Employee recognition, at its core, entails openly acknowledging and expressing appreciation for employees’ contributions to the organization.
It could be as simple as a handshake after a successful project or as elaborate as a bonus for beating the monthly quota.
One of the most beneficial things a group can do is give attention to the practice of recognizing and rewarding its members. To gain an edge over the competition, it’s essential to implement an effective employee recognition program.
With this in mind, more and more companies are implementing and reevaluating their recognition strategies. When implemented effectively, they have the potential to transform workplace dynamics in a variety of positive ways, including greater employee engagement, lower turnover, higher output, higher morale, and a stronger sense of shared purpose.
Who gives recognition, if anyone?
Everyone in a company should be able to acknowledge one another’s contributions and efforts publicly. However, the best place to get a particular award depends on the specifics of the scenario.
Hierarchical Recognition (Top-Down)
Employees are usually rewarded from above when their manager or other leaders notice their hard work and take notice of it.
This is a fantastic approach for several reasons, not the least of which is that recognizing leaders in positions of authority usually leads to tangible financial benefits, such as promotions and pay raises.
Furthermore, these individuals are also the most qualified to advise workers on how to advance their careers or achieve their professional goals.
It’s difficult for management to provide regular, timely, and targeted praise consistently. Managers must be present to observe, record, acknowledge, and reward many efforts.
Too many small but significant contributions are made every day for a centralized system of rewards to be adequate. Most leaders do not have the time to monitor everyone’s efforts. That’s why annual reviews are the most typical type of management-level praise.
Annual reviews, while necessary, can be stressful because they tend to focus exclusively on the most noteworthy achievements. Yearly inspections aren’t just about praising employees; they also provide suggestions for where they might improve.
Not that bosses should never acknowledge employees for their efforts. Indeed, I think they must do it! When it comes to accomplishing strategic goals, the praise of superiors may drive home how much of a difference the individual has made.
However, it is recommended that you seek assistance from the rest of the team daily.
Peer Recognition (Bottom-Up)
Managers and employees have the authority to acknowledge and reward one another’s efforts under a peer recognition system.
Managers may publicly praise an employee for doing a good job, but the individual’s coworkers see them every day. They are in a better position than anybody else to acknowledge an employee’s efforts and grasp the direct effect those contributions have on the business.
In other words, it’s not rocket science. When one of your teammates goes above and above, tell them how much you appreciate their efforts.
Likewise, the value of bottom-up acknowledgement must not be overlooked. Managers are also human and deserve praise. Everyone, including those in the highest ranks, benefits from and gains insight from public acknowledgement.
Everyone in the firm can hear their opinions thanks to 360-degree style recognition provided by platforms such as Bravo. It is not a brown-nosing to express gratitude to one’s immediate superiors and other leaders for their efforts; instead, it is an effective means of fostering positive working relationships.
Read: 10 Hilarious Videos About Employees Engagement
Is it possible that recognition won’t motivate my group?
No!
Having a mechanism to recognize achievement is helpful for every team.
If you have one in place, it’s easier for workers to recognize and appreciate the successes of their colleagues. Such communication strengthens teams, fosters a more vibrant workplace culture, and inspires workers to give their all on the job.
When properly implemented, a recognition program can boost morale among employees and show that hard work is appreciated throughout the firm.
Companies with the highest marks for creating a “recognition-rich culture” also had the lowest turnover rates in the business, by about 31%. Moreover, workers who don’t feel appreciated are twice as likely to leave their jobs within a year.
It’s human nature to enjoy the positive effects of praise. Why? When we feel connected to others and loved ones, our bodies produce a hormone called oxytocin.
According to the TINYpulse Employee Engagement and Organizational Culture Report, when provided with the appropriate resources, 58% of the most engaged workers will actively promote the success of their coworkers.
Any company, no matter its size or field, should strive to create a culture rich with recognition. Everyone on the team, from the newest employee to the chief executive, stands to gain from this.
It is crucial to know how employee appreciation programs function and how to implement them successfully in your specific setting.
How much money will I have to spend?
Most businesses, even without a formal recognition program, invest resources in informal forms of appreciation. The time and money spent on “manual” recognition activities, such as planning celebration dinners and buying gift cards in bulk, can soon add up.
It might be difficult for managers or human resources staff to keep up with this form of acknowledgement because of its infrequent nature.
The budget can be tracked in most cases but with less precision. Think about who else could gain from the spotlight. There is a good chance that leaders in other divisions would agree that recognition is important and join in on the effort.
In most cases, the motivation, productivity, engagement, and retention gains from a well-executed program more than cover the initial investment. In the following part, we’ll discuss the specific ways these characteristics benefit from acknowledgement.
The first step is comprehending employee recognition. In the coming section, we will briefly discuss employee recognition’s significance.
Many of the world’s most successful companies implement employee recognition programs, and this is not by chance. As we saw in the first part, a well-executed employee recognition program may positively impact the company’s culture, the level of employee engagement, the rate of employee turnover, and the quality of life for workers.
Now, though, we must ask: What about BRAVO that has made it such a popular platform for rewarding and recognizing employees?
You have found the correct destination!
Here are some of BRAVO’s best practices for introducing a recognition program to your staff, based on our extensive experience in the field. With these tweaks, BRAVO becomes an even more effective employee recognition tool.
- Make a claim worthy of recognition.
- Put together a winning team.
- Recognize what makes for good recognition and how to implement it.
- Incorporate proven methods into your reward and recognition initiatives.
1. Make a Claim Worthy of Recognition
Creating a business case for an employee recognition program involves linking the project’s results to the company’s goals.
Consider the issues that an employee appreciation program could address and how doing so would help the company achieve its goals.
Research has shown that recognizing employees positively impacts their engagement, retention, productivity, morale, and sense of meaning in the workplace. If so, it’s time to do some math.
How much does it typically cost to run a successful awards program? It may come as a surprise, but effective recognition programs do not have to cost a lot of money. Eighty-one percent of businesses that allocate funds to a reward and recognition program spend less than one percent of their total payroll on such initiatives.
Reward and recognition software can manage work anniversary bonuses, automate reward fulfilment, and link with other programs.
2. Put Together a Winning Team
When top management finally approves, it’s time to start recruiting your program’s champions. Find influential people who can assist you develop the new recognition program’s vision, messaging, strategy, execution, and maintenance.
It’s essential to have people on your team has the following traits:
- Program curiosity
- Taking the helm as the team leader
- Benefits of the Program are Known
- Program prioritization capability
- Exemplary past performances
People who exhibit these traits as program advocates will better understand the organization’s needs and culture. Because of this, they will be the most effective in guaranteeing the program’s success.
3. Recognize What makes for Good Recognition and How to Implement it
Recognizing employees effectively requires that all parties involved have a shared understanding of what makes for sound recognition.
- Timely
- Frequent
- Specific
- Visible
- Inclusive
- Values-based
4. Incorporate Proven Methods into Your Reward and Recognition Initiatives
Establish measurable goals and criteria for the recognition program.
Employers should be specific about the types of actions or behaviours they hope to see as a result of recognition programs and how those actions or behaviours will contribute to achieving company goals. Put your team to the test with vital questions whenever you launch a new employee appreciation program or revise an existing one.
Apply an elaborate system of incentives and accolades.
Research contradicts the common belief that employees would rather have monetary compensation than intangible benefits. In their studies, Deloitte distinguished between two sorts of recognition:
- Admiration and formal recognition
- In-kind and monetary compensation
Researchers discovered that employees valued both sorts of acknowledgement because “this diverse approach serves to consistently and regularly reinforce desired employee behaviour.”
Allow workers some say and some options.
Enjoy yourselves! Don’t assume that you know what others desire right off. Involve your staff in deciding what kinds of incentives would most interest them, and act on that information.
Launch and implementation must go smoothly.
It’s crucial that all parties involved in adopting a new system or approach are on the same page and that the rollout of the change goes as smoothly as possible. Every group using a new software has to know its goals, how it works, and when it goes live.
Examine how well your rewards system is working.
Several facets of a business are affected by a recognition program. The impact of recognition on elements such as employee engagement and morale can be measured with the help of a measurement system such as the employee net promoter score.
Maintain a consistent schedule of review and revision.
Even the best programs require regular upkeep to ensure their continued success. You can check in with employees about the continued value of their benefits by asking for feedback on the schedule every three months. The program’s effectiveness on job performance and company outcomes can be better gauged with input from the top brass.
Read: Modern Employee Recognition Programs That Companies Love
Conclusion
Recognizing and rewarding employees is crucial to any company’s success. A tailored recognition program, such as BRAVO, may help employees feel appreciated, boosting morale, productivity, and employee engagement.
To find out how you may begin creating a recognition-rich company culture, we encourage you to tour the platform and attend a demo.
