Years back, I witnessed an employee recognition gone wrong. A manager, wanting to recognize an employee, “John,” handed him a couple of $5 gift cards to Starbucks in passing. It doesn’t sound bad, but John didn’t drink coffee, and Starbucks was fairly out of his commute.
John felt pretty “meh” about the experience. It didn’t motivate him or engage him in any way. The gift card almost joined the 3 Billion dollars in gift cards that go unused each year, except for another recognition experience I witnessed.
John had a coffee-loving colleague, Lexi, help him with a project problem. As a “Thank You!” John handed his Starbucks gift card to her. That employee felt greater connection and happiness as a result.
What went wrong the first time?
If you answered that the gift card was wrong, you’d only be partially correct. Let’s take a look at how two similar recognition events differed for opposite results.
Personal Touch Matters in Recognition
Recognition has the greatest effect when in facilitates the connection between the recognized employee and others. Ideally, showing appreciation for someone else should build an emotional connection between the two parties and it should build a connection to the employer and the job.
When employees are correctly recognized, they feel a greater sense of contribution toward the success of their team and employers. By extension, they can feel a greater sense of connection to their community through the larger contributions of their employer. They feel a connection to themselves and their skills and accomplishments. They are more likely to find the “Zen” of work or flow.
But, when the first connection between the giver and receiver of employee appreciation fails, none of the other connections are made.
When John’s manager gave him a gift card that was to a place John never went, it told John that he wasn’t seen or known by his manager. But when John gave Lexi the gift card, John knew of Lexi’s love of coffee and knew that the card was appropriate.
It’s probable that John would have purchased the same card as a thank you if he had not had it on hand already.
Turning Recognition Around: If John’s manager had given him the gift card and explained and connected to him, it would have been different.
Imagine he’d said “I know you don’t drink coffee, but there is a fancy chocolate muffin there that I think you’ll love. I know how much you love chocolate.”
Then, John would have known that his manager saw him and got him a certificate to a new place because he was thinking of John and not because it was the last gift card left.
- Personalized recognition gifts mean the most to employees
- Recognition should build connections
Presentation Matters
Consider also the manner in which the gift card was handed to each employee. John found a gift card on his desk and was later told it came from his manager. The manager was busy and, attempting to recognize John handed him a gift card.
Although some effort is usually better than no effort, the presentation is important when it comes to employee recognition. The presentation reinforces the employee’s contribution and importance to the employer.
Presentations don’t have to always be elaborate and fancy (there are times when fancy events are best). They can be a simple show of appreciation in a team meeting. John’s manager could have written him a note of thanks and left the cards on his desk. Or, the manager could have made a special run to John’s desk to tell him how much John’s contribution was appreciated.
Managers that take a few extra minutes to make the presentation more special and personal find that it is more effective.
The point of the recognition wasn’t really to hand John gift cards. The point was to express appreciation for John’s contributions. When the manager rushed to give out the gift cards, an opportunity to really express gratitude was lost and with it, the connection John felt.
- The way the recognition is given makes it more or less meaningful.
- Recognition presentation gives the employee a chance to be seen and appreciated by others
Timeliness Matter
Another important difference between John giving and receiving the Starbucks card is when the cards were handed out.
John received his gift cards at a point when he was not involved in any major projects. He later learned he was chosen because of an earlier project. But, he never really made the emotional connection to his contribution because the gift cards were handed to him 3 weeks after the fact. He later mentioned to me that if felt like an afterthought by his manager.
In contrast, when John gave the cards to Lexi, it was at the completion of Lexi’s assistance to him. She had helped John overcome an issue he faced and saved him a lot of stress and time with her expertise.
John expressed his gratitude sincerely, but in a casual setting, where the rest of the team could overhear, and handed her the gift cards.Johns show of appreciation for Lexi was timely, but his managers was delayed.
When managers are busy, three weeks can easily pass as if they were mere days. But, in the world of employees, three weeks feels like a long time. It’s important that recognition be timely.
Peer Recognition Naturally Incorporates These Essential Elements
When colleagues recognize each other, they naturally incorporate many of the essential elements of effective employee recognition. There is usually a great understanding of what their teammates enjoy and what kind of recognition will mean the most.
Team members understand when a colleague doesn’t like the spotlight and would appreciate a thank you note instead of team applause.
The gratitude expressed is sincere and heartfelt. Peers thank each other quickly and don’t wait a while to recognize a co-worker’s contributions. Recognition builds connections for both the giver and the receiver.
These are some of the many reasons why peer recognition is one of the most effective forms of employee recognition.
For more information on how to better incorporate peer recognition into your company’s recognition program, schedule an appointment today to speak with one of our recognition experts.
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.