limiting their ability to recognize and reward employee contributions.
Key to providing a meaningful reward that won’t break the bank is an intimate understanding of your staff’s needs and preferences, Mr. Boga says.
“Recognition needs to be timely, it needs to be meaningful, it needs to connect with the person – and we have to tell people why what they do matters,” he says. “If you’re simple and sincere, it will have an impact.”
By consulting with staff, Mr. Boga says employers can better identify those rewards that can have the biggest impact, even on a limited budget. For example, some staff may want to be recognized with more responsibilities and opportunities for future advancement, while others would prefer a few extra vacation days or a summer Friday program. Some might be interested in free or discounted company products and others – such as working parents – may prefer more flexibility and remote work options.
Mr. Boga adds that it’s important to ensure recognition is spread evenly, especially to those who are in less visible roles, such as frontline and remote workers. He says regular recognition can feel more sincere than those that arrive at predictable moments, such as during the holidays or in annual performance reviews.
“It’s about making it part of your everyday culture,” he says, adding that peer-to-peer recognition programs, which allow colleagues to shout-out each other’s contributions, can help embed that culture. “If we’re trying to create a positive workforce culture and a great recognition program, everybody needs to be a part of.”
Regular, sincere recognition may not be enough to compensate for inadequate compensation, says University of Toronto sociology professor Scott Schieman.
“If you’re not getting what you feel is fair compensation then the ‘thank yous’ and the gratitude fall flat,” he warns.
That’s especially true when the organization is performing well, but the rewards aren’t flowing down to the staff members who contributed to that success.
“If you’re making so much money, what is morally owed back to workers?” Prof. Schieman asks.
Even if monetary rewards aren’t in the budget, Prof. Schieman emphasizes that some form of recognition is usually better than nothing, but says employers may want to either steer clear of pizza parties or at least acknowledge the cliché.
“Even a small bonus in the form of recognition can go a long way – and it doesn’t have to be large to contribute to people’s sense of mattering in the workplace,” he says.
“If it’s just some pizza it probably feels cheap, but if it’s something more tangible and meaningful – or maybe contributes to their growth or sense of security – that’s much more valuable.”