Taking time to recognise employee achievements helps foster engagement, increases productivity, and reduces tension in the work environment. Leading a team can often be a challenging task let alone ensuring all staff are engaged.
“People may take a job for more money, but they often leave it for more recognition” - Bob Nelson.
The 10 reasons to celebrate employee achievements:
1. Increase in productivity
Employee does something great = Employer wants this behaviour to be repeated = Employer recognises (rewards/thanks) the employee = Employee repeats the behaviour in order to receive more recognition.
2. A merry workplace
Happy employees make for a happy workplace. In a happy workplace magic happens. By managers, peers, and even the CEO recognising the employee’s work ethic and appreciating not only the small things with a simple ‘thank you, you are great’, but the big things as well. Such as awarding an employee with a significant reward, as they feel a sense of pride, not just pride in themselves, but in also working for that business.
3. We could be friends
Recognising an employee’s efforts and appreciating their abilities builds an essential bond between the manager and the employee. Establishing this bond is paramount to a building a healthy and positive environment, where employees feel comfortable speaking to their managers, and vice versa.
4. They’re going to be great
The release of a recognition programme not only benefits employees (in the sense they are rewarded for their efforts), but management as well. Recognition programmes aid in identifying workplace stars and A-Players, and allows management to move them up through the business.
5. We are a family
Employee recognition doesn’t just come from the managers, but also from the employee’s peers. Peer recognition goes a long way; it helps to establish comradeship between colleagues and is great for increasing teamwork in the workplace. #MakeYourWorkmateYourRealMate.
6. In the words of Kiwi Legend, Dave Dobbyn, ‘We are Loyal’
Employee recognition works wonders on employee retention and loyalty. A simple thank you, or a celebration of an employee’s achievement is all it takes - and in turn this will benefit your company's retention rates.
7. Be engaged
Not only does an effective reward and recognition programme make your employees happier, but it also gets them engaged in their work. When an incentive is in place, we work harder to achieve the goal to get the reward on offer. So simple, yet so clever.
8. What does your company value?
Every successful business has a set of values. Find out what these are, and enforce them as much as possible. Name meeting rooms after them, have them as the wallpaper on everyone’s desktop, do what whatever it takes to promote them. Once you’ve bombarded your employees with the values, get them working to achieve it … it’s great to link the company values to a recognition programme. Don’t just recognise when an employee makes a sale, recognise the ‘ambition & perseverance’ that the employee used in order to achieve it. These words are ‘warm’ words, ones that make us feel fluffy and special, use them as much as possible.
9. The time is now
It’s all good and nice to have a staff member of the month award, but it’s not immediate, and the values the employee has demonstrated for the month aren’t officially recognised until it’s all over. Recognition is all about timing. If an employee is working extremely hard, demonstrating values of the company, and are being super productive, why not congratulate and recognise them on the spot. Hold a staff meeting and do a quick presentation. This ‘instant’ recognition will work wonders. Instantly recognising an employee for their achievement works to ensure the behaviours are repeated time and time again.
10. Bliss
You’ll find spending just a little bit more time recognising employees that the overall feeling of the workplace will be relaxed and there’ll be a sense of calm in the air. Welcome to bliss. Employees feel wanted, they’ll laugh, be productive, and there’ll be comradeship in the workplace. Doing so will result in all the tension in the workplace vanishing!
Whether it be a pat on the back, or a full blown party, take 10 minutes out of each day to notice an employee’s achievement and show them that you care.
Author: Claydan Krivan - Senior Motivation Coach