A meaningful recognition program leads to great work. Many companies have started realizing the importance of employee reward and recognition programs so that they constantly look for new ways and ideas to create a happy workforce. 

A meaningful recognition program decreases the employee attrition rate and creates a robust company culture. A study reveals that 63% of employees who are recognized do not look for a new job and stay in the present company for a long time. If you want to double the employee retention and satisfaction rate, you will have to look for innovative recognition program ideas to keep your employees engaged. 

“Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put into words is all that is necessary.” 

-Margaret cousins 

Here are 7 recognition program ideas and their benefits.  

Simple ‘Thank You’ Notes and Appreciation Emails 

When our efforts are appreciated, we all would be on cloud nine. The grand prizes and awards are secondary; A simple ‘thank you’ note stuck on an employee’s laptop creates a great impact on the productivity of the workforce. In this remote working scenario, appreciation emails can be sent to the role star by cc-ing all the team members.  

These small things need not be as rare as great monetary benefits. Employees will go the extra mile at work when they realize that the managers recognize their efforts. The notes and emails become the source of motivation.   

Giving a Ride to Your Employees 

How cool would it be if an employee rides in the manager’s bike or car as a token of appreciation? That would absolutely strengthen the manager-employee relations. Managers can consider doing this for recognizing the efforts of their team members. This does not require permissions from multiple authorities. A small effort from the manager’s side.  

As a result, the team, whose manager thinks progressively, will have a nurturing growth culture and will be considered as the high-performing team by the organization. The rapport would be great between the manager and the team members and also among the team members.  

Hang Out With Your Team Members 

After completing a project or even in the mid of a project, give a boost to your team by taking them to lunch at a restaurant with a great ambiance. This shows that you value your team’s efforts and you do recognize them. 

The hangouts show your employees that their voices are heard, and they are cherished. More than that, they open up about their likes, dislikes, and concerns. As a manager, you would know what affects or increases productivity and create strategies accordingly.   

Gift Coupons from an Ecommerce Platform 

At Synergita, the management offers an award to the employees who demonstrate exemplary performance at work. It is called the ‘Role Star.’ They choose a person from each team every quarter. This award comes with a gift coupon to motivate the employees. 

Does it work? Absolutely. This can be a great motivating factor to your workforce, and every quarter, they would try to do their best to be recognized. This approach also helps to keep the team members engaged even in this isolating remote working scenario.  

Employee Recognition Software 

Software like Synergita has a digital continuous feedback wall, where the peer to peer recognition takes place. Imagine your workforce waking up to positive feedback in their Synergita mobile app or even getting a notification on their web regarding the appreciation from a peer or manager. 

These surprises might look too small but they make a great difference in the performance of the workforce. Other than pay, the workforce today considers culture, rewards and recognition plans in a company, learning, and growth before applying for a company or even considering staying for a long term. 

Employee engagement rate would increase tremendously with frequent recognition posts after achieving every milestone on this digital platform.   

Special Days Should Be Given Special Attention 

Birthdays, Anniversaries, or any special occasions in an employee’s life should be congratulated by the management and all team members. The word ‘team’ is specifically mentioned because, in a company, not all employees can congratulate their peers, be it large or small. But the team members’ communication is pivotal, and so let them start from here.  

Receiving those felicitations makes every employee happy. It might be hard in remote working. During those times, an email or a greeting card by mail from HR would be awesome. It is just a reminder to the employees that they are cared for by the employers.   

Continuous Recognition 

Recognize the efforts instantly. Do not wait till the end of a quarter or a year. Delaying the recognition process will completely disengage your workforce and they would eventually leave the company or their productivity would hit the bottom.  

Appreciating the hard work of employees who exceed your expectations would take only a moment. Show your team members that you give your time to them despite your busy schedule. This will make them perform well in the upcoming projects because they know that their managers take interest in their work and growth no matter how busy they are.  

It is indispensable to build a culture that would support continuous feedback and recognition process. The benefits include the decrease in the employee turnover rate and the enhancement of the overall employee experience. 

In a Nutshell… 

The reward and recognition program should be in place despite any business environment or work model because it is in the nature of humans to seek gratification through appreciation.  

“The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” 

-William James 

Every effort should be lauded to motivate the employee to do better, and usually, this motivation makes a team become a high-performing group. The recognition program is not about money; It is about small efforts taken by the management. Monetary benefits can be provided depending upon the budget of the company but never let that stop you from sending simple messages of recognition to your team members.