21 Sep 7 Best Practices for Employee Recognition Programs
Employee recognition programs can be an effective way for companies to increase employee engagement, boost productivity, and attract top talent. Great customer experience depends heavily on employee engagement, so employee recognition helps boost morale.
However, there is no one size fits all policy for employee recognition. In this article, we’ll discuss the best practices for employee recognition programs to help you design and implement one that is effective, meaningful, and employee-friendly.
1. Connect your Company Values to Concrete Behaviors
The most important thing to do is to connect your company’s values with concrete behaviors. This takes time and effort, but it is worth it in the end.
First, a company’s values should be communicated as much as possible. If a particular value is communicated clearly, employees will understand it, which will make them more likely to act according to that value.
Second, employees need to be rewarded for demonstrating the values that are important to their work. For example, if an employee shows up on time every day (a value), then he or she should receive a bonus at the end of the year for doing so.
2. Give Employees Choice and Voice
Employee recognition programs should give employees choices about what type of recognition they want. For example, if you have a bonus program, you might want to allow employees to choose between cash bonuses or gift cards. This gives them more control over what they receive and allows them to feel like they have made a choice that matters to them personally.
Also, allow employees who are interested in being recognized by taking part in an activity that will be publicly viewable (such as a video that shows the employee doing something awesome). This way, even if someone who doesn’t want to participate in this type of activity will know about their contribution anyway — which is another great motivator! Don’t assume that you know what everyone wants; engage your employees better to help them understand the types of rewards and recognition they can get.
3. Create a Well-Defined Recognition Program
The best employee recognition programs have a clear purpose and specific goals. They also have clear rules and boundaries, so employees know what they can expect to receive for doing their job well.
In addition, a well-defined recognition program helps employees feel valued, which is critical for retaining top talent. A company that doesn’t recognize its employees doesn’t quite understand the value of their work, or how much its employees care about their jobs.
A good employee recognition program should:
- Define the purpose of the program (and why it’s needed)
- Define what each type of reward will look like (cash, merchandise, gift cards)
- Outline how often rewards will be doled out (once a year? Quarterly?) and when they’ll happen (on an annual basis?)
Set up a process for employees to apply for rewards — this could include completing an online application or submitting a form via email.
4. Collaborate with Employees when Creating a Rewards Program
When creating a rewards program, it is important to collaborate with employees and their managers. A rewards program should be developed in consultation with your employees so that the program will be understood and accepted by all.
Collaboration is key because it helps build a culture of collaboration and sharing ideas. By working together with your employees, you can ensure that everyone understands what the goals of your rewards program are, how it will be implemented, and how it will benefit both you and your company.
5. Refresh the Recognition Program
One of the best things you can do to make sure your employee recognition program is effective is to refresh it from time to time. It’s always a good idea to review your program with employees and their managers, but also periodically — at least every few years — look at how it compares to other companies in your industry and the general marketplace.
You’ll want to make sure that the program is still relevant, that everyone understands what it is, and that the company values it.
The same goes for any other types of rewards or incentives your company may offer employees. You might be surprised by how quickly those programs can get stale or outdated if they aren’t refreshed as needed.
6. Fold Values and Recognition Training into Onboarding
It’s important to include values and recognition training in the onboarding process. The more employees know about what their company values are and how they can be recognized for those values, the more likely employees are to take ownership of their work.
Here are some tips for training new employees on the importance of these two key elements:
1) Define your company’s values and culture.
2) Explain how employees can be recognized for their work.
3) Provide examples of how your company has demonstrated its values in the past.
7. Measure your Recognition Program’s Effectiveness
When you’re looking to make your recognition program more successful, you’ll want to measure its effectiveness. The best way to do this is to track key metrics that can tell you how your employees feel about the program, like their satisfaction and engagement.
To do this, start by asking employees for feedback about the program. Then, ask them what they like about it and what they don’t like about it.
If there are problems or concerns with the program, take steps to address them immediately. You might also want to consider establishing some goals for improvement so that you can measure success over time.
Final Thoughts
One universal fact about recognition programs for employees is that they are necessary. Whether you are a Fortune 500 company or a small-business owner, the entire idea of giving out employee recognition awards is to boost productivity, give moral boosts, and make employees feel good about their workplace. Hopefully, this blog post will help you achieve these results while tracking progress so you can see what type of feedback works best with your audience.
Author Bio:
Kelly Barcelos is a progressive digital marketing manager for Jobsoid. She is responsible for leading the content and social media teams at work. Her expertise and experience in the field of HR enable her to create value-driven content for her readers – both on Jobsoid’s blog and other guest blogs where she publishes content Regularly.
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