Employee recognition has a huge impact on workplace culture. It not only affects how employees feel about the business, but also about themselves and others they work with.
Rewarding and recognising employees can help to create a positive bond between an employee and the business, which employees will pay forward into relationships that they establish with colleagues and clients. The result is a more engaged and productive workforce, driven by high morale and positive business values.
The role of a reward and recognition programme
A reward and recognition programme is a versatile way to reinforce positive working practices and behaviours. Whether you are using it to reward performance, or to recognise changes to attitudes or behaviours that are more in line with the business culture, the impact is the same – employees are more engaged.
The level of engagement with the business will determine how much employees are willing to work towards established goals and how motivated they are to go further to achieve more. Reward and recognition programmes work to deliver employee engagement in a number of different ways.
1. Improving how employees feel about themselves
Reward and recognition programmes can be very effective at boosting employee self-esteem. Not only do employees have clear goals to work towards, but there is also a great sense of achievement when those objectives are reached. As humans, we often have a tough time acknowledging our own successes and the progress we make. If there is an infrastructure in place in a working environment to ensure this happens, feeling good on a regular basis becomes part of the business culture.
2. Cementing the way employees feel about the business
It’s difficult to feel loyalty towards a business that doesn’t seem to value its employees, or one that is defined by a toxic working culture that doesn’t recognise progress. Conversely, where there is a positive culture and investment in something like a reward and recognition programme – that regularly identifies achievements and actively engages in employee appreciation – employees will engage. Engagement results in loyalty, as employees care about what happens to the business and whether its goals are achieved.
3. Changing the way employees feel about their own role
For morale to be high, employees need to feel they are making a difference by fulfilling their role – and that their role matters. Introducing a reward and recognition programme provides a way to show that all progress is important, no matter what role someone occupies.
4. Refocusing the way employees feel about their team
If your business is struggling with collaboration and teamwork then this is likely to affect overall productivity and performance. Reward and recognition programmes can be used to establish team goals to encourage a more collaborative mindset and to incentivise people to work together.
Active design bespoke reward and recognition programmes that deliver when it comes to employee engagement. Contact us today to find out more about how to make your workforce more loyal, positive and better engaged.
