Employee recognition is the most effective & genuine way to increase employee motivation. Leaders have to be more aware of individual contributions and make time to appreciate them in the most creative & deserving way possible.
- Generally, the revenue producers are the beneficiaries of most employee incentives. How about acknowledging the support staff who also play a part in the success of the executive or revenue producers? Include them in your incentives.
- Employee recognition programs don’t need a pocket tearing budget. Even if 1% of the payroll is spent on recognition programs, the company will see an 85% positive impact on engagement.
- If recognition is always coming from the leaders, favouritism could be an issue. You can involve colleagues to nominate people for awards or any other incentive. This peer to peer recognition will make the process more democratic. It will also increase the bond among the employees.
- Get creative. Surprise them with a random weekday lunch. A surprise incentive. Regularly scheduled recognition programs will make it too predictable & uninteresting. Such surprise programs will keep them motivated throughout.
- Appreciation at the right time is very important for it to be relevant. Don’t wait for the month to get over, show recognition immediately when the good deed is done.
Appreciation, awards & recognition are stepping stones in one’s career. They encourage hard work & consistency. They also help people realise their potential and drive them to pursue more and not settle for less.
