At the end of the year, most organisations hold some kind of award ceremony to recognise long-serving employees or those who have performed above and beyond expectations. But these events are often awkward affairs where every employee is given an identical gift, handshake or short time in which to express their gratitude. In fact, just 46 per cent of employees say their managers are better than average at delivering recognition. If companies want to improve their performance in this area, they should promote a culture of personal appreciation and awards.
Here are six ways this can be achieved:
1. Most recognised employee award
Which employee continuously receives praise from their team and management? Award employees who were recognised the most every month and quarter. Consider handing out a most recognised employee award for each team, department and across the entire company.
2. Exceptional listener award
Employees want to feel like you care, and 90 per cent are more likely to remain at a company where they believe their input is valued. The exceptional listener award is ideal for managers and leaders who solicit and act on feedback. Providing feedback improves employee engagement and productivity as it allows managers to address issues in real time.
3. Living by our values award
Your company values unite your team members as they work to reach a common goal, and 75 per cent of employees say it’s very important to work for a company with a set of core values. The award recipient should be someone who integrates the company’s values into everything that they do, acting as a team anchor during uncertain times.
4. Driving success award
Employees who are the biggest factors in your company’s success deserve the driving success award. This could be a team member who has made the most sales, revamped key company processes or enabled the success of others.
5. Team player award
Some employees hold the team together, from their willingness to provide support to recognising the contributions of others. The team player award is intended to recognise and encourage collaboration. This employee award communicates the expectations for your team and rewards those who meet them.
6. Customer service award
The customer service award is for those team members who have demonstrated exceptional skills in client communication and relations. Keeping customers satisfied is no easy task, but delivering a great customer experience benefits everyone involved.
The more regularly you recognise and reward your employees, the more they’ll feel valued, engaged and aligned with organisational objectives. Having said that, giving awards is just one element in your employee recognition and reward programme. To really embed recognition across your company and make it a key component of your culture, consider investing in a dedicated recognition and reward platform. Our research shows that companies who have failed to invest in such technology are 160 per cent more likely to recognise staff on just two occasions or less each year compared to firms who have installed such platforms.
Click here to find out more about Achievers’ employee engagement platform.