Employee recognition programs work when they are used to recognize and reward achieving performance goals. Recognition, however, does not work well when organizations try to use large organizational programs to make employees feel valued individually.
Check out if you qualify for any of these awards for professional development, career advancement, mentorship, knowledge sharing, skill building, and goal achievement.
Let me share five guiding principles that can help appreciation “stick” in your workplace.
The need for appreciation is expressed in a variety of countries and cultures. You can’t miss the mark by saying “thanks” for a job well done, regardless of the cultural background of your colleagues!
We have found that following a few simple tips can make the use of words more effective in showing appreciation and encouragement to colleagues (and help you avoid some common errors, as well).
In many cases, recognition programs actually are backfiring and creating negative reactions among team members. In fact, the three most common reactions I receive from employees when they talk about “employee recognition” are apathy, sarcasm, and cynicism.
If you feel underappreciated at work, you can easily imagine many of your colleagues feel the same way. You can make a positive difference by showing your appreciation to your coworkers—and you don’t have to spend a dime to do it.
Awards do so much more than inflate your professional ego. Receiving formal recognition for your leadership in or contributions to public service can boost your professional reputation with supervisors and colleagues, earn you credibility, and open doors to new opportunities.
A toolkit for award nomination.
The word is out on the street — the vast majority of employee recognition programs aren’t working. In interacting with HR professionals and corporate trainers across the country, the report from both professionals and front-line workers is that employee recognition is generally not having a positive impact on employees or workplace morale.
