Employee Praise: The What, Why, and How!
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Employee disengagement is a common phenomenon in American workplaces. According to a 2020 Gallup survey, about 50 percent of workers in the U.S. are disengaged. The levels of disengagement vary, with about 14 percent being actively disengaged.
One of the most important ways to motivate your team is by recognizing good behavior. While you should recognize your team members for the things they do well, some people may feel pressured to perform well. When you give your team members praise, make sure you are specific, as well as sincere. Generally speaking, employees respond better to praise when it is specific and relevant to their role. Moreover, if you praise employees frequently and randomly, they are more likely to be motivated by it.
When you give a compliment, you’re highlighting the good qualities that your employee possesses. Compliments can be personal and meaningful. Using an employee’s name in your compliment will demonstrate that you recognize and value the individual contribution that person makes. A second response is to personally thank your employees for their contribution. It’s far more impactful than a generic, “well done” compliment.
When your employees are not enthusiastic and passionate about their jobs, it’s your organization that stands to lose.
What are you doing about it? There are many ways to boost engagement at work, including investing in employee praise.
In this article, our focus is on employee recognition and appreciation. We’re sharing practical ideas you can use to praise your employees.
The What: Defining Employee Praise
Are you asking, what’s employee praise?
Employee praise is the act of acknowledging a worker for a certain achievement, behavior, or other noteworthy contribution to a team or organization.
The Why: Understanding the Impact of Employee Praise
As an employer, you might not have a good understanding of why it’s important to praise your employees. After all, you certainly pay them a fair wage, so they have to hold up their end of the deal.
It’s understandable if that’s your line of thought, but employees aren’t machines. They’re human beings like you. Several factors can affect their performance.
Praising an employee is a sure way to motivate them. A motivated employee will put in a proper shift, which benefits your company at the end of the day.
Employee praise leads to the development of a workplace culture where appreciation thrives. In other words, it humanizes your workplace.
Praising your employees can also reduce your company’s employee turnover rate. Most workers want to be in workplaces where they can feel and see that their efforts are being appreciated. A low turnover saves your business time and money, and can even help you attract the best talent in the labor market.
The How: Praising Your Employees the Right Way
For employee praise to work, you need to do it the right way.
Of course, saying “thank you” and opening acknowledging employees in front of their colleagues goes a long way, but it can only take you so far.
You need to act. You need to show your employees that you appreciate them.
So, what are some of the practical ways to praise your employees? Start by asking them.
Gathering feedback from your employees is key to understanding the things that best touch them. For instance, you might be surprised to learn that most employees want free lunches or more vacation days.
There is also another well-known way to praise your employees. Rewards!
Holding a periodic reward ceremony builds up genuine excitement in the workplace. Your employees will be looking forward to taking part in the event.
Another good idea is to build a rewards platform, where your employees can redeem some of their rewards. Axomo has an insightful article on how to build an employee rewards platform.
Employee Praise Works!
Employee praise might seem like a trivial thing, especially if you’re a small business owner. However, the moment you realize that your employees are your biggest asset, you’ll start looking at employee praise and recognition differently.
In addition to positive praise, constructive feedback can motivate employees to improve their performance. If an employee is performing below expectations, providing feedback is vital for motivation and growth. When giving constructive feedback, focus on the employee’s actions and behavior. Avoid giving the employee negative feedback.
Whenever possible, celebrate employee achievements in an unexpected way. Instead of awarding employee of the month, consider recognizing your entire team for exceeding company goals or exceptional sales. This will give your team a boost of morale and make them feel appreciated. This doesn’t mean that you have to host a formal luncheon or a company party. Alternatively, you can celebrate a team’s accomplishments privately.
Now that you understand the what, why, and how, it’s time to start praising your workers – the right way!
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