Companies do not effectively convey meaningful employee recognition. This is mainly because they continuously make 8 common mistakes with regards to their staff members. A way in which employee recognition can be amplified is by avoiding these oversights.
- Monetary compensation for exceptional employee performance is appropriate at times. However, it may lead employees to only work for financial gains. Thus, for a stronger employee to company bond, one must go beyond material rewards in order to motivate staff members.
- Excessive competition amongst employee is generally unfavorable because those non-winners lose motivation and disconnect from the company quickly. Contest rewards should not be distributed to individual winners, but instead to those who idealize team spirit and excellent performance.
- Companies that assume what motivates their employee pool typically get it wrong as most of the assumptions have been proven to be incorrect. Most employees are motivated by monetary compensation as well as a promise to more days off, donations to a non-profitable organization, tickets to an event, and most of all, they appreciate being recognized by their respective co-workers.
- Managers must aim to recognize and praise great performance. The top-down recognition programs indicate a hierarchical management system, and thus must be avoided.
- Peer to peer recognition is proven to be the most beneficial. If a large meeting is conducted in order to congratulate the employees that demonstrate exceptional work ethics, motivation is not necessarily cultured. It is essential that employee recognition is immediate so that this form of praise is regarded as being more meaningful and personal.
- Effective employee recognition needs to be directed to specific activities, actions and behaviours. General feedback terms such as “team player” and “hard worker” must be avoided in order to properly impact the employees.
- Those employees that continue to work hard in domains that do not necessarily affect the financial aspects of the company still deserve praise and recognition. This is because these individuals represent the organization’s core values.
- Employees must work on avoiding bad habits and learning new positive ones. Monthly feedback is not substantial enough. Instead, interactive software platforms such as Achievers, Recognize, and You Earned It, are beneficial as they contain a social dimension.
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