Employee recognition is one of the most important tools managers have to motivate their teams and create a positive work environment. It can help build bridges instead of walls between employees and managers, and between employees themselves. But it’s not always easy to know how to recognize employees in a way that will be meaningful and motivating for them.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the most important things to keep in mind when recognizing employees, and offer some tips for how to do it effectively.
1. Why Employee Recognition?
Through employee recognition, you give your staff the reason to go on, push a little harder, and achieve their dreams. You can do this by giving them better opportunities to prove themselves worthy of the job you gave them. Giving people new jobs shows that you recognize their achievements and encourages them to achieve further success. Rewarding exceptional performance also inspires colleagues to improve their contribution in the workplace. All of these boil down to the point that employee recognition is, indeed, a vital element in the company’s success.
2. What Types of Employee Recognition Are There?
Employee recognition can come in a variety of forms, depending on what will be most meaningful and motivating for the individual employees. Some common types of employee recognition include:
- Praise or thanks from managers or colleagues
- Awards or certificates
- A pay increase or bonus
- Paid time off, such as vacation days or sick days
- Extra privileges, such as use of the company car or a private office
3. How Should You Choose Which Type of Employee Recognition to Give?
When choosing which type of employee recognition to give, it’s important to consider what will be most meaningful and motivating for the individual employees. Some things to keep in mind include:
- What has the employee done that deserves recognition?
- What are the employee’s goals and ambitions?
- What is the employee’s personality?
- What is the company culture like?
4. How Can You Deliver Employee Recognition in a Meaningful Way?
When delivering employee recognition, it’s important to ensure that it is done in a meaningful way. Some tips for doing this include:
- Speak to the individual employees directly and thank them for their contributions
- Give employees awards or certificates that reflect their achievements
- Make sure employees understand why they are being recognized and what the consequences of their actions are likely to be
- Let employees know how their work contributes to the company’s overall success
5. Planned Employee Recognition
As its name implies, planned recognition is more of a pre-coordinated plan. Because of its frequency, the event may not necessarily be formal. Under this category, the most common employee recognition awards are customer service, attendance, outstanding achievements, employee of the month, productivity, and safety.
6. Immediate Employee Recognition
This method of employee recognition renders acknowledgement at any point in time for exhibition of the principles and ideals being upheld by the company and their role in achieving the targets and goals of the establishment. The company or management may award an employee recognition particularly upon a commendable effort, solidarity, accomplishment of an exclusive project, acquisition of a new company procedure, or simply expressing indebtedness to the employee for making such effort.
7. Formal Employee Recognition
This type of employee recognition is done annually. Because of its formality, the event showcases a very glamorous and prestigious ceremony. This type of employee recognition renders acknowledgement on the total and outstanding performance of an employee. The award itself is so special that every employee aims to achieve it. These are sometimes known as presidents awards, the top 10 percent club, etc. In this type of employee recognition, the most common awards are centered on the employee or the department’s outstanding and remarkable performance. This refers to exceptional work that an employee was able to accomplish in spite of its level of difficulty.
8. Building Bridges
The main purpose of employee recognition is to build bridges among people, to establish communication, and to acknowledge the value of each employee in establishing the success of the whole organization. It should be designed to motivate employees and must come from the heart.
Conclusion
When properly executed, employee recognition can have a significant impact on organizational performance. It can help build a strong, positive workplace culture where employees feel appreciated and supported. This in turn can lead to increased productivity, creativity, and innovation.
