Giving hard-working employees recognition at the height of end-of-year chaos could set your organization up for a highly engaged, productive, and results-driven next calendar year.
You have Q4 goals to achieve and clients to appease before everyone shuts down for the holidays–where does that leave employees? Stressed like you, but no less deserving of recognition.
Why is it important to recognize employees at the height of year-end chaos?
It intimately links achievement to rewards
Year-round recognition is critical in maintaining a productive, engaged workforce, but keeping recognition top of mind during end-of-year chaos reminds employees why they’re working so hard to finish the year strong. Maintaining a culture of recognition will take the edge off holiday stress and let employees know they have an encouraging, motivating, and challenging work environment awaiting them after the holidays.
Recognized employees are happy–AND productive.
Happy employees are on average 12 percent more productive than their less-happy counterparts. In fact, one study found that grateful people are more extroverted, agreeable, open, conscientious, and less neurotic.
Recognized employees trust their bosses
Nearly 90 percent of employees who received recognition or thanks from their boss in the past month indicated higher levels of trust in that boss. Among employees who received no recognition, less than half reported they trust their bosses.
Adequately coached, recognized, and challenged employees will stick around after the holidays
The top reasons people stay in organizations are working with people they like and opportunities for growth. In fact, the same study found employees are more motivated by a fun work environment than by other factors like job title, cash rewards, and gifts. Nearly half of the US workforce is actively looking for new jobs–recognized employees are more likely to stay with their employers.
