Hilton Recognition Calendar

CASE STUDY

HILTON RECOGNITION CALENDAR

Challenge

With all the day-to-day tasks that fill our workdays, it’s sometimes difficult to make time for employee recognition. Companies such as Hilton know that organizations that make regular recognition a priority see higher employee engagement, increased retention, higher customer service scores, and more.

Solution

For more than five years RSW has partnered with Hilton to create an online recognition calendar. Users can download the calendar as a printable PDF or an Outlook-friendly import. The calendar includes 365 simple recognition tips to motivate employees. For example, in January, the calendar spotlights the Engineering department and include tips such as baking tool-shaped cakes or cookies for the team or filling empty paint cans with new work gloves, treats, and a personalized note of appreciation.

In addition, the calendar also includes tips to celebrate fun holidays, many which come from the hotels. One hotel celebrated Popcorn Day on January 19 by bringing in a popcorn machine, playing music, and “buttering up their team.” And another hotel celebrated National Hot Cocoa Day in December by converting the team restaurant into a winter wonderland, complete with cocoa, whipped cream, marshmallows, and cookies.

The calendar also allows users to add custom dates that are important to the that user and location, such as service anniversaries and birthdays. Users can also add holidays from different countries (as well as their own) to their calendar allowing them celebrate hotel diversity.

RECOGNITION
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

RSW_CaseStudy_Hilton_Calendar_100Callout_1a

Results

Since launching, Hilton has seen noticeable increases in their employee survey scores in the area of recognition. Additionally, on average, more than 300,000 calendars are downloaded and shared with employees annually, and thousands of best practices have been submitted, many of which have been added to future calendars.

Using the calendar, we send High Five’s to our team to celebrate special occasions like birthdays, service anniversaries, marriages, and new babies. We also use it to recognize holidays such as International Women’s Day, Christmas, Easter, and Ramadan.

— DoubleTree by Hilton Aqaba

Driving Participation and Engagement Around the World

A simple, step-by-step interface helps guide managers through the process of customizing their calendar.

Managers from all over the world add holidays and customized dates in their native tongues.
The finished calendar is output as a pdf that many opt to print, bind, and distribute throughout their hotels.