The Best Ways to Recognize your Employees - Friday, December 05 2008
I read all the time about praise playing an important role in keeping employees motivated. It is a cheap, effective way to increase productivity and job satisfaction. Yet I also often hear statistics cited about how little praise employees are actually receiving from their bosses. In an article for Gallup Managing Journal, Tom Rath presents some interesting research results from different sources about the impact that the right type of praise can have on employees’ productivity levels and what that right type of praise is. These results, along with some useful advice on the right way to offer praise, should be enough to motivate managers to make use of this simple but effective motivational tool in their leadership style.
According to Gallup, regular praise of the right type can lead to:
decreased turnover
increased employee interaction
fewer work-related accidents
increased customer loyalty and satisfaction
increased overall productivity
The right type of praise must have three characteristics:
it must be individualized
it must be specific
and
it must be deserved.
Praise is most effective when it is offered for something in particular that an employee has done that impressed you, not just as a general thank-you for “good behaviour” or to motivate an employee who has not yet had a turn in the spotlight. Proper praise cannot just be given as a regular employee appreciation program like having an “Employee of the Month.”
It should not have the appearance that employees are taking turns at being recognized. Real praise is given based on the preferences and accomplishments of individual employees, not at the convenience of the management. And how do you know what each employee’s preference is? Simple, according to Gallup—you ask. Rath suggests asking questions like:
By what name do you like to be called?
What are you hobbies or interests?
What increases your positive emotions most?
From whom do you most like to receive praise?
Do you like your praise to be public or private? Written or verbal? Any other type of recognition?
What type of recognition motivates you most? Winning a title in a competition or challenge, gift certificates, a meaningful note, a certificate, something else?
What is the greatest recognition you ever received?
When it comes to giving praise, if you go beyond a simple “Well done!” whenever possible, it will make the action much more meaningful for your employee and positively reinforce whatever behaviour generated the praise in the first place. It only takes a little effort to properly recognize your employees for a job well done, and the results and benefits in employee motivation and for your company overall will repay your efforts tenfold.
