Most of us have been there: you achieve something you’re proud of but your employer doesn’t take any notice, leaving you feeling deflated and unmotivated.

Recognising employee success can not only motivate the individual, but also serve as a learning point for other employees by showing them what they should be working towards.

Why is Employee Recognition so Important?

Recognition is about bringing out the best in people by praising and encouraging good work and behaviour.

Praising an employee can help increase their job satisfaction and inspire other employees to work harder, leading to a more motivated and dedicated workforce.

It’s important to recognise employee success to not only strengthen and improve your workforce but also help reduce turnover.

According to an Impraise article, one of the main reasons employees leave their job is that they don’t feel appreciated, yet 65% of employees haven’t received any recognition over the last year.

Methods of Employee Recognition

There are many ways you can recognise and celebrate employee success and achievement however, a Gallup Workplace survey identified the five most memorable, effective methods: 

• Public acknowledgement
  Mentioning employee achievement in a public setting such as in a meeting or in the office to make others aware of the employee’s success.
  
  
• Private recognition
  Having a one-to-one meeting with the employee to recognise their success in a more individual and personal way.
  
  
• Praise in reviews
  Discussing the employee’s success in a formal review/appraisal to demonstrate their development and progress.
  
  
• Promotion
  Giving employees a new job title or increasing their responsibilities to show your trust in them.
  
  
• Monetary rewards
  Offering vouchers or extra days off in return for achievements to reward employees for their hard work.

How to Give Impactful Feedback

When giving positive feedback, it’s useful to use a feedback format to ensure the feedback is as effective and impactful as possible.

One very useful and simple feedback format is C.O.I.N.

• Context
  Identify the milestone or goal the employee has achieved to provide context
  
  
• Observation
  Identify what knowledge, skills and behaviours you observed
  
  
• Impact
  Identify what positive impact this had on others and the organisation as a whole
  
  
• Next
  Identify steps the employee could take to improve and develop further

Put simply, you need to define the situation, describe the behaviour, clarify the impact and make a suggestion.

Recommended Next Steps

If you’d like to recognise and celebrate your employees’ success more effectively to strengthen and motivate your team, you can click here for a quick guide to giving feedback the right way.

“Treat employees like they make a difference and they will” Jim Goodnight, CEO of SAS