How to successfully acknowledge staff

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An effective employee recognition program can be very beneficial for companies, especially in improving employee engagement, higher company productivity and lower turnover rate. However, if not planned and implemented effectively, an employee recognition program not only will not work, but instead can be counterproductive.

It is important to remember that every employee is unique and will have different personalities, behaviors and preferences in how he/she would like to be recognized. Falsely recognizing employees can be counterproductive and hurt morale and engagement.

In this post, we will cover the following to recognize employees effectively: the types of recognition employees may prefer; how to effectively identify different employees; and more. Without further ado, let’s get started.

employee recognition

Employee recognition is an act of recognition and praise for employee behavior and actions. All individuals like to be appreciated, so employee recognition is important for companies to express their appreciation towards employees. according to a current survey, 37% of employees surveyed said employee recognition was the most important factor for them to stay at their current company. However, over 65% of the employees surveyed did not receive any recognition in the last year (2020).

When people aren’t properly recognized, they don’t feel motivated, which in turn reduces their productivity. On the other hand, regularly giving meaningful and well-deserved recognition to employees can help companies maximize their potential.

Genuine employee recognition serves three main purposes:

• recognition of achievements

All people love to be praised. When employees achieve personal or work-related achievements and this is recognized by others, the good feeling of accomplishment is reinforced.

• Strengthen corporate values

Employee recognition can be used to recognize behaviors and actions that align well with company values. This can help reinforce these values ​​in the corporate culture.

• acknowledge efforts

Organizations shouldn’t just focus on recognizing performance and results, but strong efforts also deserve recognition. Recognizing strong efforts can Motivate employees to do even more and do even better in the future.

Different types of employee recognition

When planning an employee recognition program, it’s important to understand that different employees have different preferences for how they would like to be recognized themselves. Some may get a morale boost from public acknowledgment, others may prefer smaller private gestures. With this in mind, employee recognition efforts can be classified into several types:

• Top Down vs. Peer

Employees expect recognition from their managers and employers, and in most organizations this can be a formal acknowledgment of achievement. Top-down recognition often leads to a promotion or raise, and in most cases increases employee job security.

That said, peer-to-peer recognition from colleagues, or even someone lower down the org chart, can still make sense to employees, often resulting in improved camaraderie, better collaboration, and increased collective morale.

• Public vs Private

As previously mentioned, some employees may prefer to be in the spotlight if they are recognized by managers or peers, while others fear public recognition. Before recognizing employee behavior and/or actions, it is crucial to first understand employees’ personalities and preferences.

• Behavior vs. Action/Performance

Recognition is more commonly associated with key performance indicators and milestones: hitting a revenue goal, completing a project, 10 years of service, and so on. However, recognition and praise should also be given for positive behaviors that align with company values, such as exceptional teamwork, helping a colleague, working overtime, and so on. Companies should show their employees that effort counts.

• Attributed vs. Anonymous

In most cases, employee recognition is given by someone known (attributed to) the recipient. However, in certain cases, an anonymous acknowledgment (e.g., an anonymous thank you card) can be just as meaningful or even more meaningful than an attributed acknowledgment.

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Know the preferences of employees

Every employee is unique, so there is no one-size-fits-all answer to how to recognize employees. Each employee may respond differently to different types of recognition (as discussed above), and it is up to the manager and the company to figure out how each employee on the team would like to be recognized.

The best approach is to ask employees how they prefer to be recognized. This can be done through one-on-one meetings or by conducting surveys.

Every company should try to get answers to the following questions:

• Does the employee prefer private or public recognition?
• Does the employee want to be recognized? Some employees may find smaller recognitions for smaller achievements more meaningful, while others prefer a company to wait until the end of a major milestone.
• What types of work would a particular employee want to be recognized for more? This can vary greatly between different employees depending on their role and personality.
• Does the respective employee prefer team or individual bonuses? Some employees would prefer the company to emphasize teamwork.

Best practices for employee recognition

To ensure the success of the employee recognition program and ensure that it is future-proof, companies should maintain the following best practices when building an employee recognition program:

• Frequent recognition

Many companies make the same mistake and only recognize employees once a year at annual celebrations. However, it is better to offer consistent and frequent recognition and praise throughout the year so that companies can establish a culture of recognition. You can use one appropriate employee recognition system Support their cultures of recognition by enabling easy and frequent recognition from both leaders and peers.

• Specific and personal recognition

It is crucial to first identify an employee’s preferences before acknowledging them. When companies approach employee recognition as a one-size-fits-all, they fail to demonstrate to employees that they are unique and valued. Every company should make a special effort to understand each employee’s preferences so that it can offer him or her personalized and meaningful recognition.

• Enjoy the recognition

Businesses should gamify recognition whenever possible – turn recognition efforts into games and contests to make them fun. They don’t have to be big and overly complex contests, but rather ones that are kept friendly with simple rewards (e.g. gift cards to nearby coffee shops). Offering free lunches or happy hour beers is another effective way to make recognition fun.

Final Thoughts

Employee recognition doesn’t have to be viewed as a boring, rigid thing that doesn’t really impact the workplace. When done right, employee recognition can be meaningful, fun, and effective in improving a workplace’s productivity and reducing turnover.

By following the tips and best practices above, organizations can start planning effective and successful employee recognition programs right away.

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