Imagine working forty plus hours a week for a company that brings in millions of dollars and never being rewarded for the time, effort, and hard work that you put into making sure your group or business sector meets business needs. You can only imagine how this feeling would have you discouraged and frustrated for not being recognized for your hard work.
At the end of the day, every department or business sector within an organization plays a vital role in the company’s success. If not, the company wouldn’t need that department or business sector to be successful. Employees that take pride in their work truly appreciate being recognized and rewarded for their efforts.
Oftentimes, employees are never recognized for their efforts and they begin to believe they are not being valued or appreciated by the company where they work. Recognizing a group of individuals who have worked hard to meet a goal will only increase their productivity and performance. This is something that many companies have taken notice of and have worked hard to recognize wins for the company.
The first step in recognizing efforts is to understand the group and their job function. Employees often feel that upper management doesn’t see or understand how much time and effort they put into ensuring a win for the business. It’s important for upper management to understand the groups’ needs and specifically their job function. You may be surprised by what you learn by simply listening to the needs or concerns of different business groups.
It may be a good idea to have the group’s manager inquire on what type of recognition the group would be interested in having. While some individuals prefer to be recognized with a big announcement, others may want something more low scale and under the radar.
Recognition awards can be a motivation for employees to strive for greatness and continue to prove they are a valuable part of the company. Recognition awards such as engraved plaques can leave a lasting impression on the employee; making them feel appreciated and valued. They are able to display the award in their workspace showing their peers that the company recognizes hard work.
An important piece of any business is to satisfy and recognize human needs. Businesses must listen to their employees as their employees keep the business running successfully. Without the employees, the business would fail, which is why rewards and recognition are very important in keeping a healthy business.
Food is always a great way to reward a group that has successfully met a goal or target. Inviting a group out to a paid lunch for their efforts can be a great reward for hard work. Oftentimes, employees may not be able to get out for lunch due to heavy workloads or other obligations they may have to take care of.
Scheduling a team lunch offsite can be a great way to get out of the office and mingle with employees while enjoying a free lunch for their hard work. If there isn’t enough time to leave the office for an offsite lunch, try having lunch catered into the office instead. If lunch isn’t an option, try bringing in breakfast to reward the group. Food is always a good incentive to bring people together for a celebration.
While food may not be an option for every business, another way to reward employees is to offer a half day or full day off work for their efforts. Every employee has a life outside of the office so allowing for a half day or full day off from the office is another incentive for employees to work hard for the good of the company.
If working remotely is an option, offer the employee a “work remote day” once or twice per month. That will give the employee the flexibility to work outside of the office, which will promote a healthy working environment.
The goal is to make your employees happy by rewarding them for their efforts. Happy employees are more likely to do better work for a company they know appreciates their efforts.
Recognition of your employees’ efforts will promote a healthy work culture. Work culture can be one of the top reasons why an employee stays or leaves a company. Ensure your work culture is a positive one so that you retain your employees.
