Employee Reward and Recognition

Employee Reward and Recognition  

An important part of developing employees is to give employees feedback and to reward positive behaviours and achievements. Think about how good you feel when someone commends you on a job well done… the same applies to your employees. We all respond well to appreciation shown through recognition, as it confirms that we are valued. Recognition is beneficial in many ways; not only does it make the employee feel good about what they have achieved, but it also promotes positive behaviours, lets them know they are on the right track, and leads to higher productivity and job satisfaction. It’s a win-win situation for the employee and the business!

There are many ways to reward your employees, but it is important to be aware of the type of recognition that your employee may or may not be comfortable with. Some people are comfortable with open praise and recognition, whilst others may prefer to be recognised quietly, and not have a big fuss made about their achievements. Businesses can also reward team performance, as opposed to individual performance. There are no hard and fast rules here, as long as your employees feel valued for their achievements, and you are promoting the types of behaviour you want to see in your business.

Rewards such as:

• Praise: it costs nothing! Drop by Jan’s desk and let her know that she is doing a good job, and you recognise her efforts. Other ways to do this is by a group email, in a meeting or delivering the message one on one privately.
• Team lunches or small events: throw a staff BBQ or shout your employees lunch or drinks after work. Not only can these be a relatively inexpensive reward, it gets your employees interacting with each other, and gives you a good opportunity to interact with your staff in a casual setting…and don’t forget to say a few words thanking your staff for their hard work.
• Birthday leave: allow your employees to take their birthday off without having to submit a leave request.
• Time off: if you have employees working overtime regularly to complete a project or task, allow them to finish up early one day to thank them for the extra efforts.
• Small gifts: movie tickets or gift vouchers are a great small incentive to show employees that their accomplishments haven’t gone unnoticed. Edible gifts are always a winner as well; bake a cake and bring it in for morning tea.
• Years of Service: recognising longevity of employees by way of a certificate, gift or email.

Regardless of how you chose to reward your employees, it’s important for rewards to always showcase the behaviours you want to encourage in your team, such as hard work and co-operation. The rewards should be consistent to all employees exhibiting the same actions, and its important you tell them what those are to encourage repeat behaviour.

Sometimes businesses spend more time on dealing with poorly performing employees, but it is equally important to deal with employees who do the right thing. If you have any questions or would like to find out how we can help your business with Employee Reward and Recognition, contact one of our HR consultants today. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for more helpful tips @cornerstone.hr