Employee recognition: defining a culture of workplace excellence over the years

You might have heard of or celebrated the annual FP&M Employee Recognition Awards. But what kinds of things would you nominate a coworker for? Whether you’re new to FP&M, or in case award activities flew by too fast to tell, don’t worry — this article has got you covered.

While everyone is getting ready for this year’s awards nomination drive starting February 17, you may be considering whether to nominate someone. Do you know which you’ll pick out of the five award categories? If choosing is giving you pause — here is a look at each with a peek back at the amazing recipients over the years!

Teamwork

The Teamwork award category recognizes employees who work together to achieve a common goal. Past recipients include: Abraham Schrump (2018), Campus Planning & Design; Custodial Services team members (2019), Physical Plant; Custodial Crew 344 (2020), Physical Plant; Lakeshore Nature Preserve Team (2021); Frank Horton (2022), Physical Plant; Dawn Ness and Kathy Bear (2023), Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor; Custodial Crew 201 (2024), Physical Plant. Thank you to all of the Teamwork Award recipients over the years, and those who nominated!

Do you know any employees who …

maintain effective working relationships with coworkers, supervisors, or customers?
encourage teamwork by recognizing and promoting employee strengths?
acknowledge the strengths of all employees and encourage teamwork?
collaborate and cooperate when solving problems?
support UW–Madison values to achieve positive results together?

… Please consider nominating them for the Teamwork Award this year.

See all award recipients by year on the Employee Recognition page.

Customer Service

The Customer Service award category recognizes employees who build positive relationships and give customers more than what they expect. Past recipients include: William Winner (2018) Physical Plant; Stuart Statz (2019) Physical Plant; Sue Thalacker (2020) Transportation Services; Zhaleh Noubari (2021) Physical Plant; Clay Eckstein (2022) Physical Plant; Melanie Smith (2024) Transportation Services. Thank you to all of the Customer award recipients over the years, and those who nominated!

Do you know any employees who …

use personal expertise and customer feedback to solve problems?
handle customer concerns or customer requests quickly and effectively?
have a respectful and friendly attitude with all customers?
manage challenging customer service situations in a way that upholds UW–Madison values?

… Please consider nominating them for the Customer Service Award this year.

See one of the Customer Service Award videos at 05:10 in the above, highlighting 2021 recipient Zhaleh Noubari. See all award recipients by year on the Employee Recognition page.

Going Above and Beyond

The Going Above and Beyond award category recognizes employees who make contributions beyond their job description. Past recipients include: Madeline Wojciuk (2021) Environment, Health & Safety; Elizabeth Oseid (2022) Environment, Health & Safety; Aaron McCoy (2023) Environment, Health & Safety; Ricardo Portillo (2024) Physical Plant. Thank you to all of the Going Above and Beyond award recipients over the years, and those who nominated!

Do you know employees who …

act in a way that positively influences the entire group or energy?
do more than the job description requires (i.e., volunteering)?
take initiative to respond to difficult or unexpected events?
exceed goals and expectations?
promote employee morale and integrity in the workplace?

… Please consider nominating them for the Going Above and Beyond award this year.

See all award recipients by year on the Employee Recognition page.

Unsung Individual

The Unsung Individual Award award category recognizes employees who made significant everyday contributions to their workplace and UW-Madison. Past recipients include: Dale Kraus (2019) Physical Plant; Mingur Dorjee (2020) Physical Plant; Hagos Beyra (2021) Physical Plant; Megha Poudel (2022) Physical Plant; Rosalino Chavez (2024) Physical Plant. Thank you to all of the Unsung Individual award recipients over the years, and those who nominated!

Do you know any employees who …

demonstrate integrity by being trustworthy, respectful, and accountable?
consistently work towards team success?
perform work accurately and follow professional standards?
promote high standards for honesty, responsibility, and perseverance?
share job-related knowledge and available resources with others?
follow through on commitments?

… Please consider nominating them for the Unsung Individual award this year.

See one of the Unsung Individual Award at 4:02 in the video above, highlighting 2021 recipient Hagos Beyra. See all award recipients by year on the Employee Recognition page.

Creative Solutions

The Creative Solutions award category recognizes employees who use inventive solutions to improve ideas or processes. Past recipients include: Kirstin Fosdal Selchow (2020), Physical Plant, Senior Interior Designer; Jeff Templin (2021) Physical Plant; Alex Pastena (2022) Transportation Services; Megan Fry and Al Yingling (2023) Physical Plant; Talmage Kegley (2024) Environment, Health & Safety. Thank you to all of the Creative Solutions award recipients over the years, and those who nominated!

Do you know any employees who …

embrace change as an opportunity for improvement and continuous learning?
participate in collaborative problem-solving and comes up with practical solutions?
ensure a safe and healthy campus and work environment by following established procedures and protocols for their job functions at all times?
independently find and use sustainable, effective, and efficient resources?

… Please consider nominating them for the Creative Solutions award this year.

See all award recipients by year on the Employee Recognition page.

AVC Excellence Award

The AVC Excellence Award is the award selected by FP&M’s Associate Vice Chancellor (AVC) Cindy Torstveit. Past recipients include: Ernesto Cruz (2018) Physical Plant; Steve Skinner (2020) Physical Plant; Don Barrette (2021) Transportation Services, Space Management Team (2022) Campus Planning & Design; Chemistry Response Team (2023), employees in Physical Plant, Environment, Health & Safety and Capital Project Delivery departments; and Lorraine Schwager (2024) Physical Plant. Thank you to all of the AVC Excellence Award recipients over the years!

See one of the AVC Excellence Award recipients at 07:27 in the video above, highlighting 2020 recipient Steve Skinner. See all award recipients by year on the Employee Recognition page.

Thank you! FP&M recognizes all of the award recipients from previous years! Your efforts along the way helped pave the way for growing the awards program. You’ve set the bar high, giving future nominators something to aspire to. Thank you for your service and contributions to the university and division, your team and coworkers!

This year’s nomination period ends March 14, 2025. What are you waiting for? Consider nominating an FP&M employee for a recognition award today!

Go to Nomination Form