A Managers’ main goal is to ensure that the entire team works with dedication and enthusiasm to achieve common objectives.
This is especially true when your coworkers are not in the office and you’re stuck going at it virtually.
But how can leaders show recognition when suddenly a pat on the back is no longer possible?
We’ve come up with 10 simple employee recognition examples to make it easier for you to show your team you appreciate them – even if they work from home.
What is Employee Recognition?
Employee recognition refers to the process of recognizing efforts made by employees at their work or during business trips, which are often rewarded.
By showing this appreciation, you give your team members the feeling that they are valued for their contribution at work – regardless of whether it is above-average performance, extraordinary commitment, or an individual step in a direction.
Why Should You Recognize Employees?
Employee motivation and appreciation are more closely related than you might think.
Employee recognition and recognition programs should actually be part of company values and can actively participate in building a business’ success.
Sincere appreciation makes all the difference and should be deeply rooted in company culture in every organization and goes far beyond having an after-work beer or a coffee with the manager.
But now, how does employee recognition positively affect your team?
Employee recognition builds human interaction
One of the most obvious benefits of gratitude and appreciation, particularly for remote workers: We, Humans, desire to be acknowledged, to get social recognition. And when we are isolated, we feel even more aware of this feeling.
The lack of interaction that usually takes place in a remote environment, for instance, might be a major problem.
If managers devote enough time to these employees, demonstrate their appreciation, and recognize their work and efforts, it can make a huge difference in their sense of isolation and help to keep employee morale up.
Frequent recognition helps employee performance
It is as simple as his: The more your employees feel appreciated and recognized for their efforts, the better they will perform.
But it also has a strong tendency to spread. When one team member gets appreciated, others want to get in on this action too!
Recognition efforts keep employees engaged
In a globalized world, where people can work from anywhere at any time, you should be aware of the fact that your remote team might not be as engaged as your office-based employees.
When you show employee appreciation, you’re sure to contribute to creating a positive work environment in which employee engagement is solid and all team members feel encouraged to go the extra mile and show an outstanding work ethic.
Recognition efforts will also make your employees feel involved in the success of the company, and they will constantly strive to offer their best work or an extra effort. It’s a positive virtuous circle!
Recognition enhances company culture
Employee recognition is not only a way for you as a manager or leader to show appreciation, but also an effective tool for building your corporate culture.
Through the policy of shared gratitude, managers can convey an organization’s core values and remind their employees of the company’s mission and vision.
This process can initiate a sense of belonging to the team and make people feel like they are part of something bigger.
Encourage employees in challenging times
When things get complicated, we all need a little boost to keep going.
Keep in mind that managers should not only express appreciation in good times but also show gratitude when things are tough.
Recognizing employees, even if they make a mistake or fail once in a while, will help them perform better and keep trying until they achieve their goal, as well as motivate them in harder times.
Improves employee happiness and employee retention rates
The question of retention is always a topic that managers are very interested in. The annual staff turnover has always been an important performance indicator.
Well, spoiler alert: Employees remain motivated and loyal to the company when they feel valued. According to a survey by the Hamburg-based salary platform Compensation Partner, most participants (45% of them) said they had already quit because of a lack of appreciation on the part of the executive.
If you don’t want this number to be applied to your business, three words: think employee recognition.
Creative Employee Recognition Examples for a Remote Team
Here are some employee recognition examples that you can start implementing on a weekly basis, and hopefully you’ll see the benefits in no time.
1. Show appreciation to your team members with virtual one-on-one conversations!
Do you regularly conduct one-on-one meetings with your employees in the home office? Perfect!
With these individual virtual meetings, you can find out how your colleague feels, what challenges he has and where you can support him.
Even if your calendar is already pretty full with all sorts of meetings – you should always make time for one-on-one meetings with your team members.
For those, write down a thing that the colleague has done particularly well and explain what impact this action had on the company. Ask yourself the following questions to find out which example you can use:
- How did this person support me recently? What did she help me with?
- Did this employee show a positive attitude or have a positive impact on the whole team?
- How is the quality of his/her work?
- Has this person exceeded expectations?
2. Make a public recognition in front of the entire remote team members!
Let’s be honest with each other. Our workdays are jam-packed with team meetings. As a manager, make sure that during some of those, there is extra room for appreciation here.
A great employee appreciation idea is to use 5 minutes in those team meetings to inform about achievements, give honest feedback or highlight a positive behavior of a specific team member.
However, if you recognize employees publicly, it is important to take into account the personality of the respective employees.
Some people don’t feel at ease in the midst, and for some, personal recognition is far more valuable than public acclaim. Don’t be afraid to ask your colleagues what appreciation means to them and what social employee recognition should look like in their eyes.
3. Create a dedicated recognition chat
You could also use chat applications to recognize team efforts. This makes it instant, simple, and direct.
An easy employee recognition idea you could implement in your company is to create a dedicated Slack channel, used specifically to praise each other – a “Kudos Channel” so to speak.
Every time a great job is done, make sure your employees feel appreciated by sending them a short message, a GIF, or even a simple emoji. It’s not much, but it does the trick!
Pro tip: Don’t limit it to your own messages. Invite all team members to take part to develop peer-to-peer recognition as well.
4. Mention employees when you present projects across the company
If you present the achievements of your team publicly or company-wide, don’t take all of the credit for your team’s success!
Mention the names of the team leaders and team members who helped achieve the goal. This will provide pride, motivation and help employee engagement.
5. Start an employee recognition program
Making professional development and employee recognition strong core values of the company culture, take the time to start an employee recognition program. Employee recognition programs can take different forms.
You can use the company’s intranet, for example. Make sure to give employees an opportunity to write reviews of other team members and leave feedback on their work contributions.
Another example could be to reward employees with corporate gifting. As part of a global program of rewards and recognition, you could send a personal gift or a team gift for all employees that reach a set goal.
6. Send them a recognition message
There is no better way to show someone that you appreciate his work than recognizing it in person. Right? Right.
Although we already mentioned a dedicated chat channel, we also believe that an email or a handwritten note is a great way to recognize team efforts.
It can make your employee appreciation message more detailed and personal. Think about it!
7. Social media shoutouts
Do you have a talented employee who is accomplishing a great job? Nice! Why not give your team member some exposure and show him/her off to the fullest by mentioning his/her name on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Linkedin?
8. Celebrate your co-workers’ work anniversary in a personal way
Make sure to remember and celebrate your co-workers’ work anniversary in a special and personal way.
Whether it is through corporate gifting program, an event, or anything similar, even small gestures go far when it comes to recognizing employees!
9. Celebrate virtually!
Achievements, the end of a pillar project, or simply that the weekend is just around the corner and you’ve had a brilliant week together – there’s always something to celebrate!
If you are working remotely, the fact that you can’t be together shouldn’t stop you either. Organize a virtual happy hour or a virtual coffee break! If someone has a birthday, then let everyone sign a virtual greeting card.
10. Employee recognition: fun ideas!
What about organizing an employee recognition awards-like show?You could come up with different categories of appreciation, include nominations and the crowning of winners! This is a great way to make employees feel appreciated for their unique contributions.
If you are you looking for some more creative ways to show your team appreciation? Check out our fun virtual team-building events, perfect for a custom-made employee appreciation time!
With a little creativity, you can make the whole thing fun for your team and at the same time strengthen trust and cohesion.
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With everything that’s going on out there in the world, we should get even closer right now. Today, more than ever, it is crucial to encourage employees, to create a positive, open culture, to boost team morale, and to truly value each and every one of your team members.
No matter how you want to show your remote team your appreciation, you should never forget one thing: Employee engagement is key!
If you want to keep employees working at their best, show them that they’re valued and appreciated… But always through sincere appreciation. It is much more valuable than random gift vouchers or a bouquet of flowers.
What about you? Do you have any appreciation ideas to add up to the list? Have you tried some of those employee recognition ideas? Tell us everything!
Thank you for reading, and until next time!
