The question sounds simple enough doesn’t it?
But how often do we actually recognise a colleague or say a simple thank you? On an ad-hoc basis it’s easy enough, especially for those in your immediate team or reach. You can simply turn your chair around and speak to them or, address them in a meeting.
But what about those team members in different departments of your business or who work remotely? It is easy to just send an email, but we know that emails can just get lost in the masses on occasion and potentially forgotten or given little importance.
So, with this in mind, what can you do to maximise recognition and make it memorable and accessible to all? Here are three suggestions to consider as foundations to any successful recognition scheme you may be thinking of implementing.
What behaviours are important?
One of the key considerations in your employee recognition program has to be the framework of reference for what you’re looking to recognise. With many of our clients this often goes hand in hand with corporate values, and these should be closely associated with your desired business outcomes.
Popular examples include things like “Going above and beyond, or the going extra mile” to deliver excellent customer or guest service, but detailed information on what is above and beyond needs to be clearly defined in advance.
Businesses often choose to recognise a whole range of things, and having a framework provides visibility and gives employees a clear message that “these are the behaviours my organisation would like me to exhibit.” Initiatives such as recognition for recruitment referrals or cost saving initiatives are worth considering, as they can have an immediate positive impact on your business.
Recognise and reward the results
Aligned to the behavioural framework, rewarding employees for really going the extra mile is something to be considered. So what level did your employee deliver on that core behaviour? In employee engagement programs that we’ve worked on there are often several tiers which come with an associated social or “non-cash” reward, peer nominations for employee of the month or quarter, or reward points with a rewards catalogue to inspire employees. Where a points based program is implemented the points can then be accrued or exchanged against a catalogue of aspirational products, services or experiences which we can source, or client choices of internal rewards such as paid time off or learning and development, so that the reward can re-enforce the recognition and has what we call a “longer shelf life.”
Let your employees share the success
Increasing the visibility of recognition is becoming one of the most important parts of any employee engagement program. Show off the great work your employees are doing and being recognised for. The kudos of being publicly recognised can have a really positive impact on an employee’s sense of wellbeing and value to the business and is a strong motivator.
Many of our clients who have never implemented a recognition program start with a “Social” or non-points based program to develop a culture of recognition and get staff feeling comfortable at giving feedback. This is a low cost, but highly proven method of putting a toe in the water.
And it shouldn’t stop there. Let your employees “share” their recognition through Social Media, and allow other employees to comment on the recognition or “like” it. Our clients use Recognition Walls to highlight employee successes, as well as LinkedIn and Facebook to share their successes, and celebrate birthdays and anniversary of service and more, while doing so in a consistent and transparent manner which is very important.
This “social recognition” can become a viral (good viral!) initiative with feel-good messages that spread around the business and broadcast positive outcomes such as “we recognise our employees great work” which helps develop a culture of recognition. This amplifies the message that you have a “thank you” or a “recognition” culture within the business which encourages repeat behaviours which will benefit your business.
It is important to remember that when implementing an employee engagement and recognition platform that this should complement the verbal communication of “thank you” or “great job” and should be viewed as a positive reinforcement to their contribution. A platform should NOT be seen as a replacement for verbal communication.
Perhaps more than anything, increasing the visibility of recognition becomes one of the most important parts of an employee engagement program. Broadcasting the great work your employees are doing and what they are being recognised for is powerful. The kudos of being publicly recognised can have a really positive impact on any employee’s sense of engagement.
There are other elements to a recognition scheme of course, but I think these three are as good a starting point as any to begin thinking about where you might begin.
Brownie Points are experts in employee engagement and we are helping a rapidly growing list of clients deliver measurable business benefits through employee engagement programs designed to recognise employee positive behaviour and contribution.
To learn how we could improve employee engagement levels in your business call the team today on 03 9909 7411 or email us at info@browniepoints.com.au to arrange a no obligation demonstration.
