Hi I'm Carrie Jacobs, executive vice president of operations at Chu Vision Institute in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the current president of the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators. Today, I'd like to share how Chu Vision Institute recognizes and celebrates our employees. At Chu Vision Institute, everything begins with our culture of caring. We believe that humans taking care of humans—that means we don't just train on technical skills we also invest in soft skills that elevate the patient and employee experience.

Culture is at the heart of employee satisfaction and engagement. We also use a platform called Nectar which allows team members to recognize one another with points. Those points can then be redeemed for monetary rewards. It gamifies recognition, keeps it fun, and creates a ripple effect of positivity. We also make it a point to acknowledge achievements, celebrate anniversaries, and spotlight major contributions—both big and small—and importantly, we invite our team to share their ideas and feedback so they feel truly heard and valued.

Bottom line, recognition at Chu Vision Institute comes down to communication and culture: acknowledge, appreciate and celebrate. That is how we keep our people engaged, connected and thriving. OP 

Transcript edited for clarity.