5 ways recognition reinforces a healthy and inclusive workplace
Belonging matters.
While not the only factor, feeling like you belong with a business is vital for employees to thrive in their careers and mentally.
It's one of the reasons Pluxee UK is on a mission to make work not just a place to be but a place to belong.
Recognition can feed this sense of belonging.
As Pluxee UK shared in its blog, Why Employee Appreciation is Important, two-thirds of people would quit if they didn’t feel appreciated at work.
Recognition and appreciation are different, but both play a vital role in helping employees feel valued.
When employees feel this appreciation and a sense of worth, it gives them an emotional and mental boost, improving their health and wellbeing.
Inclusivity is key, and building recognition into workplace culture is essential for your employee recognition strategy to be successful.
To get an end-to-end understanding of why culture matters and the steps to take to improve it, read our blog: Transform your workplace culture: a practical guide to change.
Public acknowledgement and appreciation
Sharing praise for teams and individuals across the business or externally helps cement recognition as part of your culture.
Consistency and clarity are essential, ensuring employees understand what merits praise.
Use public acknowledgement to boost morale, increase feelings of value and belonging, and reduce feelings of invisibility.
Celebrating milestones and achievements
Celebrate birthdays, work anniversaries, and achievements – large and small. If a team got a project over the line, ensure the rest of the business knows about it.
Departments may often work in isolation, pushing hard to complete a project, only to feel deflated when others in the business know nothing about it.
Recognition helps break down siloes, nurturing a more open and collaborative culture.
It’s a great feeling when you walk into the office knowing that the wider business understands your worth, alleviating stress and improving wellbeing.
Peer-to-peer recognition programmes
One of the most impactful ways to foster a sense of belonging and a culture of collaboration and inclusivity is to encourage colleagues to recognise each other.
Peer-to-peer recognition is arguably the most effective recognition tool.
Employees expect managers and leaders to recognise achievements – it’s part of their role as people leaders.
When colleagues take the time to recognise each other, it means so much more because they’re doing it out of choice.
Peer-to-peer recognition increases feelings of connection and belonging, validates contributions from multiple sources, and reduces feelings of isolation.
Inclusive recognition practices
Ensuring your recognition programme is fair and equitable is vital to its success.
Consider deskless workers – how you communicate with them, how they access their employee recognition platform, and how others get sight of their work.
It’s also important to consider diverse contributions and working styles to avoid bias or exclusions.
From a good mental health perspective, inclusive practices across your organisation, regardless of role or location, reduce feelings of marginalisation and exclusion, foster psychological safety, and promote a sense of justice.
Personalised and specific feedback
From a managerial perspective, offering timely and detailed feedback highlighting specific contributions and their value is an impactful recognition tool.
One-on-one constructive feedback encourages growth and development, clarifies expectations, and builds trust between managers and employees.
Trust is an important ingredient in creating that sense of belonging, and it reduces anxiety about performance, increases self-efficacy, and fosters a sense of competence.
When done right and created from diverse, inclusive and equitable values, recognition reinforces a healthy and inclusive workplace culture to drive good mental health.
Your employee recognition programme is part of your overall employee value proposition (EVP), your employee experience, and your employer brand.
Keep these five elements of a successful recognition strategy at the heart of all you do to improve employee morale, motivation, engagement and retention.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, Pluxee UK
Pluxee UK, is a leading employee benefits and engagement partner that opens up a world of opportunities to help people enjoy more of what really matters in their lives.
