[View Point] How do you honor your company’s all-stars?

What does your company do to recognize its standout performers beyond any type of financial reward? It’s a more important question than you might think. A 2012 study by consulting firm Aon Hewitt examined the link between corporations’ financial performance and employee engagement and found a 1 percentage point increase in employees who became engaged resulted in a 0.6 percent growth in sales. The “2013 Trends in Global Employee Engagement” report looked at data from 2008 to 2012 from 94 global corporations with almost 9 million employees.

Here’s another reason why non-monetary rewards are important. Many of your current (and especially future) employees are millennials — those individuals born between 1980 and 1995. The Aon Hewitt survey found that recognition was the fourth-most important driver of engagement globally in 2012, behind issues such as career opportunities and pay. But it’s particularly important for millennials, ranking third globally.

It’s impressive to learn of the many different ways PCOs honor their standout performers, from bonuses and parking spaces to special dinners/banquets and destination trips. But don’t underestimate the important role non-monetary recognitions play in employee engagement. Several years ago, I sat through a presentation given by Victor Hammel that left a big impression on me. Hammel, longtime president of J.C. Ehrlich, explained that on weekends he would call and personally thank standout professionals. In fact, Hammel would go a step beyond personally thanking them by first trying to get a hold of a spouse and make them aware of their husband’s (or wife’s) accomplishments. I’m sure it wasn’t always easy for Hammel to give up some of his personal time to make these calls, but I have to think this type of gesture helped with employee engagement at his company.

Another way pest control companies recognize its standout professionals is by nominating them as a PCT Technician of the Year. I would like to thank all of the owners, managers and technical directors who took the time to nominate a technician. Our judges (Dr. Bobby Corrigan, Dr. Fred Whitford, Dr. Bob Davis and Dr. Richard Kramer) reviewed many excellent candidates this year before determining our finalists and winners.

PCT, and our sponsor BASF, would like to congratulate this year’s winners. Here’s a brief look at each of this year’s Technicians of the Year (the full profiles begin on page 59):

Scott Lupo, PCT’s 2014 Residential Technician of the Year, has excelled at all facets of pest control since joining New Berlin, Wis.-based Batzner Pest Management 17 years ago. Lupo tailors a pest management program to each of his customers’ specific needs. He’s also a great communicator who has built long-lasting relationships with his customers.

PCT’s 2014 Commercial Technician of the Year Randy Jahnke provides meticulous service at challenging commercial accounts that comes from 31 years of industry experience. Jahnke works for Alternative Pest Solutions, a small pest control company in Beaver Dam, Wis., and to many of the company’s clients, “Randy is the company.”

Morris Myles, the 2014 PCT Termite Technician of the Year, comes to work every day at his Terminix branch, in Memphis, Tenn., with an infectious, positive attitude. Myles, a 16-year industry veteran, is well respected for his termite work, which includes utilizing a non-chemical approach to solving termite issues whenever possible.

A question I’m occasionally asked is, “Why is a trade magazine like PCT involved in awards programs?” It’s a fair enough inquiry. After all, our magazine is committed to providing the best business and technical resources for those involved in pest control, so where do awards programs — like the PCT Technician of the Year Awards — fit into that mix? PCOs continue to operate in increasingly competitive landscapes where offering not just good, but great customer service is perhaps the most important differentiator. Our hope is that by reading each of our winners’ profiles you’ll pick up a few pointers on what other companies and other standout professionals are doing to excel in this intangible, yet critical, area of operation.

The author is Internet editor and managing editor of PCT.