Staff Recognition
Employee recognition acknowledges employeee for exemplary performance or service. Recognizing your colleagues goes a long way in creating a positive working environment. At Smith, we have a few formal ways of recognizing and appreciating our employees.
Some benefits of practicing employee recognition include:
- Increased productivity
- Job satisfaction
- Better employee retention
- Better networking opportunities
- Positive employee-employer relationship
- A healthy, positive environment
The Staff Spotlight Award recognizes employees for going above and beyond the everyday scope of their responsibilities. Smith employees can nominate colleagues for recent accomplishments that reflect contributions in the following areas:
- Service excellence
- Process improvement/development
- Problem solving
- Fostering an inclusive and collaborative work environment
- Other (to be described by nominator)
Employees are encouraged to nominate colleagues—inside or outside of their departments—by submitting a Staff Spotlight Award nomination form. Human Resources will review all nominations.
Please note:
- Nominations for this year’s spotlight awards will run from September 12, 2022 until March 31, 2023. All nominations should be for accomplishments that take place during the nomination cycle of July 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023.
- Employees may receive a maximum of one award per year.
- Employees may not nominate their supervisors.
- Students are not eligible to participate.
What is a Staff Spotlight Award?
The Staff Spotlight Award recognizes staff for going above and beyond the everyday scope of their responsibilities.
Why is it important to have a Staff Spotlight Award?
Employees feel more connected to the workplace culture when they receive recognition for service excellence. Through a nomination system, the Staff Spotlight Award celebrates achievements and reinforces values and behaviors. Recipients receive a monetary gift shortly after their nominations and are invited to a special Staff Spotlight Award celebration in the spring.
How will nominees be categorized?
Nominees will be categorized by the following:
- Service excellence
- Process improvement/development
- Problem solving
- Fostering an inclusive and collaborative work environment
- Other (to be described by the nominator)
How many awards can an individual receive in a year?
Employees may be nominated multiple times throughout the course of the program year, but each employee is only eligible to receive one financial award.
Who is eligible to receive this award?
Full- and part-time staff are eligible to receive the award.
Describe the nomination process.
All Smith College employees are encouraged to nominate a staff colleague by submitting a Staff Spotlight Award nomination form. Employees may nominate staff members from any department on campus but cannot nominate their supervisors. Human Resources will review and approve nominations based upon the contribution areas and timeframe of accomplishments.
What is the Spotlight Award cycle?
Nominations are accepted September through March for the current fiscal year. All nominations should be for accomplishments that take place during the nomination cycle of July 1 through March 31.
Iris Afantchao
Kamlyn Allman
Amy Altwarg
Lauren Anderson
Mary Barr
Dan Bennett
Caroline Bertrand
Sarah Bonthuis
Kia Brown
Jennifer Burwell
Nichole Calero
Jaime Colon
Toby Davis
Annie delBusto Cohen
Ana Diaz
Deborah Doulette
Hannah Durrant
Leslie Fields
Susan Froehlich
Martin Green
Danny Hescock
Marti Hobbes
Lisa Howard
Eric Jensen
Lisa Johnson
Beverly Lipsey
Kimberly Macdonald
Erin Mahar
Lori McFarland
Emily McNally
Daniel Michaelson
Hilary Mikucki
Kristin Morse
Lidia Ortiz Zamora
Michelle Paquette
Nicole Pellaton
Maureen Pine
Barbara Pliska
Jim Purcell
Riccardo Racicot
Melissa Rivera Feliciano
Kaitlin Rooks
Robert Samples
Shannon Supple
Jamie Warren
Amy Wehle
Libby Wehmiller
Scott White
Sherry Wingfield
Jeanette Wintjen
Debra Wright
Nancy Zigler
Smith College recognizes and honors employees who have reached certain service milestones. Awards are presented to employees in recognition of years of service beginning at 10 years and every five-year milestone through 35 years and beyond. In the fall, a special luncheon is held in their honor.
After addressing the honorees, the president presents 25-year pins to staff reaching their 25th year of service with the college, thereby inducting them into the Twenty-Five Year Club.
All honorees are presented with a certificate signed by the president of Smith College.
Besides these formal way of recognizing people, here are some examples of Informal recognition that you can use to share your appreciation for a colleague’s contributions to your team:
- Email on a job well done
- Treat the department to lunch
- Bring in a special treat ( fruit dish, cake, donuts) “just because”
- Coordinate a team event ( bowling, ect) gift card for lunch at the campus center
Take the time to acknowledge your colleagues today and tomorrow for a stronger future!