Recognition In The Workplace: Does It Really Matter?

In an era of recognition for participation running rampant from the first year of T-ball to retirement, does recognition really matter? Although participation recognition may not really mean anything to individuals, I would say that recognition for a job well done does make a difference. As human beings, we all have a desire to please others. If we are truly honest with ourselves, I think we would realize that the desire to be recognized for pleasing the people around us is more significant. The idea of being recognized for doing a good job is accelerated when we put it into the context of the workplace. The key is to make sure your employees feel valuable.

Make a Big Deal About Employees

Most employees want to do a good job for their employer. However, if that employee puts one hundred percent into providing excellence and never receives acknowledgement, he may not continue to perform at that standard or possibly look for employment elsewhere. William Craig states it perfectly in a Forbes article. In his article, he outlines three main points that support the article. The first idea shared was that employees who are recognized are happy employees. If an employee is happy at work, their happiness tends to bubble over into their personal lives as well. Most of us can’t turn on happiness at five o’clock if we’ve been miserable all day long. As much as one might strive to do that, it is impossible to turn it on and off when you feel miserable and you feel that the job you’re doing doesn’t appear to matter.

It is so important that employees aren’t just recognized for showing up, but they are recognized for the contribution that they bring to the company. It allows them to take personal stock into the company and what it represents. Recognition in the form of acrylic awards, a special treat shared with the workplace that celebrates a job well done by an employee, or even written recognition in the company newsletter or a special memo goes a long way.

Appreciate Employees

A second point that was made in the article was that if employers show their appreciation to their employees, they in return are appreciated. Again, everyone likes being recognized and appreciated for the job that they provide. If you can remember when you were in school, if a teacher praised your work it made you want to do an even better job on the next assignment. My son is taking his first college classes this year and he shared with me recently that he knew his Spanish professor was harder than other professors, but he chose to take his class again because he knew that the professor appreciated his efforts. He then went on to tell me the fact that the professor makes a point to be personable and recognize him whenever he sees him on campus. The fact that the professor recognizes my son as a person, not just a student, has made my son feel valued. We are all human and one thing that we desire is to be appreciated and recognized for our efforts.

Keep Employees

The final point in the article was that recognized employees will not leave a company looking for “greener pastures.” To most people, being happy in the workplace outweighs even higher pay sometimes. If an employee feels appreciated, and they have an opportunity for advancement, they will usually not even think of moving on to another employer. When employers recognize their employees for jobs well done, it makes the employee feel like they are really a part of the core success of the company. Our desire to please gives us a sense of accomplishment and pride that makes us strive even harder to make a difference.

Employee recognition is vital for any company’s success. The goal of employers should be to provide a workplace that shows recognition in the form of plaques, benefits, comp time, or even just a celebration of the employee. This shows every employee in the company that the employer is invested in the employees and recognizes that all employees make the company successful.