Do you know how effective your company’s employee recognition programs are? A simple survey can help you determine if your employees feel genuinely valued and engaged. It is essential in the workplace because retention rates can hit low if employees start to feel undervalued.
Sam Walton, an entrepreneur and American businessman said it best when he said that employees are the most valuable asset to the company. He noted that a well-written and heartfelt appreciation message could help boost employee morale and improve their success chances.
Ways to Make Team Recognition Impactful
To keep employees engaged and motivated, you need to ensure that your recognition programs are effective. Here are five ways to improve the effectiveness of your programs.
1. Make Recognizing Employees Personal
Due to the increasing number of millennials in the workforce, companies must make sure that they recognize their employees personally. It can help convey the message that they care about their well-being and are committed to helping them succeed in the future.
One of the most effective ways to recognize your employees is through a personalized recognition platform that allows them to choose a gift from various options. You can get this done through an app or website that offers customized products according to your company’s needs. With the ability to integrate with Amazon, you can now offer a reward network unlike anything else. Now, employees can choose anything from home décor to electronics and more.
2. Recognition Programs
According to a survey conducted by the Gallup organization to determine which employees were most likely to remember their most remarkable recognition. The results indicated that the manager usually gave the most notable recognition. The other factors that employees cited as their most special recognition were from the CEO or high-level leader, customers, and peers. Peer-to-peer recognition is a great way to help build a more solid culture of recognition and encourage more effective teamwork.
3. Timely Recognition
One of the essential factors that you need to consider when recognizing employees is the duration that they have to wait to receive recognition. In today’s fast-paced business environment, it’s more likely that they’ll forget about the hard work they once did to meet their team targets.
Although it can be minimal, a quick recognition can still significantly impact an employee’s performance. Make sure that you’re making an effort to acknowledge them when they most deserve it.
4. Specific Recognition
Another essential factor you must consider when recognizing employees is the type of recognition you’re giving. Not paying attention to this can lose the significance of the gesture and damage the company’s value. Personalized recognition can help build a more solid culture of recognition and encourage more effective teamwork.
5. Connect the Recognition to Your Company Values and Culture
A well-designed program can help make your employees feel valued and included in a community. Your recognition program should be unique to your company culture and should reflect the values and goals of the organization. An employee who understands the company’s values and culture promotes a healthy and positive environment amongst fellow teammates and newcomers.
One of the most effective ways to recognize your employees is through a traveling crystal trophy. You can use such a way of recognition to show appreciation for an individual’s efforts or an act of kindness. In Utah, the Kearns Improvement District has a traveling gnome that goes to individuals who go above and beyond their duties. An accompanying poster also shows the names of the individuals who received the award.
Are Employee Recognition Programs Effective?
Unfortunately, despite the importance of having a well-designed and effective recognition program, many HR professionals don’t feel that it’s very effective. Even though most companies have some kind of recognition program, over 80% of HR leaders feel that it doesn’t significantly impact employee performance. If you’re willing to devote time to developing a specific recognition program, you will have to understand the behavior and needs of your employees.
The design and implementation of an effective recognition program can be very different from one company to another. Before you start working on a new recognition program, you must research what can work best for your organization and implement an employee appreciation strategy that takes your company to new heights.
