Now is the moment to begin planning your employee recognition efforts for 2019. If you already have a program, this is a good time to assess it and identify areas for improvement. If you don’t have a recognition program yet, you have an entire quarter to get ready and launch your program for the new year! Here are some points to think about when reviewing or developing an employee recognition program.
1. Engagement
Are your employees engaged with and care about their work, coworkers, and customer satisfaction levels? Walk around the workplace and get a feel of the atmosphere. Is it a bit too quiet or are people avoiding eye contact? If so, your employees might be disengaged with their work.
Employ tactics to boost employee engagement. A regular economy of thanks and appreciation is a fantastic way to get employees to interact with each other and stir collaboration across departments. Focus your recognition program to improve engagement and your employees will be more focused, make fewer mistakes, and take fewer unexpected absences.
2. Gamification
Incorporate games into your recognition program to improve employee participation. From themed months to giving an award to the person who sent the most recognition messages, any game has a chance to really set your program apart from the crowd.
Additionally, if you give employees the opportunity to add more information about themselves to their account, your recognition program could be the hub for creating connections outside of the office. That way, all your employees who are into basketball, for example, could get together after work on Friday to shoot some hoops, the hikers could schedule a weekend trip, and your geekier employees could start up a bi-weekly Dungeons and Dragons game. Employee recognition programs can be a great central hub for employee relationships to build, and gamification is the key to its success.
3. Analytics
No recognition program is complete without a way to get feedback and analyze if the hard work is paying off. The analytic capabilities should give you an insight into the successes and weaknesses of your program. How many recognition messages are being sent? Is there an increase or decrease from last month? Pair the information from the program to the information about your company and see if you can find any trends. Usually, your recognition program will come with a client relationship manager or success coach who will help you understand your program’s health.
4. Service Awards
Service awards are less common now than they were in decades previous, but they shouldn’t be forgotten! Employees like to know that the company notices their hard work and being reminded of the length of employment is always a nice way to feel recognized, especially in today’s job market. Create milestone awards for employees that are interesting and appealing, based on how long the employee has been at the company.
Additionally, if the employee gets engaged, married, or has a child, it might also warrant some kind of recognition. These simple gifts really go a long way to show the employee the company cares for them as a person instead of just a mindless worker.
5. Health & Wellness
Health and wellness initiatives are always important, as studies show that employee health should be a top priority for efficient and effective work. When you invest in your employees health, they will have more energy and be more productive. Create wellness initiatives that get employees to the gym, or drinking more water. Create a prize for anyone who gets a signed doctor’s note at a regular checkup physical each year. Provide resources for mental health improvement techniques. Your recognition program is a great way to broadcast and create rewards for any wellness initiatives you create.