Employee Recognition - How to say thank you!
Recognising a job well done and acknowledging the hard work of your staff goes a long way in boosting morale and delivering job satisfaction. Research conducted by Seek, shows that employees who feel valued and appreciated will be more likely to stay. Feeling appreciated is universal, most people and teams like to receive recognition of a job well done.
In this blog we will discuss the most important components of giving recognition, individual and team recognition, creating a culture of peer recognition and recognition ideas.
The most effective recognition requires three elements:
Regular: Letting an employee know they have done a great job once per year is unlikely to cut it with most staff. Giving consistent and regular recognition is far more effective. Recognition does not mean gestures or gifts weekly or monthly; in fact, this can reduce the impact if given too often. Plan to give recognition on a quarterly basis.
Immediate: Success or hard work should be acknowledged immediately. Waiting too long results in a disconnect between the positive action and the employee recognition. The most effective recognition is immediate.
Specific: A generic thanks is disheartening, especially after an employee has poured their soul into a project. Offering recognition that is specific to the employee’s actions, values or successes is key.
Individual and team recognition
Hard work and success being recognised by managers and company leaders is meaningful to most employees. It sends a message that senior staff are paying attention and are appreciative of the work that is being done on the ground. Sometimes employees are surprised that their effort has been noticed and acknowledged. Recognition will lead to higher employee engagement and often the motivation to repeat the success.
Recognition ideas include:
Positive Feedback: this can be via a letter, email, phone call or face to face
Employee shout outs: this could be a group email to the company or verbal recognition at a meeting
Experiential rewards: give a Red Balloon gift voucher for skydiving or a motor track day
Company swag: everyone loves a free hoodie or a new mug
Catered meal: there is nothing better than rewarding hard work with a nice relaxing meal
Surprise time off: why not give a half or full day off so a long weekend can be enjoyed
Creating a culture of peer recognition
A wonderful way to strengthen the bond between a team is to create a culture of peer recognition. Being recognised for a job well done by your peers is equally important for employees. This is often the case because staff sometimes feel like they are in the trenches together. The general feeling can be that their peers really understand what it took to get the job done or find success. Encourage staff to recognise jobs well done, hard work put in and success amongst their peers.
Some peer to peer recognition ideas include:
Team trophy: vote on the person deserving of the team trophy sitting on that person’s desk for a week or a month
Sticky note: encourage leaving notes of thanks, it is a pleasant surprise to discover them
Surprise treats: bring a sweet treat into the office to share with hardworking team mates
Celebrate milestones: whether it is a work anniversary, or a birthday recognise both professional and personal milestones
Employee recognition can directly improve engagement, productivity, and retention. An added bonus is that employee recognition can positively impact client satisfaction, which will have a direct effect on your bottom line.
