Reward innovation
March 2010
Mark Dawes, one of the latest employees of the month
Two-times Queen's Award winner DuPont Teijin Films has taken steps to improve the way it acknowledges innovation through an employee of the month award.
Dr John Purdy, their Wilton site manager, said: “It is not just the eye-catching innovations which lead to new products or new process that make a business successful, innovation is core to the whole Wilton organisation.
“Innovations that we bring to marketing or IT can be just as important to the success of the business as a technology breakthrough.”
The Films business have been awarding one employee a month as “Innovator of the Month”. Each month all employees are invited to nominate a colleague (or even themselves) and the winner is chosen by that month’s holder of the title.
The winner is then given £50 to donate to a charity. So far, more than £1,000 has been donated.
A recent winner Mark Dawes, Market Development Manager for DuPont Teijin Films, won the award for a new innovative application for tough white polyester film. His chosen charity was Nuke the Leuk, Leukaemia Research Fund, supported by the Lotus 7 owners club.
Dave Wall, Technology Group manager, said: “The whole idea started as a bit of fun to encourage innovation and give the chance for colleagues to recognise innovation within their peer group but it has now gained a momentum, and winners feel a quiet pride at being chosen.”