Once you have onboarded, trained, and turned new hires into great employees and team members, it’s critical to recognize their success to keep them motivated and on point. Here’s a few ideas…
Recognizing your team has many positive impacts including improved employee morale, productivity and retention as outlined in the HBR article entitled “Do You Tell Your Employees You Appreciate Them?” by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman.
Recognizing your team members is not as simple as it sounds. Here are some tips:
- Be specific. Describe exactly the behavior you saw and why it had substantive impact – on your company, your team or your customers.
- Recognize positive activities, not just outcomes. Sometimes projects take many months or years. As the team members work towards the goal, recognize their actions. Don’t wait for the final outcome… Keep them motivated by acknowledging their contributions.
- Be timely. Don’t wait for the quarterly review! When kudos are earned, deliver them promptly.
- Know your team and respect their space. Some team members might like the public recognition, others might prefer a hand-written note. Tailor your delivery to their personality.
As a manager and business owner, I always had gift cards in my desk to hand out when I saw someone working “above and beyond.” However, the recognition my teams valued most was the printed note card that said “Well done! Take a paid day off!”
What do you do?
Interested in more ideas for your business? Every Tuesday I share a quick video tip to over 1,000 business owners of something easy they can do that could bring BIG results. Get your copy here: Tuesday Tweaks