Why recognizing employees matter

Employee reward and recognition is the process of telling your workers that they are doing a good job. This action can take many forms and be carried out in many ways, some of which are better suited to certain types of businesses than others.

Why is employee reward and recognition important?

Making sure your employees know that they are appreciated has a variety of benefits, including but not limited to:

Better work environment

Employee recognition can just flat out make people feel better about themselves. Being recognised for hard work will put a smile on a person’s face, therefore making him or her happier and creating an overall better workplace. Essentially, happy workers are more motivated, more engaged and more inclined to do better.

Reflects a lot about you and the company

You don’t have to be best friends with everybody in your team. In fact, that might not be a great idea if you hold a management position. But you do need to have a strong professional relationship with them, which can be enhanced by cordiality. Doling out employee recognition paints you, and the company you work for, in a positive light and proves that you care about employees and the work they’re doing.

Motivate team, drive productivity

Telling somebody thanks when they complete a task for you is a great habit to get in to. But going the extra step and recognising what it took for them to complete that task leaves a much longer-lasting impression. Making them realise that you appreciate what they’ve gone through to deliver will also make them realise that you care about their daily grind.

How to recognize people?

Employee Recognition Present

One of the best things about employee recognition is that it is easily adaptable to companies of different sizes and means. Check out the below list to find some great ways, from simple to more complex, that you can share your appreciation for your employees.

Unprompted shout-outs

Sending thank-you note to workers is a great way to show them you care. But it’s just as easy to send an email to the company, or perhaps the department if you work in a larger corporation, in an effort to shout-out individual workers or small teams. You’ll fill them with a sense of pride and also most likely prompt emails or other forms of congratulations from other colleagues that read the communication.

Say “thank you”

It’s the simplest way to show appreciation. Don’t be stingy with your gratitude. You’ll find it will improve your relationship with coworkers, as well as help you get things done.

Incentivize high performance

When money talks, people listen. Implementing a bonus scheme is one of the most tried and trusted ways to use employee reward and recognition programs to motivate workers. Set a target for them to hit that unlocks bonuses. This gives them something tangible to work toward.

Offer flexible schedules

This shows a level of trust in your employees and, in many cases, allows them to get more done as they’re working during their most productive times of day.

Start an employee of the month program

This is another simple way to give your employees a pat on the back for exemplary work. Printing off a certificate and explaining how your employees contribute each day they’re at work can go a long way.

Plan offsite activities

Having fun with your coworkers will help you bond as a team and boost your productivity on the clock.

Treat an employee to lunch

Not only do you get a nice meal and a fun mid-day break, you also get to know your employees better and show them you appreciate their hard work.