The coronavirus pandemic has caused many people to revaluate what they want out of life. Both personal and professional goals have been rigorously reassessed.
Some sectors have been affected more than others. For instance, many early years workers abandoned their positions, citing low pay and feeling undervalued in their roles. Other industries have undoubtedly been affected as well, especially in hospitality and healthcare.
If you’re leading a business, then it’s vital that your employees feel valued in their work. After all, currently, there is a period of economic uncertainty, and the timing could not be worse for having key vacancies to fill.
You may be unsure as to how to boost staff recognition in your firm. Below you’ll find a few strategies that should help you in this situation.
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Provide Coaching and Mentoring
It’s possible to intensify personal bonds in a workplace context. There doesn’t need to be a stark division between personal and professional interactions at all.
For instance, you could recommend that senior colleagues gain an ILM Level 5 Coaching and Mentoring certificate from BCF Group, which provides a range of short courses to help them gain extra key coaching skills. That way, they’ll be in a position to guide others in the business and feel more responsibility and dedication to the company culture they’re helping to curate. You could also look into an ILM Level 5 coaching certificate yourself and use the skills you learn to show that you’re invested in your staff’s well-being and prospects.
Much can be learned under these schemes. Communication skills will be enhanced, and you can learn how to structure training to its most optimum effect. All the courses are accredited here, too, meaning you can trust in these teachings fully.
Build better business relationships at the earliest opportunity. Employees need to know that they’re being looked after and that they’re trusted to look after others too. Mentoring is a great way to establish strong company ties, build loyalty, and keep staff turnover low as well, so investing in these initiatives will give you a strong foundation to staff recognition from which you can build.
Give a Shoutout
Some business bosses refrain from offering positive feedback. They think that a good performance is merely part of a job description and that a true professional should look for more than pats on the back.
However, studies show that many employees are leaving positions solely because little feedback is offered to them. Ultimately, it costs nothing to issue some praise, and even acknowledging that workers are carrying out simpler tasks lets them know that you notice and appreciate them.
Shoutouts here can work wonders. You can drop a line in an email or work chat channel or stop by their desk to offer a polite compliment on your employee’s work. Meetings can also be a good setting for these bouts of recognition, as the shoutouts can build a sense of unity and teamwork.
Know that if you’re offering shoutouts, others in your business may feel inclined to do the same. Never underestimate your influence. From here, you could build a culture of support and positivity. That energy could work wonders for your firm in the long run.
Implement Flexible Working
Flexible working was mandatory for many workplaces during all the pandemic lockdowns. However, while some firms retained these measures, others returned to business as usual at the earliest opportunity.
It’s important not to be dismissive of any requests for flexible working. Remember that employees have a legal right to request working from home and that their application to do so should always be analyzed closely without assumptions automatically being made. Weigh the pros and cons seriously here,
Flexible working enables workers to have a say both when and where they work. So long as they produce results, the logistics here shouldn’t matter too much. Play an active role in helping your employees play to their strengths. After that, they’ll see that you’re willing to set them up for greater success, and they’ll feel a greater sense of recognition for your effort.
Hire Internally
When senior positions open up in your business, there can be a temptation to hire externally. You may wish to attract candidates who have insurmountable experience in that position, or a similar one, already.
However, when it comes to boosting staff recognition efforts, promoting hardworking and longstanding employees will be a far more effective strategy. While it may take some time for them to adjust to the role, there are more pros here than cons. The promoted employee will feel appreciated, and they may work harder, wanting to justify your belief in them.
External hires may also draw resentment. Workers who are deserving of promotion will understandably wonder how they failed to further their careers.
It’s not just about the employee you promote either. Their colleagues will be able to witness the advancement and have renewed faith in their potential as well. Ultimately, if nobody ascends the career ladder, everyone in your business will interpret their job as a dead-end role, and feelings of recognition will dwindle thereafter. Employees need to see things moving forward, so hire internally where possible.
Offer Extra Holiday
It might be important for you to keep workers busy for as long as possible. However, if they start to become burned out, the results they produce for you will be lackluster at best.
Some firms have offered employees extra leave days under certain conditions. For instance, workers who went on holidays without flying were rewarded more holiday days. Under this type of measure, you can recognize your staff’s need for rest and any eco-friendly standards they wish to implement in their lives.
Remember that even one or two days can make a big difference. People are keener than ever to spend time with their families, and the discussions around mental well-being have become more prominent too. There’s no place in the modern workforce for brutal schedules anymore, so applying some breaks here is a great way to demonstrate your recognition for your staff.
Organise Monthly Competitions
Feelings of recognition can be a little more potent when they’re regularly earned. To meet that end, stoking some friendly departmental or team-based rivalries in the business could be prudent.
Review the performance metrics of your workers and offer incentives for them to outperform each other. You could base your judgments on sales made, positive client feedback received, or by making the fewest errors.
None of the rewards on offer here should be too grand or life-changing, as you might risk people genuinely turning on each other. Recognition should be a positive thing and not something that can turn sour quickly. Vouchers, treats, tickets, or leaving the premises and signing off a few minutes earlier are an appropriate level of reward here.
It might be worth running a survey beforehand to see what your workers respond to best. What would they like to compete in and for? If you can tap into this, they may be more compelled to participate and put their best foot forward.
Conclusion
Staff recognition is a vital part of your firm’s infrastructure. Without it, your employees will never fully invest themselves in their roles. They may even look for others if they feel like they’ll be better appreciated elsewhere. Every year, workers set higher standards for what type of treatment they expect from their workplace. Therefore, you must start asking what you can do for them instead of solely focusing on what they can do for you.
