Five Steps to Building a Positive Recognition Culture
As an employer, it is your job to ensure that your organisation cultivates a positive work culture. One of the most effective and accessible ways we know of to do that is through employee recognition. When employees feel seen, heard, valued, and upheld it positively affects nearly every human need.
Let's take a look at putting it into practice
1. Building a recognition culture
The most important thing about recognition is to embed it culturally, so it flows in every direction in the organisation. It’s important to recognize people immediately after an event as it can be more motivational for the employee.
2. Making it personal
There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to recognition. It’s important that employees find out how their colleagues prefer to be recognised and tailor approaches accordingly. This builds empathy, tolerance, and compassion which can contribute to positive mental health.
3. Create Meaning
Recent research from The Achievers Workforce Institute highlighted the importance of giving meaningful, specific feedback. 64% of those surveyed wanted to receive more meaningful recognition about something specific they did; about themselves as individuals or something they valued.
4. Accelerating impact through Technology
With many people working from home or working hybrid, technology plays a vital role in helping to match up and connect people, provide communication channels and manage feedback and preferences.
There are many approaches and tools you can use to support your goals- from simple spreadsheets and communications software up to integrated peer to peer recognition and rewards platforms.
5. Empowering Managers
Finally, managers play an important role in building recognition cultures that promote mental health. But for them to feel empowered to do their part, HR must continually support them. You should ensure that managers meet up regularly with their team and ensure that you help them give constructive motivating feedback.
It’s not enough to give managers targets for recognition, but you need to coach and mentor them on how to give that meaningful, timely recognition that they deserve.
