How important is it to regularly and consistently recognize and encourage your employees?
The statistics tell us it’s extremely important and we all know the numbers don’t have an agenda here. The good news is that employee engagement seems to be on the rise in the US, as companies begin to take more seriously the need to regularly appreciate and reward their employees. If we look at sources like Forbes.com, Gallup polls, and articles, and the Harvard Business review-- the numbers all say the same things: employee recognition affects your bottom line and companies who don’t put a high priority on employee recognition are going to miss out on the benefits to job performance, job satisfaction, and recruitment/retention.
Job Performance:
An employee who feels that he or she is a valued member of the team is far more motivated to put the team’s success ahead of their own individual needs and preferences. This “team player” spirit does wonders for the efficiency and quality performance of the organization as a whole, as the infectious spirit of engagement spreads throughout the workforce. An under-valued employee takes less interest in his or her quality of work and is simply going through the motions for a paycheck.
Job Satisfaction:
Why do you care about your employee’s job satisfaction? Because it rolls back into the previous point above. Increased job satisfaction contributes to increased job performance. Happy, contented employees are safer, more efficient, more creative and proactive, and less likely to look for greener pasture elsewhere. According to the Harvard Business Review a happy workforce can raise sales by 37%, productivity by 31%, and accuracy on tasks by 19%.
Recruitment and Retention:
If nothing else, you have to at least realize that employee recognition is necessary to stay competitive in your field. Employees today have come to expect that a healthy working relationship with management includes some level of positive reinforcement, and so they should. If you do not have systems in place to ensure that this happens for your people, you will quickly begin to see an impact on your retention and recruitment numbers. Forbes.com discusses the fact that employers who show genuine appreciation for their employees get a vote of confidence from nearly 90% of their employees, versus less than 50% for employers who rarely showed appreciation.
But don’t worry! That’s why we’re here! At CA Short, our mission is to bring companies into the 21st Century with technology and support systems that make it possible, and even easy, to create and maintain a robust and effective employee recognition program. If you don’t currently have one in place, if the one you’re using now is no longer working well for you, or if you just want to explore the options that are available to you, Contact Us today! Our Certified Recognition Professionals are ready and waiting.
