Most employees cite lack of recognition as one major reason for switching to another organization in their exit interviews. More and more employees today demand that the good work they do be recognized by their seniors and peers. For most millennials, recognition ranks high in the list of ‘desirables’ that they expect from their organizations. And yet, funnily enough, many organizations either do not have a robust policy for recognition or recognize employees in ways that make them feel highly demotivated. 5 policies that organizations must put in place to ensure effective recognition for employees-

Informal recognition 

While there is no doubt that formal recognition policy works wonders, nothing should stop managers, peers and seniors from expressing praise for a work done well by an employee. Informal recognition works best when done publicly with a sincere expression of gratitude for the work done. This should typically be backed up by a written communication recording the employee’s contributions. Most employees are thrilled to see their contributions being recognized in writing. 

Timing of recognition

Recognition must be extended to the concerned employee at the earliest.

Many organizations choose to recognize employees for their stellar work after a delay of several months. This has a negative impact on employee morale. The value of an award is the greatest immediately after an employee has delivered a great performance. Any delay, be it due to policy or administrative reasons only makes the employee feel dejected and less valued.

Value of recognition

While it is easy to recognize, organizations must be careful to recognize only those who deserve recognition. Recognizing all and sundry work reduces the value of recognition, making it less of a ‘desirable’ for employees. Similarly, extending recognition to employees as a tool to prevent attrition, or recognizing an employee as a compensation for a promotion that didn’t happen, only reduces the worth of recognition in employees’ eyes.

Principle of parity during recognition

As far as possible, a recognition policy that is clearly able to distinguish between ‘good job’, ‘great job’ and ‘phenomenal job’ should be designed. While rewards should necessarily differ between each of these categories, it is crucial that awards within a particular category be the same. This ensures similar rewards for similar efforts/outcomes.

Parity in recognition goes a long way in improving morale of top performers. 

Be bold about recognition

Recognition must always be done publicly and the good work put in by an individual must be prominently highlighted. Many organizations, for reasons best known to them, recognize employees without any pomp or fervor. The whole purpose of recognition is for the world to see the fantastic work done by an employee and effectively create Role Models that other employees can take inspiration from. By recognizing employees privately, the whole purpose of recognition gets defeated.