Why six is the magic number for your employee engagement programme
Recognition is often seen as a bonus, or small gesture. A pat on the back. A moment of appreciation. But what if it’s much more than that? What if recognition is the spark that ignites long-term engagement, fuels motivation, and lays the foundation for retention?
According to BI WORLDWIDE’s latest insights report, Recogdemption, recognition isn’t just a feel-good gesture anymore. In fact, it can actually be used as a strategic advantage. When given early and meaningfully, it helps to accelerate reward redemption and significantly boosts employee retention.
Why early recognition matters
You can’t deny data. And the data shows that employees who receive six or more recognitions in their first six months of employment are significantly more likely to become engaged contributors to an organisation, as well as more frequent redeemers of rewards and long-term employees.
This early engagement can really create a sense of belonging for someone, potentially making them more aligned with company values and more trusting of leadership. All of which are the backbone of a thriving workplace culture.
Recognition in those first few months doesn’t simply celebrate milestones. It’s about sending a clear and direct message: that your employees matter. And when that message is received, it creates a ripple effect.
Employees who feel appreciated are far more likely to appreciate others. In fact, the analysis in the report shows that receiving recognition in the past month is the strongest predictor of whether someone will then go on to give recognition to another teammate.
The ripple effect of appreciation
A common misconception of recognition is that it only benefits the recipient, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Employees who regularly express gratitude are 10x more likely to say they belong, enjoy a great company culture, and would recommend their organisation as a great place to work, according to BI WORLDWIDE’s The New Rules of Engagement research.
This behaviour not only benefits the recipient and the sender, but it can also ripple throughout the whole team, creating a true culture of appreciation. It’s not just a top-down exercise, and nor should it be.
Organisations need to do more in terms of encouraging their employees to give direct peer-to-peer recognition, because when it becomes part of the everyday in a workplace, it can be a serious driver of sustained engagement.
Recognition isn’t something that only benefits the culture of a team, it’s also a behavioural tool that can be used strategically. It can help to shape how employees interact with their teams, their managers, and the organisation as a whole. And when this is paired with redeemable rewards, the impact can be profound.
Employees who are recognised early are more likely to engage with their organisation’s rewards platform. Which in turn, makes them redeem more rewards and continue actively participating in the programme.
This triangle of giving, receiving and redeeming is the strongest predictor of retention.
Timing is everything
The good news is that early recognition can be easily achieved with a well-planned onboarding strategy. One example in the BI WORLDWIDE Recogdemption report shows an organisation that implemented a structured recognition plan that included welcome gifts, manager-led appreciation, and gamified milestones.
And the results weren’t surprising at all. Turnover in this organisation was four times lower among employees who received the highest volume of recognitions compared to those who received the least.
Designing for recognition that lasts
Recognition should be more than just a moment, a short Teams or Slack message that can easily be disregarded. It should be woven into every organisation’s culture. That means embedding it into onboarding and early milestones.
And this is where technology can make a real difference. Global recognition platforms allow organisations to track giving and receiving behaviours, identify any gaps where recognition is low or completely missing, and personalise each experience to create that true sense of belonging.
Recognition is the first step in the Recogdemption journey. Ultimately, it’s the spark that leads to redemption, and then retention. When organisation get it right, giving as early, often and meaningfully as they can, this creates a culture where people are proud to say where they work.
The full Recogdemption report is available here.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, BI WORLDWIDE
BI WORLDWIDE is a global engagement agency delivering measurable results for clients through inspirational employee and channel reward and recognition solutions.
