When you think about how you prioritize your time, does the bulk of your focus go to your work? And in this highly digital world, are you still tied to work even if you're not in the office? You likely responded yes to these questions. So, if you’re going to put that much time into work, isn’t it nice to know you’re appreciated? An employee recognition program can go a long way in helping employees feel valued and engaged.
Research indicates eight out of 10 employees are happier when they feel recognized. Recognition is more than just an off-the-cuff remark to say, “Good Job.” Leaders need to carefully consider when and how to show ongoing appreciation to ensure employees know what they do matters. This systematic approach will help retain employees, increase engagement, and improve productivity.
Comprehensive employee engagement strategies give leaders an arsenal of tools to help boost morale, build camaraderie, and support positive work contributions from individual employees. When teams and team members meet milestones, exhibit the company’s core values and desired behaviors, go above and beyond, or reach an achievement – we can affirm these actions with recognition.
To help recognition reinforce strong performance, make sure you are highlighting specific actions or achievements as part of the acknowledgment. Tie the recognition back to how the action supports company goals or performance to help employees see how their personal contributions influence the company’s performance. Ensure recognition is timely. If you wait too long to deliver the award, it feels like an afterthought. And, if the recognition comes with a gift or perk, select that token of appreciation wisely. Take this opportunity to show you know the people on your team. You don’t want to give a steakhouse gift card to a vegan.
Especially in today’s marketplace, where more employees work remotely, companies need to be nimble to adopt employee recognition programs with a virtual component. Employee Shoutouts on Spring help leaders give employees verbal commendations virtually. Prompts ask you to recognize employees for specific actions, and then the platform delivers the shoutout in a meaningful and authentic way. Prompts are shown on a recurring and consistent basis, so recognition never falls to the wayside. These small acts of acknowledgment can boost productivity by 17%.
Employers need to create opportunities for team bonding. Whether it’s a work-related roundtable discussion over lunch or an organized social activity that requires teamwork, we need to bring people together to bond while innovating. Give employees the latitude to get to know one another more personally. In fact, in doing so, we can help foster work friendships. And according to a Gallup study, that helps employees feel twice as engaged at work.
Implementing the right employee engagement strategies can reduce turnover by 24%. And when you retain talent, you preserve company knowledge, alleviate the expenses associated with filling positions and optimize innovation. So why not incentivize loyalty even more? Offer on-the-job training opportunities, tuition reimbursement, or financial incentives for employees that advance their skills and education. Targeted mentorships or working with different internal teams to expand skillsets can also be a valuable way to build connections while providing career development.
A work environment that builds community, even online, is vital. Ask meaningful, personalized questions to help team members feel connected. Team Questions on Spring create a safe and positive space for employees to share. By continually bringing the team together, we help each other feel seen. Foster this sense of community with peer-to-peer recognition. Use a program to crowdsource well wishes or allow employees to submit nominations for specified awards. You could even create downloadable certificates that employees could hand out at will.
Let’s help employees feel seen by offering personalized messages that recognize important life moments. Whether it’s a person’s birthday or a career-related milestone like tenure, leaders must be prepared to celebrate that employee. Deliver custom video messages or emails using Spring’s Employee Celebration Pages. You can even incorporate messages from the whole team.
Whether you make a public announcement or fall back on a trusted handwritten note, don’t let significant personal accomplishments go unnoticed. If an employee gets married, earns a degree, or gets recognition outside the company, make a point to honor that.
As you prepare to optimize your company’s employee experience, follow these tried-and-true tips to help your strategies succeed.
Use Spring’s real-time workflow to help you track celebrations, milestones, and work commitments. This will help ensure your recognition is always timely. You can also utilize actionable team metrics to get a pulse for what the team is working on, what has been accomplished, and interactions within the online community. This easily-accessible data helps you see progress and achievements on an ongoing basis, so you can give credit when credit is due.
The journey should also be celebrated. Sometimes, goals are lofty. To help employees continue to feel motivated, recognize the little contributions along the way. Even a small “thank you” can go a long way. Look for employees working extra hours, exhibiting company values, or going above to help the team stay on track. All these actions add up to the eventual success.
How do you know you are offering the support and positive environment your team needs? Ask them! Employee surveys offer valuable insight into how you are performing and what you could do to enhance efforts. You build trust and make employees feel heard by asking for employee feedback. Spring Surveys helps employers ask the right questions and get timely feedback so you can spot potential issues early and develop proactive solutions. Feedback also helps you see what is working well so you can optimize your successful strategies.
With the right tools and practices in place, you can help your rock-star team continue to shine. Reach out to Spring to get your virtual recognition platform set up. We’re ready to help you celebrate.