Why Is A Culture Of Recognition Important?
When employees exhibit excellent behavior, achieve corporate goals, reach milestones, and exceed expectations, it's natural to expect appreciation. Developing a culture of recognition motivates employees to work even harder and be more productive. Also, affirmation and rewards are top motivators for workforces who value their well-being. As for organizations, recognition helps them retain top talent and improve employee engagement. According to a report, companies whose workers are engaged have 23% higher profits compared to companies with unhappy and unmotivated employees. When people feel less stress and more appreciation from their workplace, they can perform to the best of their abilities inside and outside of the office.
Is Your Company's Employee Recognition Authentic?
While offering recognition is vital, employees can understand when it is not genuine, especially when it comes in the form of empty flattery, indirect compliments, and self-serving praise. Recognizing workers authentically earns their trust and ensures their loyalty to their employer. First, appreciation should be respectful and not patronizing. As a result, workers feel respected, and their confidence to perform their daily tasks increases. Also, an organization sends the message that they are trustworthy and dependable. While an employee may know their value, receiving recognition affirms their belief. Additionally, providing feedback and appreciation lets employees know where they stand with their performance and how they should proceed. Last but not least, recognition creates fair workplaces where everyone feels that they have the same opportunities for promotion and progression.
7 Methods Companies Can Adopt To Show Appreciation
1. Make It Specific
Employees are aware of the work they've put into their projects, and feedback should reflect each task specifically. Instead of making generic comments, managers should adopt an honest approach. They must refer to specific tasks and behaviors that employees excel at and deserve appreciation for. It's crucial to pinpoint the exact quality and milestone they are recognizing and celebrating. For example, when a colleague who suffers from anxiety succeeds, their manager should mention how amazingly they combated their stress and reached their goal. This way, recognition is more powerful and personalized, making employees feel that they contribute to corporate success and that someone cares about their growth.
2. Offer Frequent Acknowledgment
Many organizations tend to offer feedback and acknowledgment to employees once every few months, on special occasions, or at the end of the year. To develop a culture of recognition, praise should be more frequent, and even the smallest of wins and successes should be celebrated. Managers should monitor each employee's performance and congratulate them on their work daily or weekly. Recognizing one's work after they've hit a milestone is great, but it's also best to encourage them as they're working toward reaching a goal. When employees receive feedback regularly, they feel that someone pays attention and is right by their side when they need assistance. To incorporate daily acknowledgment, companies can use personal emails, newsletters, or apps to communicate with their workforce.
3. Cultivate A Culture Of Support
Receiving praise and recognition shouldn't come strictly from supervisors and managers. Colleagues must also be encouraged to congratulate and support one another whenever they need assistance. Building friendships in the office will further promote this idea. A survey discovered that participants who had best friends in the workplace were more satisfied with their employer. Only 15% of employees with best friends at work were not happy. When colleagues are surrounded by friends, they are assured that their efforts are noticed and their victories claimed. To strengthen colleague relationships, companies can encourage team-building events inside and outside the workplace.
4. Be Inclusive And Diverse
An organization that wants to develop a culture of recognition needs to show appreciation to every employee, regardless of their position, background, or identity. From upper-level managers to junior-level workers, everyone should be treated equally. To achieve that, companies must ensure their criteria and methods of recognition are fair and transparent. Additionally, it's vital to recognize and embrace the diversity of employees and respect their unique points of view. A study found that 69% of employees feel included when companies incorporate diversity and inclusion into their recognition processes. On the other hand, only 10% have a sense of inclusion when there is no diversity.
5. Make It Fun
Being recognized as "Employee of the Month" may be popular, but it is also an outdated way to show recognition. Organizations should bring some variety and enthusiasm to their practices. Employees must feel excited about their accomplishments and not like they are part of a monotonous and tedious process. For example, companies can create a Kudos channel on Slack and give public acknowledgment to their team members. They can also arrange surprise pop-up meetings or hand out rewards in the office. Additionally, after reaching a huge milestone, employees can be offered to go a bit late to work the next day and leave early. Last but not least, physical rewards, such as gift baskets or gift cards, are excellent ways to show appreciation.
6. Ask Employees' Preferences
While some employees adore public affirmation and compliments, others might wish for more private acknowledgment. That's why managers shouldn't be afraid to ask individuals about their recognition preferences. They must spend adequate time getting to know each person and provide them with a list of ways they can receive their praise. If they seem uncomfortable with a specific method, managers should make sure to try a different approach next time. Authenticity should be the driving force during the entire process since employees' engagement counts on it.
7. Feature Employees On Social Media
Public recognition doesn't strictly mean praising an employee during a team meeting. Sharing an individual's success on social media has an immediate effect on a company's brand image. Customers are attracted to businesses where employees who exhibit top performance are appreciated by their employers. Moreover, this approach creates an image of corporate unity while boosting team and individual morale and encouraging people to strive for even better results. Similarly to social media, companies can introduce their employees on their websites. Customers like to know who they are working with and what each person's strengths and background are.
Conclusion
Reports show that employees feel happier when they are recognized at work. This is proof that developing a culture of recognition in the workplace increases workforce motivation and fosters a self-improvement environment. As a result, individuals feel safe in their position, trust their employer, and have fewer chances of looking for other opportunities. An organization that can retain its top talent and keep them happy and productive can guarantee success in all its functions.
