Employee Recognition Matters More Than You Think

Employee recognition is the simple act of letting your employees know that you appreciate their hard work. Your employees want to know that they are a valuable part of the team. Take the time to acknowledge them and say thank you. A little bit of appreciation can go a long ways toward creating a successful team.

Employee recognition is really about the psychology of praising others and the benefits that it has on your team. Receiving public recognition from management and from peers is a fulfilling thing. By showing genuine appreciation through an effective employee recognition program, it can:

• Improve motivation
• Increase productivity
• Boost morale
• Create happier employees
• Boost employee self esteem
• Encourage employees to stick around
• Increase employee engagement

Employees want their hard work and effort to be noticed. An effective employee recognition program can give them the respect that they deserve. Employee recognition needs to be done fairly, clearly, and consistently. When you recognize someone, do so publicly, personalize it, tell everyone why they are being recognized, and make it official. This adds value to the recognition and will make them feel important.

Regular employee recognition is a great addition to the company culture. It can go a long ways to creating a stronger team and driving your company to success. To reinforce the value of employee recognition, check out these facts about employee recognition from OfficeVibe.com:

• The number-one reason most Americans leave their jobs is that they don’t feel appreciated.
• Organizations with effective recognition programs have 31% lower voluntary turnover than organizations with ineffective recognition programs.
• 90% of employees say their recognition program positively impacts engagement.
• 68% of employees say it positively impacts retention.
• 66% of HR managers say it helps them build a stronger employment brand.
• 86% of managers say it increases employee happiness.
• Peer-to-peer recognition is 35% more likely to have a positive financial impact than manager only.

Read all of the statistics about recognizing employees on OfficeVibe.com here.

What it comes down to is that employee recognition is an important part of office life. It has minimal cost and is highly effective. It can be as simple as saying thank you in the weekly newsletter or as involved as throwing an Employee Appreciation Day party. However your company chooses to recognize employees, make it a regular and timely event because it feels good when people take notice.