Recognizing Employees Improves Employee Productivity

Employees are motivated in many different ways, but the one thing that everyone appreciates is being noticed for a job well done. It provides a sense of value and appreciation. The goals and benefits of an employee recognition program are multifaceted and improve employee job satisfaction and happiness. When an employee feels happy at work, their productivity improves. A study by the University of Oxford School of Business published in late 2019 found a conclusive link between happiness and productivity. Happy workers are 13 percent more productive. This study was conducted over six months and is one of the first to clearly demonstrate a causal link between happiness at work and productivity levels. Productivity is just one reason employers and managers should look for opportunities to boost an employee’s job confidence. 

Recognition programs also improve employee retention, employee morale and cultivate an employee culture for self-development and improvement. But how do you keep track of every employee accomplishment? And when is the best time to recognize them?

The digital age has made keeping track of employee accomplishments straightforward. Employee performance software solutions offer managers a way to document and track accomplishments, monitor milestones, and conduct performance reviews with ease. Whenever a manager notices an employee going the additional mile, such as putting in some extra time to complete a project, adding more value to a report or contributing great ideas to enhance a process or project, they should document it. Memories are tricky, and positive contributions in January or March may be forgotten by August or December, or whenever your organization’s appraisal processes are scheduled if they are documented in a timely fashion. Make the note and make it specific. When later relaying the compliment to the employee, it is nice to show that how and what they did made a difference to the company, team or the manager personally.

Timing for recognition is also important, tie it as close to the actual event, this will have a greater impact on the employee. Here are some ways to recognize an employee:

1. Shine a Spotlight. Each week produce a small bulletin or notice – describing the great job that one of your employees did. This could be through a companywide email, posted on the employee portal, or an actual bulletin board in the office or job site. 
2. Company/Team Meeting. If you have weekly or bi-weekly meetings, you could make an announcement then. Draw the attention to one or two employees. 
3. Make it Personal. You could make it personal between you and the employee. Write a card or send a simple email saying how much you appreciate what they’ve done. 

A manager or human resources can do one, two, or all three things; it depends on company policy or a manager’s preference. Better recognition within a company sets your employees up for higher engagement and increase business productivity. Another way to boost productivity is to improve your organization’s performance management system by going digital. LightWork® Software Performance Management transforms the overwhelming task of managing employees into an indispensable business strategy. With LightWork, it’s easy to identify strengths and areas for improvement. It is flexible and intuitive. To learn more, click here.