Our specialist contributor Laura Wood on how praising your staff in the right way can also help motivate them.
Employee recognition or praising your employees for a job well done sounds pretty straightforward. I am sure we all feel that we heap praise on, and compliment our staff when a job is done well. However, how do we ensure that this is done correctly?
Offering praise is about recognising great performance or a good job. We all know what it means to us when we feel appreciated. It gives us a feeling of worth, a sense of pride, satisfaction and spurs us on to continue to do well.
All of this is positive reinforcement, and this creates a more positive work culture and reduces staff turnover and absenteeism.
How can I positively recognise the efforts of my staff team?
There are many ways to praise your staff, and this may be different for the situation or the individual. Some ideas include:
- Keeping it simple – writing an email or thank you letter directly to the individual. Be specific about why they are getting special recognition
- Shout-outs – announce staff efforts through your social media page, a group email or newsletter. This also sends a message to other staff that you appreciate hard work and effort
- Reward staff with vouchers or small gifts. Many companies offer employee benefit programmes, but specific gifts or vouchers can have a real impact
- Surprise recognition – perhaps your team has worked really hard on a particular shift or dealt with a difficult situation. How about buying pizzas or doughnuts to thank them?
- Surprise bonuses – budget for special events and offer monetary rewards ensuring staff are aware of the reasons for this surprise bonus
There are lots of ways we can praise and recognise staff, However, it is important to note that you should always be genuine when giving praise. It should be a thoughtful act and not a habit. Also praise on time. No one wants to be recognised for their hard work months after the event.
Remember that it is easy to want to throw in some constructive feedback with praise and yes, everyone can always do better. However, constructive feedback should be saved for supervisions or 1:1 meetings and instead, let your staff bask in the glow of a job well done.
Saying ‘thank you’ builds trust and forms bonds between people.
We all want to feel appreciated, whether we are domestic staff, working in the kitchen, a carer, nurse, or the CEO of a big organisation. Just don’t forget to do it.
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