Two Recognition Leaders Merge: The TharpeRobbins Company Teams Up with Hinda Incentives

Based on a foundation of innovation and success, two leaders in the managed recognition and rewards industry have joined forces. Hinda Incentives based in Chicago has been acquired by the TharpeRobbins Company Inc. headquartered in Statesville, N.C. The companies will continue to operate separately under their current leaderships, with Brett Tharpe as president and chief executive officer of TharpeRobbins and Dave Peer as president of Hinda Incentives.

“This strategic merger combines the strengths of two companies built on innovation, customer service and flexibility,” Tharpe says. “Together we will strengthen our consultative services, rewards and new programs to help our customers achieve higher levels of employee engagement and retention in an increasingly competitive labor market.”

“The collective strength of our companies and our commitment to the incentive industry will provide clients with the best possible resources when implementing reward and recognition programs,” Peer says.  “With TharpeRobbins’s expertise in the employee arena and Hinda’s expertise in the consumer, sales and channel programs, the products and services offered by each company naturally complement one another. It is an ideal fit.” 

Hinda’s focus remains on being the premier award supplier offering innovative technology and award solutions. Through infinitE℠, the 40-year-old Hinda Incentives offers millions of reward choices ranging from brand-name merchandise and digital awards to books and entertainment with flexible solutions and well-developed web platforms for program management.

TharpeRobbins is one of the first companies to bundle program design and administration with product fulfillment, thereby providing human resources professionals with one-stop shopping for employee recognition solutions. With its world-class technology, ranging from basic reporting to full system integration for service and performance awards programs, TharpeRobbins offers options that are easily configurable. 

“Today’s dynamic workforce is diverse with rapidly changing interests,” Tharpe says.  “This merger will enable us to bring ever creative solutions while identifying emerging trends. We will be able to provide even greater program configuration and corporate personalization in the products we offer, as well as in the presentation of the awards.”

For more than 100 years, TharpeRobbins’ rich history as an innovator has covered the breadth of managed reward and recognition programs.  The company fosters superior performance by creating new standards for employee recognition and rewards through imaginative solutions, cutting edge programs, flawless execution, professional service and world-class technology. TharpeRobbins built its reputation on developing customized programs to help clients reach their employee attraction and retention goals. The company is passionate about recognition because they know that an engaged workforce produces satisfied customers, which in turn produces more business. With TharpeRobbins, Recognition Changes Everything.   

The privately-held TharpeRobbins was created through the February 2007 merger of The Robbins Company, founded in 1892, and the Tharpe Company Inc., founded in 1981. The company headquarters are located on a 25-acre campus in Statesville, N.C. and include an extensive showroom and state-of-the-art distribution facility. The ISO-certified Attleboro, Mass., operations include creative services, software development and jewelry manufacturing.

Hinda Celebrates Therese Brisard’s 40th Anniversary

Today marks a very special event here at Hinda. Our longtime employee, Therese Brisard, celebrates her 40^th anniversary with the company. According to Hinda’s founder, Ben Arkes, Therese was Hinda’s third employee when she joined the company.

In honor of Therese’s loyalty and dedication to Hinda, the staff enjoyed a delicious lunch earlier this week catered from Uncle Joe’s as well as a beautifully decorated cake from Pastel. If you’ve been keeping up with us on Facebook, you know that we do quite a bit of eating at Hinda, and everyone welcomed the afternoon lunch break.

After lunch, the staff gathered around the cake and listened while Ben and Michael reminisced about Therese’s early days at Hinda. Ben remarked that it’s been a “beautiful time” having Therese on staff, and Michael commented on her agile ability to adapt to the ever-changing world of technology.

“Forty years ago, Therese used a typewriter to create multiple copies of an invoice,” Michael said. “As our business grew and the company’s needs changed, Therese adapted and fulfilled new roles. She was the sole computer operator for our first two IBM systems. She later mastered three additional computer systems. Most people do not adapt well when change occurs, but Therese accepted change and always learned the new skills necessary to continue to be a valuable Hinda employee.”

Everyone clapped and cheered when Ben presented Therese with her 40^th anniversary plaque. It was very obvious that Therese has been a beloved member of Hinda’s staff for all these years, and this is truly a milestone to be celebrated among the Hinda family.

“In my time at Hinda, I have enjoyed watching the company grow and I am proud to have been able to contribute to its success,” Therese said. “It has been a wonderful ride over the years and I look forward to working with you for many more!”

Check out our Facebook page for pictures from the party!

Recognizing the Pulse of Your Office

Today marks the 60^th anniversary of Administrative Professionals Day®, a noteworthy day within the workplace that began in 1952 as Professional Secretaries Day, according to the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP). Over the course of the last six decades, the role of the administrative assistant has grown and evolved to adapt with changing times, technology and tasks within the office setting. This particular job title has grown from the sometimes-negatively-connotated “secretary” into an indispensable role that no office can efficiently run without. As such, the theme of this year’s Administrative Professionals Week is “Admins, the pulse of the office.”

Here are some fun stats about Administrative Professionals Day according to the IAAP web site:

• Today, Administrative Professionals Week is one of the largest workplace observances outside of employee birthdays and major holidays.
• In the year 2000, IAAP announced a name change for Professional Secretaries Week and Professional Secretaries Day. The names were changed to Administrative Professionals Week and Administrative Professionals Day to keep pace with changing job titles and expanding responsibilities of today’s administrative workforce.
• There are more than 4.1 million secretaries and administrative assistants working in the United States, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, and 8.9 million people working in various administrative support roles.

Now, we know what you’re thinking. “This is all well and good, but what can I do to show my appreciation for the administrative professionals in my office?” Great question. According to IAAP members, administrative professionals prefer recognition in the form of opportunities for growth and learning. Some examples are:

• Tuition reimbursement to attend college classes and work toward a degree
• Membership and participation in professional organizations
• Reimbursement for online training programs in technology, administrative and management skills
• Registration for appropriate conferences, seminars and continuing education workshops
• Attainment of professional certification. IAAP’s Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) or Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) programs are widely recognized standards of excellence

Remember, Administrative Professionals Week is always the last week of April, so be sure to mark your calendar for future years! Read more about Administrative Professionals Day here.

You Can Thank Us Later

Happy March 2^nd, everyone! “Why is that significant?” you ask. Well, it’s the first Friday in March, and if you ask your staff, they will remind you that it is Employee Appreciation Day! But don’t let on that you forgot. Just tell them that you were “testing them,” assure them that you have a very special surprise lined up, and then lock yourself in your office and Google “Employee Appreciation Day ideas.” You’re welcome.

Employee Appreciation Day was born in 1995 and is always the first Friday of March. According to Recognition Professionals International, one of the organization’s founding board members, in association with Workman Publishing, created the day to put the focus toward employees in all industries.

We all know that recognition is the most powerful motivator. Everyone loves cash, but it isn’t memorable as a reward and holds no trophy value – and let’s face it, it usually goes toward a bill. A kind word or unique experience creates a lasting memory and comes with a great story. “I was awarded this [insert award] from my boss for [insert good deed]” is much more interesting than “Oh yeah, I saved up and bought this [insert material possession/vacation/extravagant dinner].”

So why not recognize the hard work of your dedicated employees, without whom you may as well kiss your business goodbye. Here are some ideas we’ve already Googled for you:

·         Treat your employees to a meal

·         Take your team out for happy hour (it is Friday, after all)

·         Send them home early with pay

·         Hire a massage therapist, manicurist or yoga instructor to come into the office

·         Leave flowers, candy or a personal note on your employees’ desks

·         Gift cards, movie tickets and other entertainment rewards are always nice

Remember that you don’t need to wait until the first Friday in March to recognize your employees. Praise, surprises and small tokens of your appreciation can and should happen throughout the year. But since today is a nationally recognized day, it should not be overlooked.

Once you have your treat lined up, make sure you note “Employee Appreciation Day” on your calendar for next March and avoid the awkwardness for years to come!

Non-Cash is the Wave of the Future! (But You Don’t Have to Take Our Word for it.)

Is it time to add more non-cash to your rewards portfolio? This is the question posed in the January/February 2012 issue of Premium Incentive Products (PIP). And the answer, in a nutshell, is “Yes.” But this is not news. What is news is that, while the topic of non-cash incentives has been hot throughout the incentives industry, big-name thought leaders such as McKinsey, Deloitte, The Harvard Business Review and PricewaterhouseCoopers are now weighing in on how non-cash incentives play into the total rewards mix.

According to the PIP article, the benefits of offering non-cash incentives to your employees are multi-fold – for the employee as well as the company. With regard to the company, non-cash offers more affordable ways for employers to reward or acknowledge employees without breaking the bank, or “do more with less,” essentially.

Regarding the employee, a non-cash incentive holds trophy value that plain-old cash does not. Furthermore, the article points to a report published by McKinsey, which states that “non-cash motivators – including praise from immediate managers – can be more effective than the three highest-rated financial incentives: cash bonuses, increased base pay and stock options.”

This is interesting as it shows that, while necessary, money is not the only motivator when it comes to work. Cash alone is basically enough to ensure that the work gets done, but praise, engagement and other non-cash incentives satisfy the employee’s need to connect, learn and feel part of something that a bi-weekly paycheck does not afford.

Cash is always going to be at the forefront of the compensation discussion. It’s the first thing that’s discussed during the hiring process and represents the initial pact between employer and employee. It’s what the employee expects every payday and what ensures his or her bills get paid. This is what motivates us to get hired somewhere in the first place. But what motivates employees beyond that? What does the employee really want to get from the job? According to Deloitte, they want “rewarding work, meaningful relationships, freedom, flexibility and acknowledgement.”

These are things that money just cannot buy.

When to Recognize

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While browsing through World at Work's most recent Trends in Employee Recognition report, I was intrigued by one particular statistic. Of companies with recognition programs, 90% offer some sort of Years of Service recognition, making it the most common program.

Years of Service programs can be controversial in nature. While employees should be rewarded for reaching milestone anniversaries within an organization, managers must be careful that these don't become their default recognition program. These programs reward presence and not behaviors, actions and achievements. In order to motivate employees, it's best to reward success and results.

The good news is that other types of recognition programs are on the rise. In the table below, you can see which programs are the most popular. It's clear to see that organizations are continuing to leverage newer programs that can have a more direct impact on business results such as above-and-beyond performance, peer-to-peer and suggestion/idea programs, as well as programs to motivate specific behaviors. In particular, programs designed to motivate specific behaviors were implemented by 25% of organizations with incentive programs in 2008. Now, 34% of organizations are implementing these programs. That's a 9% increase in three years.

Do you think programs designed to directly impact business will continue to rise? Will employers ever get rid of Years of Service recognition? Personally, I think it's best to have several different recognition programs in place. Do you agree?

Employee Spotlight: Stacy Woodhead

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Perfectionist. Outgoing. Determined.

Attention to detail is a must for Stacy Woodhead. As Senior Program Manager, she is the main contact for one of our largest clients and responsible for uploading merchandise to the site, running promotions and generating new ideas for the site. In order to manage their site, she works with merchandise, pricing, billing and trade shows.

Woodhead started at Hinda as a Program Manager in February 2007. Prior to joining the team, she worked in real estate and was introduced to Hinda through a mentor who knew the company well. She spent two years working for a client in St. Louis before moving back home to Chicago, where she later became Senior Program Manager in October 2010.

As for the move back home to Chicago, Woodhead admits it’s one of her fondest memories.

“When I come to work here, I feel like I’m working with family and close friends,” says Woodhead. “I’m not just another number.”

Outside of work, she enjoys coaching kindergarten soccer, swimming and hanging out with friends. She’s currently training for a 5K and planning her wedding, which will take place in September. As for which of those is the bigger undertaking, she doesn’t hesitate to say that planning a wedding is like a second job. It’s clear that she has her hands full, but she also has a lot of excitement to look forward to.