Making Recognition A Priority

Employee Recognition Rocks - Kick Employee Recognition Up a Notch
By Susan M. Heathfield, About.com Guide

Employee recognition is limited in most organizations. Employees complain about the lack of recognition regularly. Managers ask, “Why should I recognize or thank him? He’s just doing his job.” And, life at work is busy, busy, busy. These factors combine to create work places that fail to provide recognition for employees.
Managers who prioritize employee recognition understand the power of recognition. They know that employee recognition is not just a nice thing to do for people. Employee recognition is a communication tool that reinforces and rewards the most important outcomes people create for your business.
When you recognize people effectively, you reinforce, with your chosen means of recognition, the actions and behaviors you most want to see people repeat. An effective employee recognition system is simple, immediate, and powerfully reinforcing. Employees feel cared about and appreciated. It may seem simplistic, but people who feel recognized and cared about produce more and better work.

Employee Survey Pinpoints Recognition
In a client employee satisfaction survey, the question about whether the company cared about the welfare and happiness of its employees drew divergent views. Some people agreed; others disagreed.
So, the Culture and Communications team put out a second survey asking what would make the employees feel as if the company cared about them. We developed several answers employees could check and supplied room for their comments and additional thoughts.
Fifty-five percent of the respondents said that praise and attention from their supervisor would make them feel as if the company cared about them and their well-being. As you might also expect, money, benefits, and events such as company lunches ranked high, too. But recognition from the supervisor ranked above all other choices.
I have sponsored similar surveys in different organizations. The findings are always similar. Employees want to know that they have done a good job – and that you noticed. Employees want to be thanked and appreciated.
A leader of employees makes other people feel important and appreciated. The leader excels at creating opportunities to provide rewards, recognition and thanks to his or her staff. A leader creates a work environment in which people feel important and appreciated.
_______________________

How is the current climate at your organization? Do employees feel appreciated? When was the last time an employee satisfaction survey was conducted? What were the results and what actions were taken? Do all employees have the opportunity to be recognized?