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22 Jul 2020
by David Danzig

How to make the most of virtual employee recognition experiences

2020 has been anything but normal for the vast majority of us, but with governments across Europe starting to ease restrictions on our movement and buying habits, now is a time for reflection on what has been a strange, yet opportunistic few months.

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Without doubt, one big takeaway has been how much we take certain activities for granted. Meeting up with friends, attending a sports fixture, or simply going into the office, are all things we once did without a second’s thought before the pandemic hit.

The disruption to our personal and our working lives has been severe, but in this period of looking back and applying what we’ve learnt for the future, it’s hard to overlook some positive aspects the lockdown has had, and in particular, on the workplace. This includes making the most of virtual employee recognition experiences. Here are my thoughts on how to achieve this.

Maximise technology to keep connected

Despite not being able to meet face-to-face, the implementation of some simple technologies have enabled us all to keep in touch and stay connected. Frequent communication over email, instant chat and virtual video calls has ensured we’re all apprised of what each of us is working on, and are on hand to assist with special projects or complex tasks, just as we would be if we were together in the office. Scheduling time in calendars to talk with one another is essential, as it’s always easier to put off a quick catch up with someone, and making sure video is on is another great way to ensure we can all stay relatively well connected.

Share appreciation virtually

The mantra “together, apart” has defined our workplace culture these past months, and it’s been incredible to witness some truly human moments of appreciation for one another. It’s something that O.C Tanner’s people have become well accustomed to as they have all discovered new ways to recognise great work from their colleagues.

Inviting other people on the call or in the group chat is a great way to keep people engaged, and to ensure everyone has a voice and an opportunity to share their thoughts and give input. The same goes for involving people from outside of your team, it’s amazing how much new insight is shared when the group dynamic is changed.

Book in ‘great work’ celebrations

It’s often easy to forget to plan to celebrate great work, especially when it feels like there are other priorities right now, but in fact building that expectation among your organisation’s leaders that public recognition for great work is essential in this climate, will return an overwhelming positive impact on the entire workforce and the culture as a whole.

In all the changes and uncertainty, it’s easy for leaders to forget to plan a celebration for great work. Build the expectation that leaders publicly recognise great work in a personal and meaningful way. For service anniversaries, send reminders to leaders that their employee’s anniversary is coming up, along with instructions on what they need to do to prepare. If you’re using something like our Yearbook for service awards, remind leaders to write a comment and to invite their teams to comment. A little bit of planning can make a considerable impact on the recipient’s experience.

Involve family and relish authenticity

Despite working remotely, these past months have presented an amazing opportunity for us all to get to know each other better than before. Our web cams have provided a key hole view into home life, where it’s acknowledged we’re all in this together, and that includes family and friends at home. Having young children join a call for a few minutes, or having the whole family play along with the office quiz, are great ways to help bring home and work life together, which provides a happy and healthy environment for all to thrive in.

Those once strict boundaries between work and home have become ever more gradually blurred, with organisations now able to see their staff for the people they truly are. That level of understanding and compassion has never been seen before in most workplaces, but it will be those organisations that have embraced that change, and have repeatedly demonstrated their appreciation of the team that will go on to greater success than ever before.

The author is David Danzig, director at O.C Tanner Europe.

This article is provided by O.C. Tanner Europe.

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