EXCLUSIVE: MJ Mapp recognises staff with personalised treat boxes

Sean-Greathead

EXCLUSIVE: Property management organisation MJ Mapp has awarded more than 250 personalised treat boxes to its employees as part of its values-based recognition scheme.

The treat boxes, provided by Treat by Child.org, were first piloted in August 2016 for the organisation’s 250 employees across five regional offices. The one-month pilot trialled a thank you box and a treat box for new joiners. These included a chocolate brownie, a card featuring a personal message to the recipient, and information about the charity work undertaken by Child.org. Thank you boxes were awarded to employees who were nominated by their line manager or to staff members whose good work was highlighted in team meetings, and the new joiner boxes were presented to new employees within their first two weeks with the organisation.

Positive employee feedback led to the treat boxes becoming a permanent fixture within MJ Mapp’s recognition approach, which also includes a Superhero Award and an Unsung Hero Award. These larger awards are presented three times a year, and employees who have been nominated for these awards also receive a treat box.

MJ Mapp has awarded over 250 thank you boxes and new joiner boxes between August 2016 and August 2017. Based on the scheme’s popularity, the organisation introduced a treat box for new parents in June 2017. It has awarded up to five of these boxes to date to employees who have gone on maternity or paternity leave. The new parents treat box includes five baby dinners, a zebra rattle and baby booties, baby milestone cards, a photo frame, baby clothes, a backpack, and a personalised card.

The treat boxes, which were launched as a surprise for staff, were introduced to align with the organisation’s overall recognition scheme and business objectives. Part of the profit made from purchasing the treat boxes is given to charity; this corresponds with the organisation’s objectives around sustainability.

Sean Greathead (pictured), head of people and talent at MJ Mapp, said: “One of our corporate values is around appreciation, and so we show appreciation in all sorts of different ways, and this is one of the ways we show appreciation.

“One of our corporate objectives is around sustainability, so we talk about the planet, people, profit. A core driver of that is everyone gets charity days and we like to have this whole strategy of giving back, and we’d rather give back through Child.org.

“The danger is that a lot of recognition strategies are about big bang. This is about hitting that spot to just say thank you. […] This fills the niche between the bigger awards as well as the genuine well done, thanks very much piece.”