How To Recognize Employees

With companies struggling to keep attrition at bay, recognizing employees becomes all the more necessary. It is a logical fact that if people do not find the encouragement after giving their best, then they are less inclined to repeat the feat again. To increase productivity, to reach the goal as fast as possible, requires motivation in every step. And the team leaders, managers, and all those in authority are responsible for this. When you send across the message to your employees that their work is getting noticed and is appreciated, it fosters greater commitment and encourages them to do more. Ultimately, it all boils down to everyone getting their due. However, this is also a sensitive task and the recognition of employees must be handled with care. In many cases, it can lead to unhealthy competition and also breed discord. To recognize someone over the others, so that the rest do not feel let down, should be done with utmost sensitivity. Read the article given below to know the various tips on recognizing employees.

Tips For Effective Employee Recognition

Monetary Benefits

This is one of the best ways to recognize employees who have performed exceptionally well, used by employers all over the world.
The monetary amount can either be pre-decided or can be determined at the time of rewarding.
This not only motivates the particular employee, but also others to work hard and get recognition in the form of more money.

Personal Note

Certain employees in the organization like receiving recognition in the form of a personal or hand written note by someone from the senior management.
These employees feel elated and motivated when they realize the fact that their hard work is getting noticed by seniors in the office.
Along with a personal note, employers can also present outstanding employees with rewards in cash and kind.

Team Event

This method of employee recognition can be used especially when a team on the whole has performed well and needs to be rewarded.
Organizing a team event like a lunch, party or an outing, wherein the whole team enjoys together, is a good way of team building among themselves, so that they continue to perform even better.
Also, certain individual employees can be honored at an event where the entire staff is present.

Job Enrichment

Few employees desire rewards in terms of job enrichment. They love working hard and the best way to recognize these type of employees would be to change or expand their work profile.
The employer can shift them to certain important projects, or bestow them with added responsibilities, which they would be happy to shoulder.
Also, giving a little more freedom in the form of flexible working hours and leave options will propel them to perform even better.

Tips For Effective Employee Recognition

It is important that every member of the staff is well versed with the employee recognition parameters in the organization. This provides transparency in operations and also motivates employees to work towards these goals.
Keep the reward exclusive. Encourage a healthy internal competition among employees for them to keep performing hard to get that exclusive reward.
Employee recognition can sometimes draw some amount of envy from co-workers and the employer should guard against this. It can be done by recognizing the employee privately or by not leaving out any of the good performers.
Employers can also make use of certain creative ideas to recognize excellent employees. These could be making him the boss for one day, giving him an all expenses paid weekend holiday, naming certain sections in office after his name, etc.
Employers can even arrange an annual award function, wherein, along with the top performers, all other employees are rewarded for certain individual qualities they possess. These may not necessarily be work related; instead, they can be any other unique or interesting characteristics or personality traits they exhibit.

Recognition Ideas

Use praise.
Increase team member visibility.
Give information. It will stop potential rumors and increase their trust in the company direction.
Increase team member involvement. Create ways to solicit individual opinions on issues facing your organization. Allow them to have a voice in decision-making.
Offer interesting work. Create opportunities for the individual to work on a special project team – a plum assignment that encourages their professional development.
Give feedback on performance. Report back more frequently what you see the team member accomplishing, and how they are meeting your expectations. This may lead to a mentoring relationship.
Listen. Consciously practice deeper listening to understand and connect with the individual. Pay attention and stay focused to what your employee is saying.
Allow flexibility. If it’s not critical to customers, allow the individual freedom in establishing their work hours and time off.
Recommend independence. Offer in-house training that allows the individual to learn a new skill. After the training, give them a project to use the new skills and allow them the autonomy of how the task should be completed.

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