5 employee recognition strategies that don’t need a massive budget

Employee recognition can boost morale and increase productivity. Try these simple, budget-friendly ideas to show your staff they’re appreciated!

Do you know why some companies fail at employee recognition?

Even though employee recognition is more relevant than ever, there are still organisations that don’t understand the impact recognition has on their bottom line.

They may think bonuses and monthly team lunches are enough to acknowledge the hard work and accomplishments of their staff. So they don’t think about implementing a proper recognition programme.

And then there are also business leaders who believe the process is too difficult to implement. They think it takes a lot of time, effort, and money to set up the whole thing so they end up not doing anything at all.

But the truth is, employee recognition doesn’t have to be complicated. Check out these cost-effective employee recognition ideas to see what we’re talking about.

1. Real-time recognition and feedback

Do you wait until the end of the quarter or the year to show employee appreciation?

You have to understand that recognition works best when it’s frequent. In fact, the least number of times you should praise an employee is at least once a week.

It may seem too much but it’s quite effective in boosting employee engagement. Plus, it’s free, so why not train your managers to dole out praises more often?

2. Personalised experiences

One of the key global trends in rewards and recognition in 2019 has to do with experiences. Activities that bring joy and memories to cherish are becoming more preferable to material gifts, especially for millennial workers.

Now, if you think this means spending on international travel or something similar, you have nothing to worry about. Think cooking classes, cycling, and other experiences that are inexpensive but can be personalised. Of course, you’ll get more out of this if you take the time to survey what your staff really likes.

3. Public employee recognition ideas

Sending employees handwritten notes or calling an employee to your office to say thank you are great. But don’t forget about public recognition ideas such as social media shoutouts, newsletter features, and congratulatory emails.

The fantastic thing about them is they only require a bit of effort to craft. You can also use these as a supplement to monetary and tangible rewards.

4. Peer-to-peer recognition

Recognition from managers is important. But praise from coworkers also has tons of benefits. These include reinforcing positive behaviours, encouraging an attitude of gratitude, and so on.

So how can organisations implement peer-to-peer recognition? There are different ways including using software that allows workers to send their colleagues ‘thank you’ notes or points that can be redeemed as rewards.

It could also be as simple as Friday meetings where everyone talks about what they’re grateful for including their co-workers who make their jobs easier, more fun or purposeful, etc.

5. The right recognition program…

…doesn’t have to cost a lot. But it has to be a good fit for your organisation.

To help you choose the best reward and recognition provider, make sure you’re clear about the goals you want to achieve. Try to see if the provider you’re considering has worked with organisations that are similar to yours and if they’re using the right platform.

Also, don’t forget about how flexible the offered scheme should be. It must be able to scale with you as your business needs grow.