Why Rewarding Employees Is Important
Results of Acknowledging Employees
Career websites often report that one in four workers do not feel that they are valued at work and, in time, soon leave. Recognizing the hard work of your employees fosters an important emotional connection by honoring the work that your employees perform. Plus, recognizing employees with awards shows the company’s value to the community.
When a business rewards its employees the obvious result are great for the bottom line. It can boosts morale, it will lessen your turnover rates, and it increases the employee’s loyalty that they really are appreciated and that they share in the company’s vision. Acknowledging employees improves their productivity as well as that of the company.
LinkedIn’s 2019 Workforce Learning Report for 2019 reports that 94% of the Gen Z and Millenial employees said that they would remain on the job if the company invested more in their hard work and in helping them learn and develop. It should be that one of the most important responsibilities that employers have is to value their employees.
How To Support Employees
Do you give a financial bonus, do you give custom awards, do you provide a certificate, do you present a trophy, or do you give gift cards? Modern technology has enabled awards to be something special when it is presented in rich looking acrylics and crystal. Other innovative award symbols are created in silkscreen, laser engraving, abrasive etching, photoengraving, and much more.
A majority of businesses already have a staff recognition program in place. However, if your company does not have an appreciation program, start one. Once a month, once a year, or quarterly, it is good to recognize an employee, a unit, or a department, with an appreciation award. The fun part of recognizing employees is the form that the recognition will take.
Just how will this be accomplished. Each business is different and what works for one will not work for another. For example, a company in Texas is so far away from where most of its employees, live, that they honor employees with a year’s worth of transportation tickets.
Recognize or acknowledge your employees in front of their co-workers. Psychologists state that by doing this, it boosts self-esteem and other employees will work hard toward this goal. Remember, that recognizing employees is not an expensive program. Employees would really like to be acknowledged in any form, even just a pat on the back of doing a good job. The smallest gesture often has the biggest impact.
If you have visited a restaurant recently, then you may have noticed that they have an honor wall. This type of acknowledgment is very inspirational for all employees. Other ways to honor employees is with a special luncheon where you can give employees a customized gift like a t-shirt, pens, mugs, and more. A monetary bonus is always appreciated! Remember that it’s important for employees to understand why you are recognizing them.
Unique Employee Recognitions
If you are the type of employer who likes to think outside the box, here are a few suggestions of unique and unusual employee thank you awards:
- wash their vehicle
- give them movie tickets
- name a casual office day after them
- permit them to work-at-home for a day
- give in honor of them, to a charity of their choosing
- spa massage visit
- singing telegram and more
Employees Are The Engine
To keep awarding employees on an even keel. Give employee’s challenging tasks and after it has been accomplished tell them what a great job they did. The more that you recognize your employees’ contributions to the company and to the team, the better they feel and the more they will want to perform.
Let’s address the elephant in the room. Is it okay to single an employee out from the rest? After all, there is no “I” in team. Naturally, you don’t want to make co-workers or team members feel left out and unappreciated. It is important to daily or weekly acknowledge all employees for their consistently dependable work habits. However, rewarding perhaps just one employee at a time gives everyone else something to look forward to for themselves and for the company.
