Here at Kudos we’re a big believer in employee recognition – and for good reason. A huge proportion of employees out there feel like they don’t get enough recognition, and we’ve seen first-hand the impact the recognition has on employee engagement. While many businesses focus on trying to incentivize employees with financial rewards, you’d be surprised at the impact simply introducing a formal recognition program can have. When you recognize good or desirable behaviors, employees naturally tend to repeat those behaviors – especially if you recognize them in a public or social manner. Recognition also has a longer effect than financial rewards and can be tied to organizational values to re-enforce them. The key things to keep in mind when starting out with recognition are:
- Be consistent. Send recognition frequently and encourage others to give recognition as well.
- Democratize your recognition program. Don’t just rely on a top-down approach to recognition. The most successful recognition programs that businesses incorporate enable people from all areas of the business to give each other recognition.
- Make it visible and transparent. By making the recognition within your organization transparent, you amplify the impact of the recognition that your employees are sharing with each other.
Contributors: Garrett Genest from Kudos Inc