What motivates employees most in their jobs? It could be money... maybe conditions of employment, career prospects, company location... all these things must be part of what makes a worker tick. But I bet there's something more. I bet what really gives people a buzz is recognition from their fellow workers - peer appreciation, contemporaries saying "well done".
That is one of the reasons why the Caterer Group Catey awards mean so much to the winners. Unlike many award schemes in catering and hospitality, nominations for the Cateys come from the industry, the winners are selected by industry judges and the awards are presented in front of a select industry audience. Put simply, the Cateys are where the industry takes its best operators from all sectors and says "well done".
And, as any Catey winner will tell you, it is receiving that recognition that really counts.
Another reason why winning a Catey means so much is the longevity of the awards. As you may have noticed, the Caterer Group is celebrating the 21st anniversary of the launch of what were once called the Caterer & Hotelkeeper Awards (they were dubbed the Cateys very early on and the name stuck). That's 21 years of selecting the best and saying: "Look, this is what we can achieve in this profession."
The awards have come a long way since the early days, growing from nine categories in 1984 to 17 categories this year. Recent additions to the portfolio, such as the Training and Education award, have made sure that the Cateys keep up to date with what matters in the industry.
The judging panels for each award category - and we use more than 100 judges in total - are drawn from every sector of the industry and chosen for their knowledge, expertise and authority. The process is assisted by hospitality consultancy PKF, which prepares detailed dossiers on all the candidates, making the procedure as fair and equal as possible.
The result is a gallery of superstars, operators from all sectors who are prepared to go the extra mile and set the standards that we should all aspire to.
Well done to all the winners, and happy birthday to the Cateys, too. Long may the awards reflect what we should all be proud of - the very best in hospitality.