The recognition of employees must be an action that takes place throughout the year, not just on special days or the very World Day of Recognition of workers (March 4). I would recommend that it be an integral part of the culture of all companies.
1) Because recognized employees are happy employees
We are feelings, and we have human beings. We don’t leave our emotions at the office door, they come with us to work every day. And in the same way, when we walk out the office door at the end of the workday, we take the feelings of the day with us.
Reward employees make them feel valued, and that they see that their efforts count. Those good vibes spread throughout the office, creating a more pleasant work environment. And in turn, the workers take them home and continue to perpetuate the positive feelings there. We all win!
And we don’t just win on good vibes: Happy employees are estimated to be 12% more productive on average. In other words, not only people win, but also companies which, after all, are still a group of people.
2) Because good employees help build a better company
We have already seen it in the previous point: happiness is contagious.
Group happiness comes directly from the happiness of individuals. Therefore, the recognition of workers end up resulting in more harmony, more well-being and better teamwork.
The end result of this “circle of happiness” is a company where employees enjoy collaborating across colleagues and departments. Team dynamics are not an obligation, but a way to get to know each other better and catch up on how everyone is doing. And so, each person can give their best to achieve excellent results.
3) Because valued employees stay with the company
From a more pragmatic point of view, employee recognition translates directly into benefits for the company. And is that a recognized and happy employee is a loyal employee.
One of the biggest problems for many companies is excessive staff turnover: workers simply leave as soon as they find something better, as they feel no particular loyalty to their company. This ends up resulting in a waste of time and money. Of time, because a new employee takes months to be fully integrated into the company, know the processes and perform at their best. And money, because the training of new employees is an investment for the company.
With employees it happens a bit like with clients: it is much more profitable to keep the ones you already have than to get new ones. And one of the best ways to retain talent is to recognize people. If they feel that their efforts count, they will feel at ease and will be much less inclined to leave.
4) Because recognized employees are the best promoters of your brand
When an employee feels valued and happy, he speaks well of his company wherever he goes. This will make it much easier for us to find new talent since the savviest workers are always looking to find out what the employees of the companies, they are considering working for have to say. And who better than them to tell them about their experience?
Therefore, employee recognition is a positive word-of-mouth investment for your company. Not only will you be able to attract the most valuable workers, but it will also improve your brand image and your possibilities to collaborate with other ethical and happy companies.
5) Because gratitude leads to gratitude
“Thank you” is a magic word that opens many doors and that bosses should say more often. When you say “thank you,” the other person is pushed to drop their guard and say “you’re welcome.” Like happiness, gratitude is contagious.
Thanking your employees is a simple but very powerful way to recognize their work. With this simple word, the other person understands that you are acknowledging what he has done and that you value it in the right measure.
Therefore, the recognition of employees begins by thanking what each member contributes to the team, every day, and each of the people around you. As a boss, if you are the first to set an example, the rest will follow.
6) Bosses who recognize their employees are not bosses, they are leaders
The word “boss” has a lot of negative resonances in our culture. But bad bosses are a thing of the past.
A bad boss is one who forces his workers to follow orders without justification, to work piecework on what interests him and to meet numerical objectives without worrying about people. But luckily this model is falling behind.
A good boss is a person who guides, motivates, listens, gives confidence, brings out the best in each person and encourages them to take on new challenges. For a good boss, it is essential that his employees feel valued and recognized every day. Because only then can the boss stop being a boss and become what today’s companies need: a leader.
