How to show appreciation to your employees.
As reported by the Institut national de santé publique du Québec, several studies have shown that work situations that combine high effort and low recognition represent a risk for mental and cardiovascular health, as well as for musculoskeletal disorders. employees. In addition, it has been shown that a significant lack of recognition is the second cause of stress at work and multiplies by four the risk of experiencing high psychological distress.
With data like this, it's no wonder managers want to adopt new HR strategies to show appreciation to their employees. Do you have to manage a team on a daily basis? Find tips here to show gratitude to your subordinates and thus improve their happiness at work index.
Quebec employees are not recognized for their work
Did you know that young professionals aged 25 to 34 consider this to be the most important factor of well-being at work? All age groups combined, it is considered the third most important factor. However, according to the Order of Chartered Human Resources Advisors, in Quebec, 42% of Quebec employees feel they receive little or no recognition at work. Nationally, an estimated 20% of working Canadians suffer from a stress-related illness, with lack of recognition being the second leading cause of their psychological distress.
The four forms of recognition
To be able to show your appreciation to your employees, you must be able to distinguish its different forms. Here is how the Quebec branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association defines the four forms of recognition:
1. Existential recognition: this form of recognition aims to recognize the individual for what he is in order to contribute to his personal and professional development.
2. Recognition of results at work: this is the recognition of results, performance and the contribution of employees to the achievement of company objectives.
3. Recognition of work practice: this relates to the way employees perform their work, encompassing their behaviors, skills and professional qualities.
4. Recognition of investment in work: this aims to recognize the participation and contribution of employees in terms of efforts made and energy deployed, regardless of the results.
Preferred recognition practices
For an employee to feel recognized at work, they must receive recognition that goes beyond the financial aspect. Here are some ways to express your gratitude to your employees, according to the four forms of recognition.
Existential Recognition
1. Be polite
2. Consult employees on important business decisions
3. Encourage informal conversations outside of work
4. Demonstrate simple, everyday tokens of care
5. Mention the personal successes of employees
6. Offer time off for birthday or other important personal event
7. Foster career development by providing time off for training and education
Recognition of results at work
1. Offer satisfactory wages
2. Offer attractive benefits
3. Pay overtime
4. Offer extra time off to reward effort
5. Do annual performance reviews
6. Grant a bonus or a gift to reward exceptional performance
7. Spontaneously congratulate an employee on their successes
8. Celebrate an employee's birthday
Recognition of work practice
1. Highlight the specific skills of employees
2. Set up a mentoring or information system to enhance the experience of senior employees
3. Offer a promotion fairly
4. Delegate new tasks and responsibilities to an employee who stands out
5. Praise innovative ideas and new working methods developed by employees.
6. Seek the advice and solicit the expertise of highly qualified employees for sensitive business decisions.
Recognition of investment in work
1. Recognize efforts as well as results
2. Highlight an employee's progress
3. Celebrate the departure of an employee and the many years of service
4. Acknowledge ideas and work, even when failing
5. Encourage employees to pick themselves up after failure
Recognition in teleworking mode
Managing your employees remotely has its share of disadvantages, the most notable being the difficulty of communication between employees and social isolation. For effective teleworking, managers must show ingenuity in terms of human resources, to strengthen the collective bond and fuel the motivation of their teams.
Both in the office and remotely, recognition is a determining factor in the well-being of employees. It is possible to put into practice most of the tips listed above, but be aware that some digital tools allow you to recognize the efforts of your collaborators virtually. Fill the gap in face-to-face interaction and show your gratitude to your subordinates with these tips:
1. Establish an official recognition platform
To highlight the efforts of your employees, but also allow them to recognize each other, establish the use of an official recognition platform like Applauz. She will help you create a dynamic and stimulating corporate culture for your teams, remotely.
2. Use virtual thank you letters spontaneously
Congratulate and thank your employees spontaneously with a thank you card platform like Thank You Machine. Playful and fun, these virtual cards will brighten up your employees' working day.
3. Schedule a one-on-one videoconference with each employee
To value each individual in your team, it is important to be available and attentive. To do this, organize virtual individual meetings on a regular basis. These personal exchanges are ideal moments to highlight the efforts, results and contribution of each employee. Do not forget to seek their advice and expertise in order to recognize their skills and work practices.
4. Highlight individual and collective accomplishments during virtual group meetings
During virtual team meetings, plan a moment to highlight the collective efforts and exceptional achievements, but also of each of your employees. You will come not only to motivate each individual, but also to encourage recognition between colleagues. Also be sure to encourage the active participation of each employee. To do this, you can ask your employees to contribute to the development of the agenda and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to speak during the meetings. This will enhance the sense of responsibility and the contribution within the team of each member.
5. Create a space for informal exchanges
The existential recognition of employees is largely done through informal exchanges. To make up for the lack of happy hours and social activities outside the professional context, you can create a virtual coffee break space. To do this, simply schedule a Zoom event in recurring mode and open meeting access before the host. Virtual happy hours are also great ways to foster informal interactions with your employees.
There's another great post on Employee Awards: The Power of Recognition at Work by Al Hartman.








