June 12, 2023
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December 05, 2024
Our Canadian employees work tirelessly to reach their goals, and many of these goals align with our business. And whether your employee took an online course to develop skills specifically for themselves or on your behalf, it’s nice to be praised for their hard work.
But, that’s when things get a bit muddy, because how exactly are you supposed to show appreciation for your staff after they’ve gained a new qualification? What are the rules for a perfect recognition strategy? And, most of all, why does employee recognition matter anyway?
This article will answer all of these questions, so you can properly praise your employees!
Why Employee Recognition Matters
You want to recognize a Canadian employee who’s recently earned a new qualification, but what’s the point of doing that in the first place? Here are 3 reasons why recognition matters.
1. Recognized Employees are Happy Employees
When we show our employees some love, they’re in a better mood, and it completely brightens up the workplace. Just imagine everyone walking around, all pumped and enthusiastic–that’s the dream, right? Plus, happy employees are 12% more productive than their counterparts.
2. Employees Appreciate Appreciative Leaders
Nothing feels better than knowing the boss has your back and values your hard work. It’s like a big warm hug for professional self-esteem! Not only that, but teams that are recognized by the higher-ups end up trusting their superiors more, and trust is one of the hardest things to earn!
3. Turnover Rates are Low and Stay Low
The secret to keeping amazing people on our team? You guessed it–celebrating achievements! A “thank you” here, a pat on the back there; it does wonders for employee loyalty over time. Even studies show that organizations with the best engagement scores have less turnover!
The Rules for a Recognizing Your Employees
Before implementing a recognition program, you’ll need to understand what meaningful recognition looks like. After all, you can’t just give your employee a gift and call it a day!Here are the 6 characteristics of effective employee recognition:
1. Timely: Offer recognition shortly after the goal is achieved.
2. Specific: Tell your employee why you’re giving them the award.
3. Frequent: Give recognition often for various achievements.
4. Visible: Provide recognition in front of the team and/or CEO.
5. Inclusive: Support peer-to-peer recognition, not just management-to-employee.
6. Values-Based: Ensure the reward supports the company’s vision.
When an employee receives a new qualification, you should tell them within the week why you appreciate their hard work. Be sure to explain exactly why this qualification helps your company reach its goals while also mentioning that it’ll help them reach their personal goals, too.
While not all employees like to receive visible feedback, they still want to hear praise from their managers and peers. Make sure to set up a time for the team to give them a shout-out.
Finally, don’t make this a one-time thing! Frequent recognition builds ongoing motivation and helps your team feel perpetually valued. It also encourages the team to keep doing their best!
10 Great Ways to Recognize Employees in Your Workplace
We know why we should recognize our employees, but what’s the best way to show our appreciation? Here are 10 great ways to acknowledge employee achievements at work.
1. Get Out Prizes at Company-Wide Celebration
One super fun way to celebrate Canadian employees is by having a big ol’ company-wide party! These shindigs bring everyone together and let us cheer on each other’s success. Spice it up with crazy team-building games, and don’t forget to hand out cool prizes and plaques.
For example, you can purchase customized gifts and plaques from Able Recognition and give them out. We gotta show our appreciation for those hard-working folks! Besides, feeling recognized will get them excited for their next big achievements and encourages collaboration.
2. Give Positive Feedback Spontaneously
Let’s not forget how awesome it is to catch people off guard with some genuine praise! When a Canadian employee nails a new qualification, make sure you show your appreciation when they least expect it, maybe during a coffee or lunch break or even in a casual conversation.
Trust us, those little moments of gratitude really make a difference. After all, everyone loves feeling valued, and they’ll be pumped to keep up the good work. Plus, being all supportive and open like that makes for one amazing work atmosphere where everyone wants to do their best!
3. Use a Company Communication Platform
Whether you have a fully remote or in-office team, you can totally spread the love for your recently qualified Canadian employees on your company communication platform! Start by putting the spotlight on their achievements. Then, get everyone in on the celebration.
Just drop a friendly message or post in Slack or Asana, and watch how it fires up the team spirit. It sends a clear sign that good work should be recognized, making others feel inspired to slip into that superhero cape, too. So go ahead, say it loud, and give some virtual high-fives!
4. Offer Shout-Outs at Weekly Meetings
Weekly meetings don’t have to be all about the usual business talk. Not only is that boring, but it can also be demotivating and a major time waster. How about we spice things up a bit by throwing in some shout-outs for your Canadian employees who’ve earned new qualifications?
Just a quick announcement highlighting their accomplishments will do wonders for their motivation. Who wouldn’t love some public recognition from the boss or team? Plus, everyone else gets inspired by those shining examples of greatness, making them eager to level up too.
5. Design Monthly Peer-Nominated Awards
It doesn’t really matter if your employees achieve something great or something small because everyone deserves some kudos every now and then. Here’s a cool idea–get your teams together each month and let everyone nominate their favorite colleagues for an award!
This kind of practice can truly show that we appreciate your teammates’ hard work and success. With that said, it’s important to make sure that everyone gets a highly-specific award so no one feels left out. You can use the Dundie Awards from The Office as an example of sillier awards.
6. Celebrate When Goals are Achieved
You know the feeling when your Canadian team absolutely nails a big goal? Yeah, that’s the perfect time to let those celebrations roll! Let’s make sure everyone who’s gained new qualifications gets some major kudos because it’s their skills that helped your team succeed.
Round up the crew for mini office parties or surprise treats, whatever keeps everyone pumped and shows your appreciation. It’s all about remembering that we’re in this together and enjoying every victory along the way. Plus, this type of praise will maximize productivity in your office!
7. Invite Family Members to Recognition Events
Is it just us, or is it extra special when we involve our employees’ families in recognition events? We spend much of our waking hours at work, and that often means we have to take time away from our families. Inviting them to events is like a thank-you for the sacrifices they make.
Not only that, but it’s pretty heartwarming to see our proud family members celebrating along with your staff. It makes for an amazing atmosphere, knowing everyone’s cheering together. Plus, it sends a message that your company truly values its people beyond the daily grind.
8. Recognize Wins on Social Media
When it comes to recognizing your employee’s achievements, it’s never a good idea to be shy (unless your team member prefers that). That’s why it’s Time to take the celebration online and give ’em a shout-out on social media, whether it’s on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram.
By sharing their wins with everyone, you’re spreading the good vibes far and wide and creating a positive ripple effect. Not only do other employees see that you value your staff, but so do potential applicants. And who wouldn’t want to work for a company that appreciates their staff?
9. Take Advantage of Point-Based Engagement Platforms
Point-based engagement platforms are nifty tools that can show your Canadian employees a fun way to earn rewards online. Basically, they work by allowing team members to dish out points when someone aces a goal or learns a new skill, which they can trade for goodies.
It’ll be like the best grown-up version of a rewards chart, amping up motivation and adding some excitement to the workplace. It also gives employees a choice for what they want to receive, whether that’s an extra day off, a lunch date with the CEO, or a new stationary set for the office.
10. Present Organizational Achievements Publicly
Remember when we were kids, and our parents would hang our best drawings on the fridge door? Let’s do the grown-up version of that by sharing your company’s big achievements and those who helped us get there (like your qualified employees) for everyone to see!
Whether it’s in local newspapers or online press releases, let’s give a standing ovation to those amazing folks and recognize how they’ve contributed to your success. Sharing these milestones with pride will keep the team motivated and committed to reaching even greater heights!
In Conclusion…
So there you have it! Tons of cool ways to recognize those Canadian employees who are rocking new qualifications and why it’s super important for a happy work environment. Now, it’s your turn–step up your recognition game and spread some cheer around the office!
