Employee Recognition Motivates & Drives Performance

Far too often, the demands of the job mean HR professionals don’t focus enough of their attention on the “human” part of “human resources.” It’s important for any business to make sure its employees know that they and their contributions are valued because motivated employees who feel appreciated tend to deliver better performance. Although many businesses have employee recognition programs in place, most of these programs are tenure-based and recognize employees solely for hitting specific employment milestones. This can be an effective way to reward employees who have been loyal to the company and contributed to its success over the long term, but it is much less effective for recognizing the individual instances in which employees have gone above and beyond in their everyday duties.

 

Many HR professionals may want their companies’ employee recognition programs to concentrate more on rewarding employees for the details, but the idea of giving expensive gifts or bonuses on a regular basis is cost-prohibitive. However, the good news is that employee recognition programs don’t have to be expensive to be effective. In fact, there are many ideas HR professionals and their employers can use to effectively recognize employees for their contributions that don’t cost anything.

 

Employee Recognition Can Be Simple

Whether it’s a company trophy that is passed from employee to employee in honor of a job well done; a points system that employees can cash in for special perks; or a simple thank you note left on an employee’s desk, there are a number of ideas businesses can use to recognize their employees without spending a lot. As the following guide illustrates, anything that lets employees know their employers value them and their contributions can be a powerful tool to motivate and empower them. Here are some inexpensive but effective ideas for employee recognition that can help HR professionals put the focus back on the “human” side of their jobs.

 

To learn more about the 20 creative, and affordable ideas you can use for employee recognition, you can view Point Recognition’s slideshow here.

 

Guest blogger Kelly Chesterson is Vice President of Operations for Point Recognition. Chesterson holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Baldwin-Wallace College and is a Certified Engagement Practitioner. She has worked in the reward and recognition industry for more than eight years.