Recognition Professionals International (or RPI) is a

professional association A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) usually seeks to advocacy, further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that professio ...

which represents workers in the field of

human resources Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include ...

. RPI aims to promote the role of human resources as a profession, and provides networking, education, certification in workplace recognition. RPI was better known as the National Association of

Employee Recognition Employee recognition is the timely, informal or formal acknowledgement of a person's behavior, effort, or business result that supports the organization's goals and values, and exceeds his superior's normal expectations. Recognition has been held to ...

(NAER)—a name the association bore from its inception in 1998 until the change in 2007. A non-profit organization, RPI is currently sponsored by companies including

Discover Financial Services Discover Financial Services is an American financial services company that owns and operates Discover Bank, which offers checking and savings accounts, personal loans, home equity loans, student loans and credit cards. It also owns and operate ...

, BMW Manufacturing,

Vanderbilt University Medical Center The Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is a medical provider with multiple hospitals in Nashville, Tennessee, as well as clinics and facilities throughout Middle Tennessee. VUMC is an independent non-profit organization, but maintains acad ...

Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with corporate headquarters in San Francisco, California; operational headquarters in Manhattan; and managerial offices throughout the United States and intern ...

, and

Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...

History

A grassroots effort of professionals at AT&T, Walt Disney World, and Chevron, a small group of consistent management conference goers were impressed to form RPI (at that time known as the NAER) in order to share recognition best practices. Three companies (

BI
and the O.C. Tanner Company) made significant financial contributions and became the original founding sponsors, and the NAER was officially formed in 1998. The first conference as an association was held in Atlanta, GA with only 90+ attendees. In just a few years, the NAER grew from about 50 members to over 500. The association saw a 35% increase in membership from 2001 to 2002. In 2007, the NAER changed its name to Recognition Professionals International to reflect a more world-view of its goals.

Membership

There are no prerequisites to membership in RPI. The standard annual membership fee is $250, but RPI offers discounts for corporate groups.

Certifications

The designation of Certified Recognition Professional (CRP) is granted upon completion of four courses covering how to structure recognition programs for success, strategic planning and measurement, recognition management and maintenance, and how to apply recognition systems.

Recognition and research

Every year RPI sponsors an annual review of nominees for the RPI Best Practices Awards, which identify the best overall recognition practice, best recognition strategy, best communication plan, and best recognition program measurement. Award criteria include the following: recognition strategy, management responsibility, recognition program measurement, communication plan, recognition training, recognition events and celebrations, and program change and flexibility. Recent Best Overall Recognition Program awardees include MGM Grand (2007),

Westfield Group Westfield Group was an Australian shopping centre company that existed from 1960 to 2014, when it split into two independent companies: Scentre Group, which owns and operates the Australian and New Zealand Westfield shopping centre portfolio ...

(2006), and Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center (2005). In addition to its award program, RPI further encourages grass roots employee recognition as a strong proponent of National Employee Recognition Day (March 3).Employee Recognition: Resources & Tools

References

External links