How to use Microsoft Teams for Employee Recognition and Engagement

How to Use Microsoft Teams for Employee Recognition and Engagement

A Harvard Business Review report shows that of more than 550 executives, 72% rank recognition given for high performers has a significant impact on employee engagement.

Employee recognition and engagement go hand-in-hand, and luckily Microsoft Teams makes it easy to succeed in both areas. 

How Do You Increase Employee Engagement on Microsoft Teams?

According to a Gallup State of the American Workplace report, companies with high employee engagement outperform competitors by more than 100% in sales growth. If you want to run a successful business in today's work environment, employee engagement is no longer a nice-to-have; it's a need-to-have.  

Here are ways to increase Microsoft Teams employee engagement:

• Encourage use of the chat feature during calls. Never underestimate the power of a funny GIF or meme.
• Ask for opinions. Use the poll functionality in Teams to gauge feelings about new projects, ideas, and more. 
• Create an open space for collaboration by using Microsoft Teams Whiteboard. 
  

How Do You Set Up an Employee Rewards or Recognition Program on Microsoft Teams?

Designing an impactful rewards or recognition program doesn't have to break the bank. It needs to be simple enough to use, and it must align with your core values and culture.

Make Microsoft Teams employee recognition simple and effective with these tips:

• Set up the Assembly app to give and receive employee recognition in Microsoft Teams quickly.
• Utilize Leaderboards in Assembly to see who on your team is helping others frequently.
• Enhance Microsoft Teams gamification with Assembly by creating fun rewards your employees can earn, such as lunch with the CEO.
  

How Do You Give Praise & Recognition on Microsoft Teams?

Praise and recognition elicit feelings of belonging and pride in employees, and great recognition says to an employee, "I see you." Microsoft Teams makes it easy for both leaders and peers to give consistent employee recognition across an organization.

Use these ideas to share meaningful Microsoft Teams praise and recognition:

• Encourage employees to give specific praise by integrating your core values into recognition.
• Recognize teams assigned to various projects. Express gratitude and encourage teams throughout a project rather than just at its completion.
• Encourage leaders to search activity feed often to see their team member's received praise. Employees want to know that managers are aware of their success, too.

‍How Do You Create Communities on Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams allows you to build a community across your organization no matter where your team members live or work geographically.

Here are great ways to build community in Microsoft Teams:

• Utilize the Yammer app to host company-wide events like town halls or Q&A sessions about major organizational news.
• Assign ambassadors to ask less formal questions each week. Questions about employees' favorite places to travel or the first concert attended can build meaningful connections that wouldn't exist otherwise.
• Allow each department to share more about their team in Yammer. They can share recent accomplishments, explain their goals for the year, and introduce team members.