Employee recognition is important, but it can be difficult to know how to best show your appreciation. Oh sure, it’s easy in the beginning because new employees are excited and the veterans have weathered the storms.
But so many employers lose their staff in the middle (employees with 3-5 years with a company). How do you keep these employees engaged so you increase their longevity and enthusiasm? In this article, we share five employee recognition ideas sure to help!
Table of Contents
1. Public Praise
Public praise of your employees is a great start to any employee recognition program. For it to be truly effective, make sure that your employees receive praise from the highest-ranking person available.
This goes much further in helping employees feel like they’re part of the team. Realizing their boss knows their name helps immensely with employee morale.
2. More Flexible Working Conditions
Some employee recognition awards don’t have to cost you a dime. For example, offering more flexible working conditions means more to many workers than any shiny trinket you could give them.
Flexible working conditions might include anything from allowing employees to telecommute to giving them more control over their work hours. Experiment or use a combination, and ask for their feedback to show their opinions matter.
3. Surprise Days Off
Want to win company loyalty in a hurry? Make the surprise day off a thing! Who doesn’t love a day (or week) off?
No matter how you slice it, time is the most precious commodity any of us have. So, it only makes sense that one of the best ways to show your appreciation is to let employees leave early. Or, reward them for a job well done by telling them at the end of the day to take tomorrow off.
4. Social Recognitions
These include acknowledging your employees on the company Facebook page (or whatever your main channel is). This gives them a chance to bask in the respect and praise from their peers.
You also might consider providing them with a formal LinkedIn recommendation. Not everyone uses LinkedIn to search for jobs, so openly acknowledging their job performance on such a platform can show them how much they’re truly valued.
5. Deal Toys
Deal toys, also known as transaction trophies or closing gifts, are a physical representations of a financial transaction ordeal. Deal toys are given to the participants of a deal as a way to commemorate and celebrate the event.
They are often given to the members of a deal team, including investment bankers, lawyers, and accountants. Deal toys can take many different forms. They are typically made from glass or crystal and feature the logos of the companies involved in the transaction.
Deal toys are excellent for recognizing employees for their hard work. They are also a great way to build team morale and show appreciation for everyone’s contribution.
Employee Recognition Is Essential to a Positive Company Culture
The important thing about employee recognition is that you have to start somewhere. If you’re not already implementing these ideas, get busy!
Competition for a qualified workforce is intense. Only the companies that are vigilant will get and keep the best employees. For more business management tips, check out some of our additional posts!
