Who will be your employee of the month this February?

Having an employee of the month award is an important motivational tool ... even in bonnet making.

Employers often congratulate their staff for exemplary work throughout the year. Outstanding staff may receive rewards or employee of the month accolades for excellent sales, customer service or for going beyond the confines of their role.

What about those who do fantastic work behind the scenes? The employees who often go unnoticed, but whose work is vital to the smooth running of the business. This month, take the time to reward the staff members who make up the infrastructure of your company.

Where would you be without your receptionist? They are a jack of all trades, greeting clients, customers and visitors and directing them to where they need to go. They answer phone and email queries, providing resolutions where they can and when they can’t they ensure the message is passed on to the right person.

Your receptionist keeps track of important developments within the business. They are a unifying link within the company and often act as the face of the business. They generally provide a prospective client with their first impressions of the company.

Your receptionist does vital work within your business and they deserve to be recognised as an important cog in the machine.

How about your delivery staff? A delivery driver may be the only person a customer comes into contact with and they could provide clients with lasting impressions of the business. If these particular staff members go above and beyond to provide a courteous and friendly service then they could be partly responsible for repeat business.

Delivering products in a timely manner means customers will have greater levels of satisfaction. Furthermore, consistently punctual deliveries will encourage customers to place their trust in the business and they could go on to promote your company by singing its praises.

If your delivery drivers lacked professionalism, delivered damaged goods or were rude to customers then this could be incredibly harmful to your company. So perhaps over the next few months, these members of staff deserve some acknowledgement for the hard work they do every day.

The staff from your contract cleaning company are another important part of the infrastructure of your company. Keeping the office clean and free of clutter means that other employees are happier and safer. Tidying away empty boxes or bags of rubbish and cleaning up spills means that accidents are less likely to happen.

A clean and tidy environment promotes productivity and a “we care” attitude in the office – if their working environment is spotless then staff will take more pride in their surroundings.

Your cleaners also influence the first impressions clients make of your company when they walk through the door. They may not wish to do business with you if the office is cluttered and unclean.

Cleaners help to keep your staff healthy by ensuring that the kitchen and bathrooms are free from bacteria and germs. This year, take the time to thank your cleaning staff for all the hard work they have done for the business.

The staff members who work behind the scenes are incredibly important and it is vital that the right people are in the right places.