Recognition: The ultimate retention tool.

I tend to believe that if you have a positive opinion about someone, it doesn’t mean anything unless it is voiced to them directly.

You need to bring your thoughts to reality. It’s entirely possible that the people you think most highly of are entirely unaware of the way you feel.

By voicing your feelings directly, you pave the way for a stronger relationship.

Over the years I have recognized that employees of all ages and levels enjoy being recognized or praised for their contributions to the company. People don’t typically outgrow the feeling of being told something positive about themselves.

We are only human, we enjoy feeling special or appreciated.

Some of the happiest moments of my career have been when receiving recognition from my employer, my team, or perhaps our company partners. These are moments that I will never forget.

For the rest of my life, I will have the photos or the trophies relating to being recognized for my efforts. It makes all the hard work worth it.

Better than that, my motivation went through the roof after each form of recognition.

The same thing applies to just about anyone. When you take the time to give praise, give credit, or offer recognition to someone else, you only propel them forward and build loyalty along the way.

The impact is immense.

Praising your employees or teammates has incredibly positive results.

When employees feel that their contributions are valued, their work performance will improve in multiple areas. They will also feel more engaged, efficient, and less likely to leave for another company.

In fact, 81.9% of employees would incur a boost in their total engagement due to recognition by their employer.

Overall satisfaction tends to increase incrementally when an employer takes the time to give credit where it is due.

Even top-performing CEOs give credit to their employees for the overall success of the company. As you can imagine, the retention at these companies is significantly higher.

Recognition culture rubs off. When this is exercised from the top down, more members of the company will actively recognize the efforts and contributions of others. Teams will begin to collaborate at faster rates due to an increase in trust in the organization.

Giving praise yields high rewards.

Taking the time to recognize others will offer a major return on investment.

Recognition is cheap and easy. Yet it boosts productivity and buy-in faster than anything else.

It has been proven that appreciation and praise have a higher impact on employees than strictly bonuses and commissions.

If you are curious to try new ways to recognize your team or employees, consider these options:

Employee of the month/quarter/year programs → These programs highlight outstanding employees based on their performance, attitude, or contributions to the company.

Public recognition → Acknowledging employees' achievements in company meetings, newsletters, or on social media can be an effective way to show appreciation.

Personalized gifts → Giving personalized gifts, such as gift cards, trophies, or plaques, can make recognition more meaningful. Tangible or permanent materials make a difference.

Professional development opportunities → Offering opportunities for training, education, or attending conferences can be a way to recognize employees' potential and invest in their future. This shows you want to keep them around.

Time off and flexible work options → Extra vacation days, flexible work schedules, or remote work opportunities can be given as a form of recognition.

Team celebrations → Hosting team lunches, parties, or outings to celebrate accomplishments and foster team spirit. Recognition doesn’t always need to just be for one person.

Career advancement → Promoting employees or providing opportunities for internal mobility to show trust and recognition of their hard work and potential.

A kudos chat → Utilize a messaging avenue to publicly praise team members. This is a fast and interactive form to display accomplishments on a daily basis.

It takes little to no effort to perform these tasks. And yet, so few companies utilize these various forms of recognition. Employees do not want to put forth their time, energy, and talents to someone who does not appreciate them.

Start the trend internally.

You don’t need to be in a management role to start this. You can easily call, text, or email somebody and give them praise. They don’t need to accomplish something to deserve it. Rather, let them know how highly you think of them. You’ll not only make someone’s day but you may be surprised to receive their positive feedback as well.

If you have the ability, get creative with ways to praise others. Set aside a budget to reward others for their dedication. It can be as simple as filling up their gas tank, paying for a haircut, a gift card for groceries, etc.

Building a culture of recognition takes time, but the input is fairly easy. The output may propel your company or team beyond your expectations.