If you are looking for a way to put your company in a position to succeed in the current environment, you need to think about putting together a comprehensive employee recognition program in the office. It can be very difficult to craft a company that can properly compete in the current environment, and that is why you need to encourage your employees to stay. With a record number of employees leaving their current jobs, you need to figure out a way to separate yourself from the other companies in your field and convince your employees to stick around. What are some of the top tips for recognizing your employees?
#1. Do Not Overlook the In-Person Thank You
First, understand that you should not overlook the in-person thank you. Simply giving your employees a straightforward thank you from time to time can go a long way toward giving them the recognition they deserve. There are a lot of people who do not realize just how important in-person interaction can be, and it has become even more important in the wake of remote work. Therefore, in-person recognition has to be a critical part of the employee recognition program at your company.
#2. Distribute the Highlights To Others
A lot of people like it when the company highlights the contribution they have made in the company newsletter. Therefore, make sure you distribute the highlights to other people. For example, you may want to include the name of the employee and a social media post, as long as they are okay with it. You should also highlight the actions that the employee has taken on the company website. If there is a newspaper that gets distributed throughout the company, you need to include the shout-out in there as well. All of this is important for crafting appropriate recognition for your employees.
#3. Encourage Peer-to-Peer Employee Recognition as Well
Even though your managers and department chairs will be responsible for a lot of the recognition that your employees receive, it is important for you to encourage peer-to-peer employee recognition as well. As a part of the program, make sure your employees have a way to nominate other employees for recognition. For example, you may want to have an anonymous submission box that makes it easy for people to nominate their co-workers for a certain recognition program. Then, you may want to have a formal program where people can attach their names to the recognition as well. All of this can go a long way toward helping you get the most out of the program you craft.
#4. Use Recognition as a Part of Feedback
It is very important for you to conduct comprehensive feedback sessions regularly. For example, you may have your managers conduct employee feedback once per quarter, and then you may have the department chair do a larger feedback session once per year. You need to use this recognition program as a part of the feedback. After all, if you want your employees to stay, you need to let them know when they are doing a good job. When it is time for a feedback session, make sure you include the positive feedback the employees have received. You can use this as a part of the overall evaluation program. That way, your employees will know that you are evaluating them fairly.
#5. Provide Opportunities for Personal Development
Finally, as a part of the employee recognition program, you need to provide opportunities for personal development as well. What this means is that you may want to reward your employees with opportunities that they can use to position themselves for upward mobility. If you want to position your company to succeed in the current environment, you need to give your employees every opportunity to show what they can do. Then, you can promote your most talented employees to the top positions in the company. If you find that there is an employee who is routinely going above and beyond, you may want to provide them with extra tools they can use to improve their skills. That way, you can position them for a leadership role.
Give Your Employees The Recognition They Deserve
These are a few of the most important tips you need to keep in mind if you want to properly recognize your employees. The reality is that it can be difficult to recognize your employees in a way that matters to them, but as long as you put in the effort to create a strong program, you can let your employees know just how important they are to the company. Furthermore, remember that this is not something that you need to do on your own. There are professionals who can help you craft a strong program that can recognize your employees appropriately and convince them to stay.
