Do you remember the last time you felt recognised and valued at work, or have you been through any employee recognition program? Did it make you a little superior and give you a sense of pride you cherished throughout the day?
It motivated you to work more sincerely for the rest of the days you worked for that organisation. It happens when employees get recognised and valued for their hard work, dedication, sincerity, and passion. Employees feel engaged when they know they are being heard and appreciated.
Your employees also need this kind of recognition to stay motivated and engaged. But how are you going to do that? Of course, salary and other benefits can help, but what about after that? Do you have any plan or strategy?
Worry not if you don’t have any. We are here with the 8 most practical and creative ways to recognise employees to help you grow as a team or business.
8 Creative and Mindful Ways for Employee Recognition
1. See the Good – Say Thank You with Tailored Handwritten Notes
The first step of recognising employees starts with changing your perspective about them. If your employees are doing great by going above and beyond or are persistently performing well with a positive attitude and leadership mindset, now is the time to make them feel recognised and valued for their hard work and dedication.
While recognising your employees, never underestimate the power of a handwritten note. Yes, you read that right! As a manager or employer, when you acknowledge your employee’s hard work, send them a personalised handwritten note. Also, add some of their best contributions that made you recognise and praise them for their passion and dedication. It will leave a lasting impression on their memories, and they feel motivated and engaged.
2. Encourage Efforts – Employee of the Month Program
Yet another proven way to make your employees feel recognised is the employee of the month program. Reward one of your best-performing employees with a plaque, free meal, movie tickets, or a small bonus or mystery gift every month.
This will make your hard-working employees feel valued and motivate other employees to work hard to get this recognition.
3. Reward Results – Let Them Choose Their Reward
There are ample ways to show recognition for big and small achievements and results, like the above two. Here is the crux of the point – the award is the critical part of the recognition experience. The award should feel personal to the employees to make them feel valued genuinely.
Employees may have different preferences on how they want to be appreciated and what reward they want (to receive). Therefore, if you have a dedicated and flexible employee recognition program, use it to recognise results and let your employees choose a gift they will love, i.e., an award, gift cards to popular local restaurants, shops, or stores, bonuses or points as a thank you for a job well done.
4. Surprise Treats – Because Food is the Next Love Language
After money, what else do people like the most? Something delicious to soothe the taste buds!
You can bring in some food for breakfast, lunch, or snacks without any announcement to show your appreciation. Add some of your employee’s favourite treats to give it a personalised touch.
5. Seek Employee Input – Help Employees Be Seen and Grow
The true meaning of employee appreciation is when leaders genuinely care about what their employees think and feel. When you ask for their ideas, you gain insights, perspectives, and possible solutions and also get to know what your employees catch on to their roles.
Seek inputs more often. It will make your employees feel that they are in authoritative positions. Recommend other employees and individuals from varied departments to interact with your employees as subject matter experts. Your employees will feel respected and valued when they find out that you and others look at them for insightful thoughts and opinions.
6. Celebrate Careers – Count Their Efforts That Made Impact
Celebrating careers doesn’t mean celebrating work anniversaries, especially for how long an employee works with you. Valuing employees in the workplace means valuing all the experience, insights, and expertise they have gained that helped them excel as an individual or your team.
Celebrate everything related to their careers at your organisation. Celebrate their years of contributions throughout their careers. Celebrate them as a whole, from their personality to their work, everything that positively impacts your organisation, team, or world.
7. Respect The Individuality – Show You Value Them For Who They Are
Recognition should not be based only on the performance of the employees or the results they bring to the table. It is about recognising a person for who they really are! When you say you value your employees, double-check if you are true to your words.
An employee is not just a worker doing stuff for money and results. An employee is an individual first. They have different thought processes, viewpoints, unmatched experiences, skills, and insights into the work environment. Recognising employees as individuals makes them feel more connected to the workplace, as they know you recognise them as an integral part of your team. Celebrating birthdays and anniversaries together helps make the connections stronger.
8. Public Recognition – Make Them the Wall of Fame
Public praise hits differently. You can create a recognition board or Wall of Fame in a common area to highlight employee achievements and positive customer feedback. You can also start a colleague appreciation program, where colleagues can publicly shout each other out for their accomplishments.
Conclusion: Recognise Your Employees and Grow Together
So, it is not that tough to recognise and reward your employees for their hard work and dedication. You can do it easily with these simple steps. Keep it authentic and specific, and remember that all kinds of feedback are crucial for employees to grow.
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