Best Employee Recognition Programs

Do your employees seem disengaged from their jobs? Boost morale by implementing employee recognition programs in the workplace.

Talent management is a huge part of maintaining a successful business. That includes hiring the right employees for the required tasks. It also includes keeping those employees for as long as possible. On average, a company loses approximately 12 percent of its workers to voluntary job changes each year. If you are happy with the workers at your company and do not want them to seek other employment, you must find ways to retain their services.

One of the easiest ways to retain employees is to offer raises, but doing so is not your only option. There are many different types of employee recognition programs you can use to increase employee engagement and emotional investment. Engaged employees are less likely to seek to improve their working circumstances elsewhere. However, it is important to tailor the types of employee recognition programs you offer to your company and your employees. Here are some forms of employee recognition to consider implementing within your company.

What Are Employee Recognition Programs?

Employee recognition is the process of praising employees in some way for their accomplishments. It can also include recognizing those accomplishments publicly in front of other employees. Studies show that type of positive feedback improves performances. Employee recognition often improves employee moods and productivity levels while simultaneously reducing negativity in the workplace.

Employee recognition programs are specifically established programs or services used to recognize employees in positive ways for their hard work, and sometimes for reaching personal goals. For example, some companies offer recognition programs for employees who maintain physical fitness. Some employee recognition programs are designed to recognize individuals. Others are used to praise entire teams for their positive efforts. 

What Are the Benefits of Employee Recognition Programs?

Employee recognition programs boost self-esteem for many employees. They can also encourage better team efforts to complete particular goals. Employees who are recognized for their hard work also tend to feel more secure in their positions and have fewer fears about possibly losing their jobs. There are also many more possible benefits of implementing employee recognition programs. Among them are:

• Improved Trust

• Better Peer and Management Communication

• Improved Morale

• Attractiveness to Potential New Employees

• Customer Experience Improvements

• Improved Mental Health for Employees

What Are Some Common Types of Employee Recognition Programs?

Employee recognition programs take many forms. Some include peer-to-peer recognition. Others are manager-to-employee recognition programs. They also fall into different categories, such as public or private recognition and professional or personal achievements. Some companies celebrate employees who routinely meet company goals only. Others also incorporate celebrations of personal goals, such as recognition for marriages or having babies. Some common types of recognition include:

• Raises or Bonuses

• Gift Cards

• Achievement Certificates

• Parking Spaces

• Better Offices

• Additional Time Off

• Promotions

• Flexible Work Hours

• Gifts

• Verbal or Written Praise

• Email, Newsletter, or Social Media Acknowledgment

What Are Employee Recognition Program Platforms?

Employee recognition programs are often complicated to maintain, particularly if your business utilizes many different forms of positive employee acknowledgment.  Employee recognition program platforms are software programs designed to help. They can keep information about your employees and their achievements organized for you. That way you can see exactly when recognition is due and plan specific types of recognition ahead. For example, you can use such platforms to map out rewards you wish to offer employees for meeting specific project goals or celebrating employment anniversaries. Sometimes such platforms are stand-alone pieces of software. However, they are also often integrated into larger business organization platforms.

What Are Some Top Employee Recognition Platforms?

You may wonder which employee recognition platform is best to use. Each one is slightly different. It is up to you to choose the one with the features that appeal most to you and fit your business needs. Here are some top employee recognition programs from which to choose:

• Nectar allows team members in multiple locations to stay connected. Peers and management alike can recognize team member efforts. It also includes helpful resources, such as advice on building workplace trust. Managers can quickly reward employees with specific integrated rewards on the Nectar platform, such as digital gift cards. 

• Fond is a platform that allows employees to reward each other with points. Points are redeemed for perks and rewards on the platform. Those perks include discounts on various services and products accessible online. Fond also offers various resources and guides, such as advice on improving workplace productivity and employee happiness.

• Kudos is a unique employee recognition platform offering multi-level recognition. That recognition comes in many forms, which include the ability to record video messages. Points earned through the system are redeemable for gift cards. Kudos also offers integration with various other popular business software brands, including Slack and Microsoft Office.

• Wishlist is an employee recognition platform for management and peers. It includes management-offered rewards and perks, such as branded products. It also offers a unique way for peers to recognize each other when they have helped each other on a project through its integrated Kinect system. Additionally, the platform includes business goal and core value tags managers can add to recognition to highlight specific key values or goals met.

• Kazoo is a multi-faceted platform designed to improve workplace productivity in many ways. It includes features like goal setting and employee surveys. Its employee recognition feature allows recognition of personal milestones like birthdays and anniversaries, as well as individual and group project milestone completion. It also emphasizes recognition of embodiment of company core values.

What Are the Keys to Employee Recognition Program Success?

Implementing an employee recognition program is not always easy. A successful program requires commitment and prompt recognition of successes. It is also necessary to make sure any employee recognition program you create is fair to all employees. Therefore, you must establish criteria necessary for recognition. You must also make sure all management members and employees are aware of those criteria. Stay organized with an employee recognition platform to make sure no achievements or anniversaries are overlooked. Celebrating all employees in equally fair ways can help improve team bonds and company productivity.