Your employees are your biggest asset. Create a culture of recognition within your organization to improve employee engagement and retention.
Learn how to engage and retain your employees by better recognizing their efforts on the job.
Recognize Recognition’s Importance
The statistics don’t lie. Most employers are terrible about giving positive recognition to their workers. According to 2022 research published by Gallup and Workhuman:
● 81% of company leaders say recognition is not a major organizational priority.
● 73% of senior leaders say their organization does not provide employee recognition training for managers or leaders.
● 64% say their organization doesn’t budget for employee recognition.
A report from Officevibe updated this year that tracks employee engagement globally reveals that 63% of employees feel like they don’t get enough praise. The top reason people leave their jobs is simply because they don’t feel appreciated.
“Many companies know how vital employee recognition is, but only a few implement it,” says Matthew Roberts, Chief Operating Officer at My Choice. “When a company gives importance to employee recognition, you'll see a decrease in employee turnover and an increase in motivated employees.”
Start with Your Managers
Managers play an essential role when it comes to giving positive feedback. Since they are in a position of authority over their employee team, it is up to the manager to set the workplace environment’s tone. When calling a 1:1 meeting, the manager is responsible for setting the agenda, providing feedback, and coaching the employee if necessary.
According to the Officevibe report, 31% of employees want their manager to communicate with them more frequently, and 70% of employees said they’d like to spend more time with their manager.
Establish an Employee Recognition Program
A formal employee recognition program is a great way to recognize employee contributions and milestones such as work anniversaries, birthdays, promotions, and professional certifications.
Evan McCarthy is the CEO of SportingSmiles LLC, an online dental lab specializing in custom-designed dental products. After moving into a new 10,000-square-foot office in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in 2018, McCarthy recognized the need for the company to adopt a technology-driven employee rewards program. He says it became vital during the pandemic because “our staff felt even more secure that our company cared for them, especially when we were forced to cut operational hours during lockdowns.”
“Our company can reassure and recognize the hard work that coworkers have done,” McCarthy says. “Managers can set KPIs and goals, and staff get rewarded for meeting or exceeding those targets.”
Be Authentic
Ultimately, the personalities of your leadership team and employees drive the type of recognition initiative your organization puts into place. But just establishing a recognition program will increase employee engagement and retention within your company, leading you one step closer to success.
“Recognizing employees for their hard work is certainly a good first step, but the real challenge is to find a way to do this that feels genuine,” says Adam Rossi, CEO of TotalShield. “To truly engage with your workforce, be specific about how their personal accomplishments are helping the whole team succeed.”