The 6 Keys To Success For Any Employee Recognition Program

These days, it's not just about doing great work; it's about encouraging workers to put their best foot forward. According to SunTrust's annual Business Pulse Survey, 23% of employers offered additional recognition programs to stay competitive in recruiting practices in 2018. Even though companies are increasingly more understanding the benefits of incorporating an employee recognition program, not enough know exactly what it takes to make it as successful as possible. Whether your business is just beginning to implement this initiative or has been recognizing employees for awhile, it's important to stay up-to-date on what makes an employee recognition program work.

It's relevant.

Punctuality and timeliness isn't just something employers should expect from their staff; it's something employees should anticipate, particularly from a recognition program. When a team or specific employee brings in significant results, it's not worthwhile to wait a few months before providing them with an incentive. For an employee recognition program to be effective, managers and employers should make sure they're acknowledging their workers in a timely manner.

It's frequent and reoccurring.

Many companies use a special occasion to recognize their best talent. They might celebrate employees' successes at the quarterly meeting or present awards at the company holiday party. Businesses that only recognize their employees once a quarter — or worse, on an annual basis — aren't giving staff enough opportunities to shine. You can encourage them to put their best foot forward all year round by presenting frequent recognition.

It's clear.

Some businesses commit the ultimate recognition faux-pas: presenting employees with rewards without telling them why they earned it. When recognizing staff, it's crucial to ensure they know exactly what accomplishments yielded this reward. That way, they'll know what to do to keep up the good work.

It's public.

Even the most humble employees won't mind a little public recognition. Rather than recognizing individuals on a personal, discrete basis, you should shout it from the rooftops. If a success happened in the days leading up to a company or team meeting, announce the accomplishment and reward the responsible employee in front of everyone. If you don't have a big meeting in the near future, celebrate and reward successes digitally, either through a mass, company-wide email or through your business' corporate communications platform. Public recognition makes the rewarded employee feel important and gives other workers drive to achieve this kind of shout-out.

It's inclusive.

Recognition shouldn't exclude executives or upper-level managers, nor should it hinder entry-level workers from getting the praise they deserve. An effective recognition program gives all employees — from hourly workers to corner-office presidents — the opportunity to shine.

It's based on company morals.

Does your business have a motto or value statement? Make your program brand-focused by recognizing staff based on how well their feats fit into the company's ideology and model for success.

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