Good deeds don’t always go unnoticed, as a small handful of employees at the Moose Jaw Co-op experienced after being nominated for going above and beyond in the Co-op’s new Employee Excellence Recognition Program.
Employees can now be nominated by any one of their co-workers or members of the public who witness them going “above and beyond” during their shift, and the move helps the Co-op recognize positive contributions made by its team.
“We want to hear about it. We don’t get to always see everything and hear everything until people share it with us,” said Michaela Turner, the marketing and community relations manager at the Moose Jaw Co-op.
The employee recognition program was created with the goal of recognizing employees who display the values that define the Moose Jaw Co-op, and up to three stand-out employees are selected on a quarterly basis starting at the year-end date of Jan. 31.
Employee nominations are reviewed by the Co-op's selection committee. The committee consists of four leaders chosen from management and four team members chosen from among employees.
The Co-op’s definition of “above and beyond” begins with an exceptional display of customer service.
“(It’s) not just like (saying) ‘thank you for shopping with us today,’” Turner noted. “They’ve had an over-and-above level of customer service.
“For example, Meagan in our pharmacy was one of the last recipients to get the award. She drove from our closed pharmacy on a stat holiday down to the regular pharmacy so someone could get urgent medication… when that wasn’t expected of her.”
Carrie works at the South Hill Co-op Gas Bar and helped an elderly woman cross a busy intersection, and Kim went out of her way to help a customer back on Dec. 4.
Going above and beyond also means delivering exceptional support for fellow team members and providing a noteworthy business innovation such as creating an internal process everyone can use to make their job easier.
The values that represent the Moose Jaw Co-op are excellence, trustworthiness, a commitment to the community in which it does business, and most importantly, putting people first.
“Our vision is, ‘We will be the community leader by putting people first in the delivery of value and excellence’,” Turner explained.
“That vision and those values are what we live by and strive for every day at Moose Jaw Co-op.”
Once an employee has been selected, Turner said the team operates in secret and finds the best way to surprise them when they least expect it.
“(Everyone) who is around (during the employee’s shift) makes a huge spectacle of it… in the middle of the day when they’re least expecting it,” she said.
“It’s a lot of fun, and it makes it extra special to actually surprise them and they’re always blown away. It has gone over very well, and we have a lot of fun with it too.”
Turner said the goal is to make this program resemble nothing like a bland, typical comment card that just doesn’t deliver the same message.
“We are very grateful for our employees at Moose Jaw Co-op. We know we have the best employees around, and this is just one small way that we are able to recognize them and really appreciate them for all the hard work that they do,” Turner said.
“These stories really do tell the good news… and really do warm the heart and make us proud of our employees.”
The employee excellence program is currently being built up and management hopes it will gain traction as employees, management, and the public learn more about it.
To nominate an employee, visit MooseJawCo-op.crs/Sites/MooseJaw and search for the “Employee Excellence Recognition Program.” The process is simple, and the application form is available online.
If you aren’t tech savvy, anyone can walk into the store and approach a staff member. All staff have been trained to help guests submit their nomination.
