It is incredibly important for everybody in the workplace to feel properly appreciated for the work and effort that they put in. However, despite this, 65% of employees have not received any recognition over the past year, making it unsurprising that one of the top reasons workers leave their company is because they feel under appreciated.
Thankfully, this is easy to change! No matter how nice and desirable gifts or expensive employee programs are, most people are actually just looking for a productive yet enjoyable workplace where they don’t feel as though their efforts are going unseen. We will show you some easy solutions on how to better celebrate successes in your workplace (because everybody, no matter their position, likes to be appreciated).
How can I recognise my colleagues in a way that they’d appreciate?
Below, we have listed the top five ways in which employees were recognised that they found the most memorable, as found by a Gallup workplace study.
- Public recognition or acknowledgment
- Private recognition from a boss, peer, or customer
- Receiving or obtaining a high level of achievement through evaluations or reviews
- Promotion or increase in scope and responsibility
- Monetary awards pay increase, trips, etc.
You may have noticed that the top two on the list don’t include any monetary value, making it very evident that no matter the financial budget of your company, appreciating your employees properly and cultivating a workplace culture that celebrates achievements is still possible.
Public recognition in particular is an excellent way to celebrate any successes that have a wider impact on the business or other employees. Not only does it deeply validate that individual or team on their good work, it is a grand display of how valuable work is, and informs the other workers the benefits of performing in such a way. Seeing other people be publicly praised may motivate your other employees to also do better, in the hopes of the same level of recognition.
On the other hand, private recognition can be more tailored to the individual, and focus directly on their performance or development. Showing recognition to growing employees can often produce positive outcomes, by giving them motivation and support in the workplace. Especially with the rise in popularity of group projects and open plan, collaborative work spaces, it’s valuable to build a culture of positive peer feedback.
Gifts will always be appreciated. Whilst a handwritten thank you is sufficient for something smaller, larger tasks (such as creating a new product, for example) may be deserving of something bigger. Some common gift ideas include going out for a meal to celebrate the achievement together, a gift card or perhaps even an extra day off.
When should I recognise them?
You can appreciate your employees whenever it feels most appropriate to you – it can be valuable to put an almost equal emphasis on both large and small successes, as after all even the biggest projects are just compilations of small wins. Recognition should usually be given after the completion of the task and can focus on the skills used for the job and company values.
The more immediate the recognition, the more effective, as it shows just how much you truly value their work. Even if an official celebration has to be delayed, there’s no reason to not give a simple thank you and acknowledgement of the achievement as soon as the job is done.
How do you provide meaningful recognition?
The acronym C.O.I.N can help with that – it provides a framework on how to give impactful, constructive and positive feedback.
- Context
Identify the behaviour that you want to recognise, ensuring you have a specific example that you want to celebrate. - Observation
Outline in detail the exact skills that you want to reward – don’t be vague. - Impact
Allow all your colleagues to understand why you’re commenting on this behaviour by describing its impact on you, and everyone else in the workplace. - Next
Give positive feedback to allow your employee to keep up the good work.
Submit an enquiry via our online form today to find out how we can help your business, or call 07771 642 182 to book a 30 minute consultation with Karen directly.