Employee Recognition Ideas Employers Can Use Right Now

Looking for ways to reduce turnover and increase employee satisfaction? Our HCM partner isolved offers these creative employee recognition ideas employers can use to boost morale and create a culture their staff will appreciate.

Being good at employee recognition is great for your bottom line. Consider the following:

What employees are more likely to stick with your company? The ones who work tirelessly without ever hearing a word of positive feedback? Or the ones who feel valued and seen because their efforts are rewarded? The answer is, obviously, the latter. Companies who practice employee recognition on a regular basis see a much lower turnover rate than those who do not. Appreciation yields loyalty and loyalty creates a rock-solid team.

Maybe you’ve already recognized the value of employee recognition and you’re regularly singing the praises of your hard-workers or handing out a gift card or two when someone goes the extra mile. And that’s fantastic. But if you don’t consider getting creative with your methods of employee recognition, the impact on your team may diminish over time. Switch things up by introducing new ways to recognize your best workers with a few of the ideas below.

6 Ideas for Employee Recognition

1. Coworker Appreciation

One great way to expand your employee recognition options is to allow your employees to recognize each other. Give them a forum to shout out something awesome they’ve seen another employee do – whether that be during a team meeting, in a company memo or on an office message board. Encouraging employees to recognize the best in each other will not only help them become a more cohesive team but will contribute to a positive work environment. isolved makes it easy for employees to connect with one another and offer praise when their coworkers are excelling.

2. Points Systems

Everybody loves a prize and maybe you’ve already been giving out small prizes here and there but consider letting your employees work towards a larger reward – maybe a fun basket of items, a spa day or tickets to a local sporting event. Use a points system that awards points for various actions during a set period of time. At the end of the allotted time period, tally the points and announce your winner. (When you use isolved, you don’t even have to track the points yourself. It’s done automatically!)

3. Employee Shout-Outs on Social Media

Recognizing employees within the office is great for morale but amplifying that acknowledgment on social media could be even more impactful. Share your team’s accomplishments on your company social media platforms so that your employees can share their success with their friends and family. This will also help build your employment brand and attract talented candidates for open positions as they see the positive environment you’ve created within your company.

4. Unique Outings

Who says employee recognition can only be done in the office? Why not consider rewarding your employees with a random act of fun. Treat them to an outing to a local restaurant, bowling alley, or sporting event. Look for unique events happening in your area and use them as an opportunity to show your team that you appreciate all their hard work. It will give them something to look forward to and work towards.

5. Suggestion Forum

If you really want to know what kind of rewards would motivate your team, ask them. Set up a suggestion forum where employees can contribute ideas. Be specific in what you’re asking for, so that employees know of any monetary or time limits involved and pick a suggestion from the bunch.

6. Employee Recognition for More Than Just Work

Another great way to mix up your employee recognition methods is to recognize people for more than just their work habits. The largest portion of your day is spent at work, but don’t forget about the lives people lead when they leave the office. When someone experiences a milestone, either in their family, their passion projects or their personal fitness, give them a shout out at the office so that everyone can celebrate a win together. This shows your employees that you have taken the time to really get to know them and that you value them as people, not just employees.

Ultimately, your methods of employee recognition need to be about one thing: What makes your team feel valued? Think about the impact your reward system has on the individuals as well as the team and don’t be afraid to mix it up a little. Your company culture will benefit from the infusion of creativity and enthusiasm and will motivate your employees to do their best work. isolved also helps you create an employee recognition program that’s easy to monitor and use.

Request a free demo today to see how isolved helps companies with issues like this and much, much more.