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How to Effectively Recognize Employees

Suketu Mehta
A little appreciation of employee's efforts can go a long way in improving the organization's productivity. Here are various ways for the same, so that they continue performing better and better at work.
Most managers are often plagued with the task of identifying their employees because it is very crucial for the organization in many ways. It increases their performance and helps to retain all the good performers, which consequently aid in the organization's growth and profits.
When an employee feels that his hard work and perseverance are not going unnoticed, he will automatically keep up his performance, which will reflect in the organization doing well.
The most important aspect an employer needs to keep in mind is that all employees are different, which is why they should be acknowledged and appreciated in different ways. What works as a motivation for someone will not necessarily have the same effect when tried with others.

Recognizing Their Successes and Excellence

There are several practices you can adopt that can motivate your employees. Following are some ways through which you can appreciate them:

Monetary Benefits

The monetary amount can either be predetermined or can be done at the time of rewarding. This not only motivates that performer but also others that you would want to work hard and get recognition in the form of more money.

Personal Note

Certain employees like receiving recognition in the form of a personal or handwritten note by someone from the senior management. They feel elated and motivated when they realize the fact that their hard work is getting noticed by seniors in the office. Along with a personal note, employers can also present outstanding work with rewards in cash and kind.

Team Event

This method can be used especially when a team on the whole has performed well and needs to be rewarded.
Organizing a team event like a lunch, party, or an outing, wherein the whole team enjoys together, is a good way of team building among themselves, so that they continue to perform even better. Also, certain individuals can be honored at an event where the entire staff is present.

Job Enrichment

Few of them desire rewards in terms of job enrichment. They love working hard, and the best way to recognize them would be to change or expand their work profile.
The employer can shift them to certain important projects, or bestow them with added responsibilities, which they would be happy to shoulder. Also, giving a little more freedom in the form of flexible-working hours and leave options will propel them to perform even better.

Effective Tips

A few extra tips on employee distinction are listed here:
  • It is important that every member of the staff is well versed with all parameters in the organization. This provides transparency in operations and also motivates them to work towards these goals.
  • Keep the reward elusive. Encourage a healthy internal competition for them to keep performing hard to get that exclusive reward.
  • This can sometimes draw some amount of envy from co-workers, and employers should guard against this. It can be done by appreciating one privately or by not leaving out any of the good achievers.
  • They can also make use of certain creative ideas. For instance, making him the boss for one day, giving him an all-expenses paid weekend holiday, naming certain sections in office after his name, etc.
  • They can even arrange an annual function, wherein along with the top performers, all of them are rewarded for certain individual qualities they possess. These may not necessarily be work related; instead, they can be any other unique or interesting characteristics or personality traits that they exhibit.
Many companies of late have started to appreciate employees and reward them in better and more innovative ways as they have understood the value of good human resource. The employees also benefit from this practice, as they take home a lot more than just salary from their workplace.