Businesses gain from employee recognition in a variety of ways. Employees who believe their job is recognized and valued will have a greater sense of purpose and will be more engaged and productive. In any business, employee recognition can be a tremendous force for good. Employee appreciation, at its most successful, boosts engagement, productivity, morale, sense of purpose, and retention.

It can be difficult to express meaningful and consistent appreciation without a recognition framework or system in place. HR departments may struggle to execute a successful employee appreciation program if they don’t have the necessary resources. Manually tracking results is time-consuming, and HR departments are tasked with this task. Finally, you’ll want to design a program that meets the needs of your company while also recognizing each individual.

What does “the correct type” of acknowledgement entail? Let’s go through the qualities of effective recognition before we get into instances –

• Timely
• Specific
• Visible
• Inclusive
• Value-Based

It’s worth noting that not every act of appreciation must include all five characteristics. In order to drive meaning, a comprehensive plan should include recognition that is timely/frequent, particular, visible, inclusive, and values-based.

We have outlined some of our favorite employee appreciation examples –

Share your personal accomplishments and interests

We believe that you should bring your complete self to work, which means that people should be recognized for more than just their professional accomplishments! You’ll be acknowledging your employees as the multi-faceted persons they are by making space in the office for personal successes and hobbies.

Send a considerate note

Never underestimate the printed word’s power! Although verbal praise is fantastic, there’s something extra precious about having a physical proof of your appreciation.

A genuine email thanking your teammate can go a long way, but consider writing a message by hand—it will undoubtedly mean a lot in this digital age.

Make the entire team participate by having each person write a sincere letter. The lucky receiver will have a collection of expressions of gratitude and praise that he or she may refer to at any moment.

Offer wellness support

Your company’s appreciation program should include a focus on employee wellness (both physical and mental!). After all, when you help someone improve their health and well-being, they are naturally cherished and cared for.

Consider a wellness stipend, group meditations, counsellor access, or even a massage gift card. You may always poll your team for suggestions on how to make them feel more balanced and supported.

Publicize promotions

A well-deserved promotion is the culmination of innumerable efforts and hard work. While a promotion can be a kind of acknowledgment in and of itself, why not go all out and make it a big deal?

The promoted employee’s manager can send an email or hold a meeting to explain why the employee was promoted and the precise impact their work has made on the organization. It’s a proven method to get extra pats on the back from coworkers and possibly start a trend of workplace excellence!

Give a shout-out

If you have the chance to recognize someone for a job well done in a company-wide or even cross-team meeting, take advantage of it! You’ll make the contributor feel valued, reduce team silos, and notify the rest of the firm about exceptional work they wouldn’t have known about otherwise.

Include employees on your website

Including your employees on your ‘About Us’ page can build a strong sense of pride in your company. It’s a simple gesture that makes everyone feel like they’re a part of something bigger. After all, a website that only features the founder or executive team isn’t really painting the whole picture of your company!

Offer a break from work

Whether you throw an impromptu party or happy hour (virtual or in-person), an early release, or a planned offsite event for your team, they’ll appreciate the opportunity to get away from the office. You’re effectively honoring all the hard work your team puts in by allowing them to let off some steam.

Share praise from customers

What if the next time you get a great customer email, you forward it to everyone in the company? Members of the “behind-the-scenes” team will feel connected to the results of their labor and will receive encouragement from their customer-facing colleagues. This is a meaningful approach to recognize all of the moving components and people who contribute to the success of a company.

Weekly win meetings

Weekly Wins meetings are popular in many workplaces, and with good reason. They allow your team to come together and publicly acknowledge their accomplishments from the previous week. You’ll develop a natural rhythm of recognition by hosting meetings every week, and it’ll become a pillar of your corporate culture.

Count the little things

There aren’t going to be showy or visible triumphs for everyone at your organization, and even glamorous jobs have less-than-glamorous aspects. So don’t forget to appreciate the little things! Recognize the important duties that aren’t always pleasurable, whether it’s cleaning up the office, completing admin work, or even getting hung up on a particular number of times when cold calling.

Employee recognition has a place in every business— it’s just a matter of determining which methods are appropriate for you and your team. Return to your office with these ideas, explore, and don’t be scared to be creative! We promise you’ll be glad you took the time to find your recognition groove, even if it takes a minute.