Employee Recognition Barriers

Employee Appreciation Day makes sense to many on paper, but there are obstacles that prevent it from getting traction within organizations. 

What stops employers from taking steps to recognize their staff include the following beliefs:

1. It is too much work. Leaders believe the recognition process requires a lot of work. It doesn’t. Employees share that getting specific feedback about work that is well done is encouraging and empowering. A simple and well-timed thank you can go a long way.
   
   Additionally, leaders believe they are the only ones who need to provide the recognition. While it is valuable to receive leader-driven recognition, employees share that peer-to-peer recognition is 36 percent more likely to generate financial employee recognition benefits than leader-only recognition.
   
   So, the bottom-line for leaders is that they don’t need to be solely responsible for providing employee recognition and they also don’t need to make recognition an elaborate or complicated undertaking.
   
2. They should just know. Some leaders believe their employees should ‘just know’ that they are doing a good job.
   
   “Aren’t they getting paid to do their work?” This rhetorical question may be a view shared by some, but this assumption fails to recognize that a pay cheque doesn’t equate to a thank you.
   
   Some leaders may also worry that their praise may come across as ego-stroking and unwelcome. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Employees value knowing in specific terms that their work efforts make a difference.
   
3. I’m too busy. The effects of the pandemic have added a layer of complexity for employers and employees. While it may seem that there are not enough hours in the workday to get everything accomplished, employee retention efforts in the form of a low or no cost expression of thanks can be a powerful motivator. Given the staggering turnover statistics, making employee appreciation a priority seems like an easy way to motivate and retain top talent.

Quick Suggestions

Here are some employee appreciation suggestions to consider:

• Hand-written thank you note
• A phone call to express sincere and specific thanks
• A virtual team celebration
• A day off with pay
• A gift basket or gift certificate for groceries or dinner delivered home. Not sure what to gift an employee? Check out Gusto.com, WeGift.io or Giftpack.io for suggestions.

Especially these days, it is easy to forget to make the time to recognize an employee’s efforts. A simple thank you can go a long way to show kindness and respect. If you are looking for other ideas to promote employee engagement, we’re here to help and invite you to contact us for additional free resources.