Effective Employee Recognition isn’t just for Christmas
As the festive period is upon us, many companies will use this time to arrange Christmas parties, fun social events, maybe an early finish as a sign of appreciation to their employees.
But is this enough to really communicate your appreciation to your employees?
Employee Recognition Should Be All Year Round
As much as a Christmas card and a bottle of something might be a nice gesture at Christmas, it can sometimes have the opposite effect on your employees than you intend, if you have not shown appreciation over the year. Employee recognition takes many forms and should be shown throughout the year, not just at Christmas.
Frequently and Timely
To create a culture of recognition within your workforce, it needs to be consistent throughout the year, and not just in the last week before Christmas. Christmas parties once a year are great but are not actually effective in showing individual appreciation. If employees don’t feel appreciated, it may actually be that it is a chore to attend the Christmas party, rather than the gesture that you intend. It takes little time to express your appreciation throughout the year, be it in an email, a conversation an early finish now and then, or maybe even a bonus to show that you do recognise an individual’s input to the company.
Regular Feedback
Millennials and Gen Z employees have shown that regular feedback is more effective, encouraging commitment and motivation to their roles. Once yearly appraisals may have been enough for Baby Boomers, but receiving regular feedback, recognition and appreciation that reinforces an individual’s purpose within the whole organisation is more effective. This can contribute to the feeling that everyone is working together towards a shared objective, which in turn is more likely to lead to a dedicated workforce, and staff retention.
A Personal and Individual Approach
Christmas parties are almost the standard expectation within organisations. They are for everyone to enjoy but fail to address an individual’s commitments and achievements within the company. Some companies have Award Ceremonies, but again, if you are not one of the winners of an accolade, it can have the opposite effect, making an individual feel less valued than their peers. By identifying an individual’s contributions, as an employer you are positively validating their efforts, which will encourage a consistent level of commitment in the future by that individual. For example, if someone feels they have worked hard on a particular project and is not recognised as so, they are more likely to “check out” and show less commitment and enthusiasm in the future and may even look for a new role elsewhere.
Company-Wide Culture
Peer-to-peer praise and recognition can drive everyone to be passionate about their roles within the company. By creating a company-wide culture, recognition can happen across the board, and not just from the top-down. This positive approach can help companies in creating a culture where everyone feels validated, appreciated and recognised for their daily contributions.
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