The key to boosting productivity is employee engagement. One of the most simple ways that you can boost engagement is by acknowledging your employees. Engaged employees are overall more productive and therefore, bring greater profits to the company itself. A study conducted by Deloitte found that companies that had implemented an employee recognition program were 12 times more likely to have strong business outcomes. However, recognition can be shown in many simple ways before going to a rewards platform.
As humans we are constantly looking for confirmation that we are doing a good job and simple acknowledgement is all we need. One way to ensure that your employees are working efficiently is to give them a reason to do so.
As an employer, here are a few ways that you can acknowledge your employee’s hard work:
Has your employee been working on an extra strenuous project? Show that you have acknowledged the extra work they have been putting in by offering them a little break. Giving your employee an extra day of PTO shows that you have acknowledged that they have been working hard and you want to make sure that they are getting a well-deserved break. Giving your employees extra time off helps them focus on creating a better work-life balance, reset mentally, reset their focus, and come back even more productive than before. Timi Gustafson, R.D., noted in the Huffington Post, "Forward-thinking companies like Google are well known for their efforts to enhance creativity by giving employees time off to pursue ideas of their own, regardless of the outcome. Some of their most successful innovations have come out of that policy." If it works for Google, why not your company?
Whether for a meal or a day out to the aquarium or lake, taking your employees out of the office shows that you care about getting to know them outside of their work personas. By taking your employees out as a group you are creating a sense of community, which can also help boost productivity. When employees are comfortable with their team they are able to work towards goals in a more productive and seamless way. Not only are you showing appreciation for your employees, but you are also making yourself more accessible to them.
Handwritten notes are a lost art form, however, the consideration that goes into putting pen to paper shows your employees that you are truly appreciative of a job well done. Sending a handwritten note shows that you thought your employee’s work important enough to sit down and personally write out your appreciation. Also, according to a study conducted by Forbes showing gratitude through a handwritten note gives the writer a sense of well-being and reduces depression.
If you are looking for an easy way to create a culture of recognition within your workplace and make acknowledgment a part of your company’s infrastructure, an employee engagement platform is the answer you have been looking for. By implementing an employee engagement platform, you are putting the ability to acknowledge your employees right at your fingertips. You will have the ability to create programs within the platform to set a precedent for what will earn your employees acknowledgment for their hard work. Not only will you, their employer, be able to acknowledge your employees your employees will be able to acknowledge their peers' accomplishments through peer-to-peer recognition. The feature of peer-to-peer recognition will also help grow the sense of community within your workplace, helping boost productivity.
No matter how you choose to acknowledge your employees, the most important aspect is to make sure they feel appreciated for all of their hard work. Appreciated employees are loyal, happier, and therefore more productive.
