Often, employee recognition within an organisation can be a scarce commodity. With employees being rarely recognised for their good work, even when the data speaks for itself.
However what should happen if you build a team that nurtures itself, recognising each other? Well, great things can happen.
Companies nowadays are increasingly after improved engagement from their teams. For good reason, too. Having a thoroughly engaged team can do wonders for your business and the bottom line. So how would you improve your team’s engagement?
Higher pay? Or maybe better bonuses?
No need to shell out, since a solution is right under your nose. An easy fix that few businesses use to its potential. It’s simple recognition of good work. Recognition is something so small that can make a big difference to your business and your employee.
You may know you need to provide recognition of good work. Still, you might not have much time to do so. Not a worry, you can create a work culture that supports itself and gives recognition when deserved. You can still give praise when you believe somebody has provided great work, because reassurance from the boss is always great.
Yet, you can build an office culture that provides employee recognition from other employees. It all starts with your hires. You have to hire the individuals that’ll enhance this culture. If you have the right team, nothing can stop you. Still, if you already have a full team, don’t be disheartened. You can train them, by implementing this new employee recognition program.
If you’re still not sold, here are our reasoning for integrating this program of internal recognition, into your office.
![Improve your employee engagement](https://6q.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CTA-target-1.png)
Productive and motivated
Motivation to be at work can sometimes be hard to come by. Yet, believe it or not, implementing a recognition program among employees can actually improve your employee’s motivation. While in turn, making them more productive and willing to perform.
I’m sure you’ve experienced it at least once. When you’ve just finished a project and get feedback telling you that you’ve done well. It makes you feel a few different ways.
Accomplished, capable, motivated, fired up and ready for more?
Makes sense right? Someone gives you positive reinforcement and you feel good about it. That’s one obvious reason why we should recognise achievements and good work. Regardless of who provides it.
Making you feel good and continue to work can have you feel good for a week. Meaning, good, motivated work from a hyper-productive employee.
Low company turnover
Loyalty to the company is a great asset today. As more and more people bounce from one job to the next in a moment’s notice. And clearly loyalty and a reduced employee turnover can save your company lots of time, energy and money.
The process of hiring can be a real drag for companies, both financially and operationally. As somebody has to take over the work, in addition to the monetary cost of getting a new hire. Companies with a recognition-rich culture are said to have over 30% less turnover than the otherwise. This says something. It says, if your office nurtures a recognition culture, you’ll be more likely to keep your high performing employees.
It’s simple, if you want your best employees to stick around, merely recognise their good work. It can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars and a headache.
Improves morale
By implementing a system where employees recognise other team members, morale can be enhanced and can produce a great corporate culture. A great corporate culture can go a long way and it can take just a few seconds to begin to achieve a positive one. This is true with improving the morale of your employees. Employee recognition can drastically improve morale of the individual and the team.
When building employee morale, you get lots in return. Morale can make a person feel happier about being at work, make them more effective, produce better work and improve camaraderie (but we’ll get to that). However, a negative employee has the ability to drain positive energy and become a hindrance to the office.
Builds camaraderie
When hearing nice words from a team member, a few things can happen. You can become more engaged at work and camaraderie can be built among employees. This is a great benefit as people tend to spend more time with employees than they would with their family. So camaraderie and a solid working relationship is extremely beneficial to an employer.
Yes, this can come all from implementing an employee recognition program. Because knowing that their co-workers think highly of you can be a real ego boost. Yet can also be incredibly bonding between individuals.
Employee’s become self-starters
When there’s a culture of employee recognition in an office, it can often breed a more autonomous and independent workforce. Having a team that helps each other out can be great. However, combine this with a working independence, you get a highly effective team of self-starters. This can be the ultimate goal for employers, too.
To have people that work independently, more time can be spent on what matters. Sure, the culture of helping out a team member is still there. However, it’s now infused with an increased sense of independence.
To add to this, a team of self-starting independent workers can do many things. They become better researchers, as they try to find solutions, then ask for help. They become more innovative as they become better self-problem-solvers. As well as becoming increasingly empowered and gain a greater sense of responsibility at work. The best part is, they thrive on the independence, without you losing control.
In Summary
Encouraging recognition for employees can mean good news for your business. Creating an atmosphere of positive energy, improved motivation and engagement are only some of the benefits. Yet, many organisations still don’t recognise like they should.
Still, purely employer to employee recognition aside. As a manager, you should be creating a culture that supports itself, constantly recognising great work. This utopia working environment isn’t too far out of reach, either. As you can have your employees help each other out, by having them recognise other employee’s good work.
With loads of benefits, there’s no reason you shouldn’t at least consider implementing an employee recognition scheme. Actionable by the team.