Choosing The Right Recognition Strategy To Inspire Your Team

An effective employee recognition strategy is the secret sauce that boosts morale, skyrockets productivity, and forges mutual trust. It reinforces and cements the behaviours, practices, and attitudes that level up the overall performance of an organization. Are you ready to reduce turnover, attract top performers, and retain star employees? You’re in the right place. We’ve curated expert tips to help you craft a personalized employee recognition strategy for maximum results. 

The Benefits of Employee Recognition

When you invest in your employees, the company is paid back in dividends. Here are the top 5 benefits of an effective employee recognition strategy:

• Enhances job satisfaction
• Reduces turnover
• Boosts company morale
• Creates a culture of fulfillment
• Drives innovation & productivity

Ready to see results? A well-crafted employee recognition strategy is one of the most powerful tools to level up your business. Accolad is the best solution in Canada and abroad when it comes to recognizing employees, customers, or business partners.

We’ve already helped hundreds of companies around the world recognize their employees with high-impact, personalized strategies. Let’s explore the most effective tips to help you build the right employee recognition system that drives results: 

7 Tips for Choosing the Right Employee Recognition 

There are numerous activities to motivate employees and celebrate their achievements. In this regard, employees respond better to recognition that is unique to them. Here is a list of employee recognition activities to help you get started:

1. Employee of the Month

The Employee of the Month is an award given by management to employees who have excelled in their role that month. When rewarding the winner, remember to list the specific achievements that led to the award and how these achievements align with your company’s values.

Make sure you link the organization's values with your employees' productivity. This will motivate them to continue doing their best. In addition to the Employee of the Month Award, consider giving other awards that complement it. The goal is to foster greater engagement from the whole team.

Here are some examples:

• Awards for problem-solving
• Customer service recognition
• Office joy award
• Hope award
  

2. Employee Recognition Days or Events

If your team has met or exceeded its goals, organize an employee recognition day at work to celebrate their contributions. Consider taking the whole day to orchestrate and participate in team-building activities to strengthen your bond with your staff. You can also offer food and awards to appropriately recognize each team member’s victories.

Here are some examples of team-building activities:

• Potluck meals
• Water balloon toss
• Treasure hunt
• Public service
• Karaoke night
• Climbing
• Escape rooms
• Axe throwing

3. Peer Recognition Programs

A peer recognition program is another excellent strategy to motivate employees. It gives them a chance to receive feedback about their work from colleagues. This approach can be informal or part of a formal program established with your approval.

This approach differs from employee recognition because the team gets to nominate the peers they believe deserve special praise. A peer recognition program gives employees more chances to be recognized and can include:

• Handwritten notes that are personal & meaningful
• Congratulations bulletin board
• Departmental recognition awards
• Daily affirmations
• Team meetings

4. Employee Hall of Fame

Instead of a peer recognition award or activity, you could opt for an employee hall of fame. This type of recognition can also be an extension of your formal employee recognition program or the peer recognition program. It highlights the employee’s achievements and how it impacted their team and/or the organization.

You can create a hall of fame at the company and department level, and give awards during the company recognition day. For example, a collage or storyboard describing how your employee achieved the desired result on a project can promote positive engagement among employees. It can also provide additional inspiration for completing ongoing tasks.

5. Gift Activities to Recognize Employees

You can identify and purchase a fun gift, a stuffed animal, or a figurine that you can circulate around the office. Then give this gift to an employee who deserves to be recognized for their performance and commitment to the organization.

Ask them to keep it on their desk for a week or a month before passing it on to another member who has acheived the performance threshold. Accolad has a diverse catalogue of recognition gifts suitable for companies of any size and budget. 

6. Employee Recognition on Social Media

Shout out employee achievements across your company’s social networks. Describe who they are, their role, what they did to receive this recognition, and why it had such a positive impact on your company.

You can also do this for new hires, highlighting their journey and the value they bring to the role. Consider including the manager and the employee together in the same photo to show who the new hire will be reporting to.

7. Bonuses & Treats

This gifting strategy is a particularly impactful way to recognize employees. During performance evaluations, ask them how they like to be rewarded and if a bonus accurately reflects their performance. Treats are another strategy to reward your employees for their daily activities.

For example, after your employees leave for the day, place their favourite treat or snack on their desk. Small tokens of appreciation will boost morale and motivate the team regularly.

Why Accolad Is The Best Employee Recognition Strategy

Get off the struggle bus. The best way to retain and inspire your team is finally a no-brainer. Accolad is your go-to platform for employee recognition, equipped with qualified experts who know how to drive results with the right strategy. We offer you the most powerful tools to meet all your needs. Simply import employee data onto the platform, track their progress, and find the perfect moment to reward them.