A Pat On The Back Can Go A Long Way

How employee recognition can result in rewards for your business

A hectic work day can make it easy for a supervisor to forget to recognize his employees’ efforts. However, this is something that should not be overlooked. Studies have shown that a company’s morale and performance can be affected by the engagement and relationship with its supervisors and employees. No matter how minor or major an accomplishment may seem, it’s important for a supervisor to make it known that he or she appreciates a job well done.

So what is an effective way to show appreciation? Anyone can say a simple “thank you.” It’s more about how it’s said and or shown. Here are a few best practices to productively show employees that their work didn’t go unnoticed.

• Be prompt. No need to delay in thanking someone for what they’ve done. The longer you wait, the less impact the appreciation will have on the recipient.
• Don’t get in the pattern of only thanking a select few. Spread appreciation throughout the whole team – executives, mid-level workers, anyone.
• Know if a thank you should be private or public. Employees may have different preferences.
• Make it known the kind of effort and/or goals needed to expect a thank you, whether it’s verbal or in the form of a reward.
• When appropriate, make sure top-level employees/supervisors are aware when another employee’s efforts have been acknowledged.
• Recognition without awards can appear empty. On the flip side, awards without recognition don’t always convey that someone’s work is appreciated. Develop a consistent and well communicated strategy and stick with it.
• If an award is given, make sure the recipient understands why it was awarded. This encourages employees to continue to be a positive team player in the workplace. A gift should enhance recognition – it should not be the recognition itself.
• Nothing new here but worth mentioning – handwritten notes have much more validation than one typed on your computer. It’s a small effort that says a lot.
• Finally, always reward employees for demonstrating the company’s core values, as these behaviors ultimately link to higher employee engagement.

Practice these principles in the workplace and see a rise of respect and positive attitudes. For more pointers, contact CoreCentive, a leader in helping companies excite, engage and empower their people, their customers, and their brand through personalized service, support and technology.

To learn more about recognition programs visit  http://www.corecentive.com/info/Rewards-And-Recognition

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