Looking for an easy way to engage employees? Make regular, thoughtful recognition a company staple.
As Gordon Tredgold, founder and CEO of Leadership Principles, says in this Inc. article, “Employee recognition is directly tied to employee engagement.”
As evidence, he references a Gallup study that found only a third of workers felt strongly that their efforts were appreciated or had received praise in the last seven days.
“What is interesting about that number is that it is very similar to the percentage of company employees that are engaged. Coincidence? No, I don’t think so either,” Tredgold says.
He goes on to note that while recognition from peers, customers, and clients is important, compliments from leaders seem to leave the greatest impression. When asked about their most memorable praise, 28 percent of workers said it came from their direct manager and 24 percent cited the CEO.
Here’s how recognition can engage employees:
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Timely, authentic recognition helps people know that their hard work is noticed and appreciated. The good feelings generated encourage a positive environment conducive to productivity and loyalty.
Keep compliments focused so team members realize exactly what they’ve done right, and can continue that successful behavior. These chosen words also tend to be perceived as more sincere than a generic “good job” because they demonstrate your awareness of specific contributions.
Don’t leave out remote workers.
Remote workers love to be recognized just as much as on-site employees, so prove that out of sight does not mean out of mind.
“From my research, the most motivating forms of recognition are also the simplest and least costly: a personal praise, a written praise, an electronic praise, a public praise and related variations of these themes. These forms of recognition can all easily be done with remote employees,” says Dr. Bob Nelson, author of Recognizing & Engaging Employees For Dummies.
Nelson notes that it isn’t difficult to thank an employee for a task completed the next time you speak on the phone or via text message or online chat. “If you offer the thanks on Slack or as part of a conference call, you’ve just added the element of public praise.”
Take recognition to the next level.
Want to kick it up a notch? Ask an executive or upper manager to specifically contact the remote employee to thank him or her for a job well done.
Or consider a “praise barrage.” As Nelson explains, “Sequentially focus on each person on the team on a conference call and ask others to say what they like most about working with that person. This might only take 10 minutes, but the feedback (and feeling) it provides each person will encourage them to do more of those things others on the team value, make them appreciative of being on the team, and more tightly bind them together.”
However you choose to express gratitude, remember that the act itself is key. Routinely recognize others, and chances are they’ll provide you with plenty more praise-worthy accomplishments!
Photo Credit: bigstockphoto.com
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