Nearly every study by the O.C. Tanner has shown that organizations that have integrated recognition do better across the board. Managers and employees are more likely to recognize each other and peers, anxiety levels are lower, engagement higher, and happiness levels elevated.
But, for those whose organizations don’t have integrated recognition (most employers don’t), creating it can be a challenge. Many managers and executives desire to create a culture of
Integrated recognition, but don’t know where to start.
Creating integrated recognition into a company culture requires seven pillars for the best chances of success.
1. Give Employees Autonomy When Participating in Recognition
Recognition works best when employees and managers both participate. Peer recognition is one of the most powerful forms of recognition. It’s also essential if employers want to fully utilize the benefits of recognition into their culture.
But, employees won’t participate fully, nor will acts of appreciation be as genuine and impactful unless employees have autonomy. Employees should have the power to give and receive recognition without manager approval.
Employees should also be able to gift points or rewards to others without manager approval. When employees can participate without approval or oversight, participation goes up.
2. Align Formal Recognition to Corporate Values
When organizations connect their recognition to company values, employee performance improves more than when recognition isn’t value tied. Leaders should make sure that the correct behaviors and habits are being reinforced through the formal recognition.
When recognition isn’t intentionally tied to core values, it can send the wrong message and create or incentivize results that don’t align with company values.
When recognition is tied to core values, employees are much more likely to be able to identify corporate values. When recognition is non-value based, employees are much more likely to be aware of the core values at all.
Both formal recognition and manager-led recognition, should reinforce company values and vision. But, peer recognition should not be restricted to corporate values only.
3. Do Not Neglect or Forget Special Occasions
Many employers celebrate or at least commemorate work anniversaries, not all companies make full use of the power of celebrating together. Work anniversaries are most effective if they are honored with personal celebrations. When employees are handed an award, a briefcase, or another generic gift, these gifts have minimal impact.
Anniversaries sould be honored with specific gifts, personalized notes, or individual celebrations. But, work anniversaries aren’t the only special occasions that should be celebrated. Birthdays, momentous personal events, and other accomplishments are opportunities to build a team culture and integrate recognition.
Other special events can include celebrating a new degree or certification, marriages, adoption or births and other important events. Additionally, holidays, season changes, project completions all provide occasions to celebrate and build team spirit.
4. Educate Managers and Employees on Best Recognition Practices
Effective recognition carries certain trademarks. It should never be disparaging of any groups or minorities. It should never be sarcastic or caustic. And, recognition is more effective when it is timely. The closer to the behavior that recognition is given, the more powerful its effect.
It should also be specific and personal. When it’s generic or vague, it doesn’t have as much effect as when appreciation is expressed in a personal and specific manner.
Employees should be taught communication skills better to express their gratitude and appreciation for their colleagues. Tips and tricks can be shared to improve the quality of recognition given.
5. Recognition Software: A Crucial Tool
Organizations with an integrated recognition culture use quality software that makes recognition instantaneous and easy to use. It is difficult in the daily grind for organizations to incorporate daily appreciation into their culture truly. Other goals, activities, and team needs often distract from recognition initiative.
Integrated recognition requires software that will make it easy and seamless for employees to quickly recognize each other. Software can provide reminders of important events and facilitate communication from team members across the organization, making it easier for employees to celebrate remotely.
Ecards, Say Thanks, Celebrate, and Nominate are all aspects of the Thanks Platform which improves communication and encourages recognition between peers and managers.
6. Solicit and Use Employee Feedback
Corporate recognition programs are the most effective when employees can provide and impact the program. Ask for employee feedback on recognition events and on the program. Then, make changes according to the feedback you get.
Employees should be able to give feedback, volunteer, participate, and effect change. If employee feedback is solicited, the program will be better customized to the culture and will be most effective than if it’s just implemented by senior leadership.
7. Recognize All Teams and Employee Roles
Too often employers focus on visible, high-impact teams for recognition. Sales and customer service teams are the most likely teams to be recognized by corporate programs. But, all employees and teams should be recognized for the work they do.
All teams contribute and are fundamental to the initiatives of the business and should be recognized for the work they do. Further, recognition improves performance and increases employee engagement.
Formal recognition should highlight the performance of visible and often invisible teams and employees. All managers should be able to recognize their individual contributors and have access to a portion of the recognition budget.
Conclusion
Incorporating recognition into company culture doesn’t happen quickly, but the results are well worth the effort. Placing the pillars of recognition will incorporate recognition into the company culture. And organizations with incorporated recognition are finding that they attract talent, and their employees and managers have as much as 200+% odds of increased employee satisfaction and decreased anxiety.
About Thanks
Thanks is a leading provider of a recognition-based platform that increases communication, builds teamwork, and makes recognition a part of company culture. Fast, easy and simple Thanks makes it easy to bring data-driven employee recognition to your entire organization. O.C. Tanner purchased the Thanks platform in 2019 to fulfill the recognition needs of smaller businesses.
Thanks customers benefit from the same decades of research in employee motivation and company culture that O.C. Tanner enterprise clients enjoy, but in a product that is geared for fast, easy and simple deployment. Whether you’re starting a recognition program or improving and expanding on what you already have, Thanks has everything you need to engage your people with effective, scalable recognition.