Why It’s Important to Recognize Employees Frequently

Does it make sense to consistently recognize employees or should you only recognize staff a few times a year?

When you ask - “Do people enjoy being recognized more frequently or less frequently for their hard work?” The answer is obvious. 

Two decades ago, naming an “Employee of the Month” was really the only form of recognition in the office, along with the gift of a gold watch upon retirement. Today, that isn’t nearly enough. If you have a staff of 200 employees, only one person gets recognized each month, and you would need to cycle through 199 more months to get through the whole staff.

According to Quantum Workplace, companies with employee recognition programs have 31% voluntary turnover and  the same organizations are 12 times more likely to have strong business outcomes. 

Recognizing Employees Can Be Simple

Recognition doesn’t have a downside. I recently had a co-worker tell me that giving her a shoutout publicly for her hard work made her entire week. It was so easy to do and the impact was high. 

Here are some easy tips on giving fellow employees the recognition they deserve:

1. Look for any opportunity to appreciate another co-worker, big or small.
2.  Share what this person did to others. Be as specific as possible.
3. Give them a micro bonus (if possible) to punctuate your appreciation.
4. Make sure their direct supervisors know and recognize what they did.
5. Repeat with other employees.

Giving recognition does not take much time, but your co-workers will always appreciate your efforts to shine a light on their accomplishments.