Henk Verhoek: 5 tips for effective employee recognition

In the Oxford Dictionary, recognition is explained as showing admiration and respect for someone’s achievement. Admiration goes a bit far; it is however important to show respect for each other in the workplace. Showing respect, and trust for that matter, is important in any relationship.

The most important asset for your company in the current business environment, is your workforce. The difference between your company and competitors is not the product, nor the price, nor service; it is the employees in your company making customers’ experience positive or negative.

If well-executed, an employee recognition programme can improve employee motivation and thereby productivity, customers’ experience and revenue. But recognition is often an underused tool.

There are five elements to consider when executing an employee recognition programme effectively.

1. Meaningfulness

It is important to understand what types of recognition motivate your employees. Recognition needs to be meaningful and vary by person, nationality and generation. Some are motivated by public recognition, other by private recognition, money, awards, lunch with the team, a day off, and so on. How do you know what is right? Just ask!

2. Fairness, clarity and consistency

Your employees need to see that each individual who makes a similar contribution has an equal likelihood of receiving recognition for that effort. Apply a consistent approach in your recognition programme, including criteria that make employees eligible for recognition. Develop guidelines and education for managers to help them to be consistent in their approach.

3. Inconsistency

This sounds contradictory to the previous point. Your employee recognition program needs to be fair, clear and consistent; however you also have to make sure that the programme does not create an entitlement culture.

4. Being specific

Be specific to employees about why the recognition is given. In that respect, recognition is one of the most powerful forms of feedback companies can provide to their employees.  

5. Being timely

To be most powerful, recognition should be provided as soon as possible after the event has taken place. The employee is feeling good about the performance delivered, and timely recognition can enhance positive feelings and also have a positive effect on their employee’s confidence and ability to do well. 

Recognition is an underused management tool in today’s business environment. Organisations that have effective reward and recognition programmes in place have substantially higher discretionary effort and employees are more intent on staying with the company.

Interestingly, non-cash awards have similar effects as cash awards on employee engagement over time. And let’s be honest; everybody loves to be recognised from time to time. It’s motivational and makes people feel valued and happy.   

Recognition is an easy-to-use and cost effective way to boost morale in a team and company. A simple “thank you” goes a long way.

This article is written by Henk Verhoek, head of international reward at British Sugar