Imagine you spend months pouring out every ounce of energy to complete a project. You work overtime several days a week, put out multiple fires, and strategically get your team across the finish line. You feel immensely proud for all the work you’ve done, only for your company to simply mark your task as complete and hand you another assignment.
There’s no acknowledgement of your skill set, or even a simple thank you for your efforts. Without your well-deserved employee recognition, you’d likely find yourself tapping out, discouraged by the lack of care. Your community would tell you to jump ship and find other employers that appreciate you through tangible action.
As adults, we seek the same validation in and out of the workplace. According to SHRM’s “The Case for Employee Experience” report, feeling valued is a vital part of the employee experience. Everyone deserves to be in the spotlight, whatever that looks like for each person.
How can companies and leaders foster a work culture that celebrates the individual and empowers every team to reach their fullest potential? Here, we explore the importance of employee appreciation and tangible ways leaders can express gratitude for their work community.
Employee recognition is the act of showcasing people’s workplace contributions. Our recent podcast guest, Monica Rothgery, stated that “what you recognize gets repeated.” Her example was as follows: restaurant leadership commends a cook for their stellar fried chicken. News of this spreads to other branches, and employees produce similar results knowing their actions are guaranteed to lead to positive outcomes.
Employee recognition and neglect work similarly: they spread like wildfire. If companies leave employee achievements to collect dust, it conveys a message that their work doesn’t matter. They assume they’re not integral members of a team. They become disillusioned, and their lack of investment gradually creates a culture where the bare minimum suffices, dragging the organization down.
On the flip side, if a company actively recognizes its employees, both privately and publicly, people know their contributions matter. They understand what works, what doesn’t, and how their achievements are a part of the bigger picture.
While some can argue that celebrating every win is redundant, it reinforces a positive work environment where people know that they’re seen and understood, even for seemingly small things—and when fostering work belonging, every action makes a difference.
Employee recognition provides a win-win opportunity for all parties. People enjoy a healthier culture while companies see higher engagement and growth. Gallup and Workhuman reveal measurable benefits in a recent study, stating:
There’s no denying that employee engagement is key to satisfaction and retention. It saves companies significant money, considering turnover costs have reportedly reached up to a startling trillion dollars. Recognition maintains motivation, and motivation is the fuel that people need to keep on keeping on—especially when hardships emerge.
Quantum Workplace reveals that when employees are confident that their employers consistently highlight their hard work, they’re 2.7 times more likely to remain engaged. The same study provides a brief overview of the most and least preferred reasons for employee recognition.
The most preferred tend to be for:
The least preferred are reportedly:
Understanding and having access to such data can help companies as they create new employee recognition initiatives or update existing ones. As they keep themselves informed of shifting trends and expectations, they can better meet the needs of their work community.
You can be a manager, director, or a C-suite executive—there’s always someone in your circle who can benefit from your recognition. While there are countless ways to make your gratitude known, we narrowed it down to four simple suggestions to positively impact your workplace culture while also inspiring every individual.
There’s a difference between saying, “Thank you for your hard work this month,” and “Your dedication to updating our reports saved us a lot of time.” The former is vague, cookie-cutter, and inauthentic while the latter points out exactly why you appreciate the other party. Pinpoint how someone has helped you, and your words can easily become more memorable.
Furthermore, make your appreciation a regular occurrence. Consistency is key, and when employees know you’re on the lookout to celebrate them in every capacity, it can help boost their morale and productivity.
Everyone has unintentional biases they need to unlearn. Like other aspects of work, employee recognition also presents blind spots that might cause you to praise some more than others. Gallup reports that, compared to White employees, Black and Hispanic employees are less likely to consider that their recognition is equitable.
Fostering an inclusive space is vital to organizational culture. What works for some doesn’t always work for all, so ensure that your recognition is personalized for each person and their background.
Whether someone’s been in your company for six months or six years, it’s important to acknowledge each milestone to celebrate how far they’ve come. Growth is constant, so why should recognition be any different?
While a raise or promotion are highly preferred, you can also provide an additional thank you to emphasize your appreciation. how Some employees may prefer a simple shoutout in your company chat or a handwritten letter waiting for them at their desk. Make room for feedback and get to know what fills their cup—then make your move.
If your company is able, it’s best to express your gratitude through tangible rewards. End-of-the-year bonuses or higher-than-average raises are always welcome, but if it proves to be difficult, you can also suggest additional PTOs, sabbaticals, or seasonal events like Summer Fridays to alleviate stress.
You can also demonstrate your willingness to nurture their careers by providing additional personal development opportunities. Are there any conferences they can go to to hone their skills and expand their network? Can your organization reimburse courses to further their learning? Be creative in your endeavors, and your employees will recognize that you’re also investing in their personal success.
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