You shouldn't have to burn yourself out putting in long hours, going above and beyond to gain any sense of acknowledgment of your efforts at work. If you've ever worked for an employer who seldom (if ever) gave out compliments, you know how demoralizing it can be.
In order to improve employee engagement within an organization, team members need to experience recognition and appreciation on a consistent basis.
To improve employee recognition, it is important to keep the following 5 tips in mind:
First and foremost, meaningful recognition is timely. Do not hold off on recognizing employees until their annual performance review. Instead, keep them motivated and engaged by giving employee recognition regularly. In doing so, you make it a part of your culture.
Meaningful recognition is also specific and relevant. When recognizing employees, let them know why they are being recognized. Saying thank you isn’t enough, it's too vague. Tell employees what you are thankful for and how their actions impacted you or the organization. By being specific, you help to encourage repeated behaviors, set clear expectations, and promote company values.
Receiving empty praise has no benefit to either party. According to Badgeville, 40% of employees who don’t feel meaningfully recognized will not go above their formal responsibilities. If you’re going to recognize your employees, make sure that what you're saying is genuine and back it up with facts. Be clear about what they did to help you—whether crushing a project or going above and beyond to delight customers.
Remember that meaningful recognition can also come in a variety of forms.
Using different types of recognition keeps things fresh and fun, and it also helps engage different types of people. For example, some employees may be less excited about public recognition in company meetings but would save every note or card they received privately.
Take the time to create a great recognition program that supports your company’s mission, values, and employee needs. You don’t have to search high and low to find examples of employee recognition gone wrong.
One program that was immediately criticized by employees, customers, and industry experts alike is United Airlines’ Outperform Recognition Program, which launched in 2012 and is no longer in place—for reasons we’re about to explore.
For starters, customers were required to download an app to recognize an employee. After downloading the app, they were required to have the employee’s ID number and were limited to explaining their experience in 120 characters. What’s wrong with this picture? Everything.
The recognition program was practically impossible to participate in, and the airline was already known for poor customer service at the time.
But more importantly, it didn’t ask anything specific of employees. What—specifically—are they supposed to be doing to provide better customer service? What values should they be living out? What experience should they consistently be offering to customers? None of that information was clear in this program.
You might not be looking to recognize your employees through customer testimonials but the sentiment is the same. Don't dive into implementing a recognition and rewards platform that doesn't suit your organization. Keep it simple. Get on a human level with your employees to recognize what they want and how they want to feel appreciated. Perhaps a peer-to-peer recognition platform is a better fit, or maybe an annual awards banquet.
If traditional means of recognizing and appreciating the hard work your employees put in day in and day out don't fit with the culture of your organization, make it your own! Brainstorm with your colleagues, leadership, and teams to figure out the best way to recognize your employees consistently and authentically that is custom to your workplace.
If you're looking for some employee recognition inspiration, check out the following ideas:
Some of these employee recognition ideas may seem silly or gimmicky, but it's this consistent flow of recognition that keeps employees engaged, not one-time rewards.
Using different employee recognition strategies and listening to what your employees want will make your efforts more effective.
If you take the time to say, "I appreciate you," you will always have the respect of your employees, which will benefit your organization long-term. Good luck!