Employee engagement has a plethora of statistics supporting its importance in your organization. Yes, employee engagement strengthens your bottom line and fortifies every facet of your organization, but it’s also relevant on a human, personal level.
Jeff Haden from Inc had a fun exercise: think of an old boss you didn’t like. Now rate them on a skill of 1 to 10 on their recognition and appreciation skills. They probably didn’t do so well, did they?
Now think of how your employees would rate you.
These are 5 tips on how to ensure you have a 10 rating every time.
Remember the Greatness of Snowflakes
Get to know your staff and what works for them.
Treat your employees like snowflakes; they are unique and should be celebrated. People are so enamored by snowflakes because each one is different. There’s a beauty to your team being diverse; each member has different skill sets and strengths. They also have different preferences for how they like to be recognized. Some employees like public forms of recognition, such as at the company meeting, while others are encouraged by incentive-based performance recognition.
Zoom In
Offer specific appreciation for specific results.
Generic praise is a step in the right direction, but providing specific examples and genuine appreciation sparks more loyalty. Appreciate your staff for the large and the small things they are accomplishing throughout the day. The small steps taken towards larger goals are just as important.
Real-Time Results
Sometimes, instant is better.
In the moment recognition is sometimes the most effective approach. Don’t treat appreciating your staff as another item to check off your to-do list; notice achievements throughout projects and distinguish them accordingly. Waiting until Friday to thank a team member for something amazing they accomplished on the prior Monday won’t be effective as if you had thanked them immediately.
Team Mentality
Each individual peg is integral to the whole wheel.
You want and need your staff to work as a team, and team dedication should be celebrated, but don’t let the team overshadow individual members. Your recognition should not only be addressed to the team as a whole. Remember to appreciate key players or provide praise for one member taking the initiative to lead on a project.
Lifetime Recognition
Offer more than milestone recognition.
The employee recognition journey should start on day one. Recognize throughout your employee’s time with your company. Welcoming a new team member with flowers before their first day sets a tone of excitement and immediately begins to build loyalty. Designing a custom award for their retirement from your organization provides them with a lifelong token of gratitude.
Encouraging your employees with recognition in-between these two milestones ensures they reach both.
Reviews and one-on-ones should not be the only time your staff is hearing feedback from you. Constant encouragement builds a relationship with your employees, making them more open to constructive criticism and feedback.
Adapting your recognition approach to your team and ensuring you’re providing the support they need will only strengthen your company. Employee engagement is something you can work on every day. It’s a journey with your staff.