3 min readDon’t underestimate the power of recognition. A survey from LinkedIn revealed that the single largest contributor to an overall sense of belonging at work is recognition for accomplishments.
A sense of belonging plays a critical role in everything from job performance to retention, which means managers should make a habit of acknowledging staff achievements. In fact, when it comes to employee recognition, more is more. According to Gallup, employees who strongly agree that they’ve received “meaningful feedback” in the past week are almost four times more likely than other employees to be engaged. The reverse is also true: 54% of employees who quit their jobs in the last year did so because they felt undervalued, a symptom of poor feedback structures.
The solution is to make feedback and recognition part of the normal routine at your company. Not only will it help employees feel appreciated, it will also support morale and a sense of belonging that boosts retention.
Companies that score in the top 20% for building a recognition-rich culture have 31% lower voluntary turnover rates, according to research from Josh Bersin.
Show Employees That Their Work Is Appreciated
Here are ways you can empower managers to show appreciation to employees.
Make recognition a daily practice. For instance, use the first few minutes of a team meeting to thank someone or give them a shout-out. The more specific the compliment, the better.
Link moments of gratitude to your company values and impact on business. Help employees connect their good work to your values and mission. Make it clear why an employee is being recognized and explain the impact of the actions on the business.
Show appreciation in real time. If a manager sees an employee go above and beyond, they should show their gratitude immediately. It only takes a moment to shoot off a Slack message or give someone a shoutout in a meeting, and their employee will cherish that recognition.
Say "thank you" in a way that's tailored to the individual. Find out what motivates the employee in focus, and then recognize them in a way that's specific to them.
Don't feel limited to an "Employee of the Month" award. Say thanks in a variety of ways, public and private. Send an email, encourage peer-to-peer appreciation, or share a note of gratitude in your company's communication apps. The point is that recognition can happen any time—and it's even more special when employees aren't expecting it!
Help Employees Discover a Sense of Belonging
It’s human nature to crave recognition. If you make it part of your company culture to acknowledge employee achievements on a regular basis, you can set a foundation for connection and belonging that will help your entire company.
But that’s not the only thing you can do to promote a sense of belonging at your organization.
You can also create a space for your employees to connect with each other outside of work, a space where they can go to build on the feelings of community and satisfaction that job recognition will bring.
Wisq is an employee experience platform where colleagues can share who they are outside of work using curated feeds, drop-in voice chats, and more. Your employees will be able to make new friends, deepen existing relationships, and find mentors and support groups, which can lead to a happier and more engaged workforce overall.