A successful business knows that the more gratitude in a company, the better it performs.
Recognition is something that every individual strives for. From a toddler who wants appreciation and recognition for taking baby steps to a grown-up man, who loves to get appreciated and recognised for his hard work, we all love recognition. Similarly, employee recognition will act as a driving force for the employees to work hard and give their best in the workplace. In this article, we will discuss the significance of employee recognition in the workplace in detail.
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What Is Employee Recognition?
Employee recognition is the act of acknowledging and appreciating employees for their contributions. Here, the contributions refer to their performance in their daily tasks, teamwork, personal conduct, or simply how they manage things.
The primary goal of employee recognition is to address employees for their exemplary work to achieve better performance and positive outcomes. To appreciate employees, you don’t need to offer expensive gifts; even a pat on the back will work as a reward for their hard work.
Why Is Employee Recognition That Important?
It is proven that the more you appreciate people, the more favourable outcome will be visible in their work. Thus, recognising the employees will generate gratitude for their job and give exemplary results to their organisations. Employee recognition also increases employees’ self-esteem, and it also helps in evaluating their contribution to the success of their organisation.
Benefits of Employee Recognition
Employee recognition is considered one of the fundamental human needs. It serves a variety of benefits. Few among them are,
- It increases employee satisfaction and lets the employees enjoy their work.
- It also improves the working culture of the organisation.
- It increases the retention score of quality employees.
- It decreases stress and work pressure.
- It boosts the morale of employees.
- It drives the engagement of the employees.
Employee Recognition Ideas
Many organisations adopt it as their weekly or monthly practice to acknowledge the exceptional performance of their employees. There are many ways by which an organisation can perform employee recognition and appreciate its employees for their hard work, and a few of them are as follows.
- Events for appreciation – By organising special events to appreciate employees’ hard work, you can boost their morale. These events can be organised monthly, quarterly or yearly. Employees can be praised or rewarded for their exceptional efforts in these events.
- Recognition wall – You can set up a board in your workplace where you can mention the names and achievements of the employees who have given exemplary performances. It will motivate other employees as well to give their best.
- Rewards – Rewarding employees for their exceptional achievements will make them feel special. The reward could be a cash reward, treat, movie tickets, shopping vouchers, etc.
Types of Employee Recognition
- Peer vs Superior – Whenever you get appreciated by a superior position from you, it significantly impacts your job profile. It ensures your job security and increases your chances of promotion. But when you get appreciation from your co-workers, who are your peers, it makes you feel good. You will be happy that even your peers notice your efforts and appreciate them.
- Attributed vs Anonymous – We mostly get appreciation from people we know, and we know who they are and why they appreciate us. But sometimes, getting an anonymous reaction can work wonders. If the person who appreciates your work is anonymous, it can generate curiosity and gratitude towards that unknown person.
- Social vs Private – The impact of this type of appreciation varies from person to person. Few people like the limelight and want to get appreciated in public so that everyone is aware of their achievements. At the same time, some people want to stay away from the limelight and cherish it if someone comes to them personally and appreciates their work.
- Behaviour vs Achievement – These are two different parameters on which you can get recognition. You can get an appreciation for the achievements you made, such as completing a specified target. But you can also get appreciated for your good behaviour towards the organisation, such as working extra hours or performing your job faithfully.
Thus, we can conclude that there are many ways for employee recognition in the workplace. By choosing the right one that fairly bestows the deserving employees’ exemplary performance, you can motivate all your employees to work hard and get recognition for themselves. It also builds a strong foundation for staff engagement.
As we know that the work culture of today’s time is highly competitive, employee recognition will act as a catalyst for the employees to perform their jobs to their highest potential.
