If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.
-- John Quincy Adams
Overview
Kern County's Employee Recognition Award Program is designed to motivate, recognize, and reward exemplary performance
that supports the County's overall organizational goals. Recognition is an effective method for motivating employees
by endorsing their high quality performance in highly visible programs and ceremonies, and helps employees identify
which skills and behaviors are of priority value to Kern County.
Employee Recognition Awards will be conferred each year at the annual awards event. Individual and team winners will
be selected by the Recognition Review Committee.
The Employee Recognition Awards Program is funded by the County of Kern with the goal of realizing improved customer
service and increased efficiency through an investment in its human resources.
Nomination Requirements/Process
Nomination Requirements:
- Any County employee may nominate him/herself or any other permanent County employee
- Individual employees or workgroups/teams may be nominated
- The following are not eligible for an award:
- Members of the Employee Recognition Award Committee (ERAC)
- Members of the Recognition Review Committee (RRC)
- The Board of Supervisors
- Members of the public
Nomination Process:
- Fill out the Employee Recognition Award Nomination Form (PDF)
- Submit the filled-in form and any supporting documentation (charts, graphs, printouts, etc.) to:
Questions may also be addressed to the ERAC at (661) 868-3163.
Evaluation Process
- Members of the Recognition Review Committee (RRC) will evaluate the nominations and select the top individual and team candidates
- RRC will forward the top candidates to the ERAC to begin the award process
- If nominees are equally qualified for the award, more than one award per category may be presented
- All nominees will receive recognition in some fashion
Award Winners
Since its inception in May 2008, the Employee Recognition Award Committee has processed over 500 nominations and presented over 50 awards.
Every working day, millions of public sector employees go to offices, operate vehicles, repair machines,
maintain highways, assist the disadvantaged, enforce our laws, protect the fragile ecology, and perform myriads of services for the public good.
Through experience, they know how operations are performed in the most intimate detail. They are at the point of delivery and understand why
efforts are successful, as well as when they fail and why they fail. Day in and day out, government workers see opportunities to better service
delivery and reduce costs. They have important and vital concepts about improvement that need to be nurtured and encouraged in some systematic manner.
-- (Employee Innovation and Government Productivity. Edward H. Downey and Walter L. Balk, 1976.)
Overview
The Employee Suggestion Award Program of the County of Kern is designed to encourage employees to bring good ideas to the attention of management,
and to reward employees for their contributions to operating County systems in an innovative, efficient manner.
The program provides benefits in the following ways, to:
- the County, by promoting innovation, efficiency, cost savings, safety, and improved services to our customers;
- employees, by giving them recognition and cash awards for their good ideas, making their work safer and more efficient, and giving them an opportunity for creativity; and
- the taxpayer, by providing better customer service and reducing costs.
How to Submit a Suggestion
- Review the program description/purpose
(PDF) to see if your idea generally meets the guidelines of an acceptable
suggestion. Questions may also be addressed to Suggestion Award staff at (661) 868-3198.
- Fill out the Employee Suggestion Award Application
(PDF)
- Send the filled-in form and any supporting documentation (charts, graphs, printouts, etc.) to:
Employee Suggestion Award Coordinator
County Administrative Office
1115 Truxtun Avenue, Fifth Floor
Bakersfield, CA 93301
Suggestion Evaluation Process
After receiving a suggestion, the Suggestion Award staff will review the suggestion and may also ask the affected department(s) to evaluate
the suggestion as needed. After receiving the departmental evaluation(s), the Suggestion Award Committee will make a final decision regarding
the suggestion and will notify the affected department(s) and the employee(s) who made the suggestion.
Award Winners
Since its inception in October 1990, the Employee Suggestion Award Committee has processed 277 suggestions received from County employees.
Awards for approved suggestions fall into two categories:
- Tangible awards: Suggestions that result in tangible savings in costs or increases in revenues to the County.
The amount of tangible awards is based upon 20% of the first year's savings/revenue, with a maximum award of $10,000.
- Intangible awards: Suggestions that result in benefits to the County that cannot be easily measured in dollars,
such as improvements in safety, working conditions, morale, or services. An intangible award may also be made instead of a tangible
award when the tangible benefits are difficult to quantify. Intangible award amounts range from $100 to $1,000.
Upon achieving a specified number of years of service, permanent employees are eligible to receive a recognition award
which is symbolic of the achievement and which demonstrates the County's appreciation for their service. Awards are provided
in conjunction with the following service anniversaries:
- 10 year
- 20 year
- 25 year
- 30 year
- 35 year
Upon reaching these milestones, employees are offered a choice from a selection of awards:
- Jewelry
- Clocks
- Art
- Pens
- Luggage
- Crystal