Work Wonders
Back in late 2021, we decided that instead of chatting to each other about the challenges and triumphs of people management in small businesses, we should invite you to join the conversation. And the Work Wonders podcast was born! Managing people is serious business. We bring you all the latest, practical advice without the pain. The podcast is brought to you by Aster HR https://www.asterhr.com.au/ and your hosts are Angela Gauci and Susan Rochester
Work Wonders
Building a Culture of Recognition and the impact on engagement
In today's episode we’re exploring a crucial aspect of workplace culture—building a culture of recognition.
Recognition is more than just a pat on the back—it’s a key driver of employee satisfaction and engagement. Whether you’re a leader, an HR professional, or someone passionate about creating a positive workplace, this episode is packed with insights to help you understand the power of recognition.
We’ll cover:
- benefits of recognition
- how it impacts employee morale and retention
- explore different types of recognition programs
- offer tips on how to integrate recognition into your daily operations
You can find the show notes for this episode here
Would you like to submit a question to the show? Let us know on our website or via LinkedIn.
Brought to you by Aster HR, the Work Wonders Podcast is hosted by Angela Gauci & Susan Rochester and is recorded at Launch Pad at Western Sydney University.
All information or advice included in this podcast is general, has been developed as a starting point for your business, and should be tailored to your specific requirements. It should not be considered legal advice. We have made every attempt to ensure the accuracy and currency of this information at the time of recording. However, references to things like employment laws are subject to change. For specific advice relating to your business, please get in touch with us.
Welcome to the Work Wonders podcast brought to you by Asta HR, where we simplify the human side of business.
Speaker 2:I'm Angela and I'm Susan, let's dive into today's episode and find out what you've been wondering about.
Speaker 1:In today's episode, we're exploring the crucial aspect of building a culture of recognition in your workplace. We'll dive into why recognition is so important and build on what we've talked about previously around employee morale and retention. We'll share practical strategies with you, too, about how to implement these things in your business.
Speaker 2:That's right. Recognition is more than just a pat on the back. In fact, it's a key driver of employee satisfaction and engagement. So, whether you're a leader or an HR professional, or you're just interested in creating a positive workplace, this is the episode for you.
Speaker 1:You're right, susan. We're going to cover off, obviously, the benefits of recognition and explore different types of programs that you might be interested in starting in your business or implementing, and offer you tips on how to integrate that into your daily operations. So let's get started. This is the Work Wonders podcast. Hi Susan, hi Angela, if I haven't told you lately, susan, you are doing a wonderful job.
Speaker 2:Oh, thank you. Thank you for that recognition, and so are you.
Speaker 1:Oh, thank you. Well see, that's what we're talking about today. Recognition is about acknowledging and appreciating the contributions and efforts of all employees. It's a really powerful tool. You see, I threw that to you on the fly, but it did make you feel something, I'm sure. Oh, it did Boosted my morale and it's yeah, it's really powerful. It's not only going to do that, but it reinforces the behaviours that I do want, or any business leader would want, and that you want to see more of.
Speaker 2:And when you think about it, it's obvious, isn't it? Yeah, I mean, it really fulfils our fundamental human needs the needs of belonging, feeling like we're valued, and also even self-actualisation, if we remember Maslow's hierarchy. Yeah, so when employees feel recognised, they're more likely to feel valued and motivated to continue contributing, doing what they're doing at a high level. That's what we want.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:And that regular recognition is going to keep them more engaged and productive. So, whether we admit it or not, we all want to be seen.
Speaker 1:Yes, so it's not just about making employees feel good. Recognition has a direct impact on morale, as you said, and also productivity. So, when you think, when employees know that their hard work is noticed, keyword, noticed and appreciated, it's going to create that positive work environment that we're all looking for that just sort of drives them to do more and do it more, and do it more and improve their performance even.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and in fact there's companies, often in the tech sector. We take, for example, adobe and LinkedIn. They each have very strong recognition cultures and that's led them to have better teamwork and collaboration, and the employees in that environment are more likely to be positive towards each other and supporting each other as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, true, okay. So we know now what we're talking about this recognition piece. So recognising an employee's achievements or what they're doing is one of the most effective ways to retain someone in a job. When an employee feels valued, they're less likely to go hunting for something else.
Speaker 2:Simple common sense, but there's research that backs it up. I seem to be the one who's always talking about the research. It could be something to do with my background. Consistently, research shows that recognition is a key factor in reducing turnover. In fact, there's a 2022 survey by OC Tanner that found that companies with strong recognition programs have a 31% lower voluntary turnover rate. So just to put that in perspective, imagine if your turnover rate was reduced by 30%.
Speaker 1:Yes, a third fewer people. That's interesting, okay. So, as we said at the top, there are different types of recognition programs that you could use. So there's formal ones like Employee of the Month Awards, or annual sort of meetings or ceremonies. If you like to reward people on particular things, maybe how they meet your values, or something like that you could provide really structured opportunities to celebrate those things. Those sort of programs help you to set it in stone with. This is the way we are here. This is our culture. We always talk about this every year, or we're always talking about our values, or whatever it may be. It's sort of institutionalised it is, isn't it?
Speaker 2:On the other hand, informal recognition is just as important, and that can be spontaneous praise during a meeting, something like I just did Exactly Very spontaneous. I wasn't expecting it, you know. It might be a thank you note, or it might be peer-to-peer recognition.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:So the key is really to make that timely and meaningful, so it feels genuine.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And also so that it's directly linked to the employee's efforts and that it's not just another task.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:So don't make it into the sort of thing. Well, you know you have to recognise three employee efforts a week or something like that. It is also built into the performance reviews. Normally, if you're doing performance appraisals, that's a point where you're going to recognise the employee's efforts. However, you can't just rely on that.
Speaker 1:No, you're right and it has to be authentic because we come back to that thought of people know when you're not being genuine.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 1:And so it's actually probably not worthwhile if you're not going to be genuine and be sort of you know, like you said, task-oriented and going thank you. I was just thinking that there you go, thanks for that. I'm saying thank you, are you hearing me? Yeah?
Speaker 2:that's right. Thank you for this month, that's right. Yes, not as effective that that should do you for the next 28 days I'll see you in four weeks. Um so how can you build a culture of recognition into your organization, angela?
Speaker 1:okay. Well, one effective strategy is to integrate just recognition into daily operations, make it natural. You know, leaders should be empowered to think about just making it part of the way that they lead their team, the way that they're a manager. So thinking about things like a weekly shout out or a nice kind email to someone, or just saying on the way past.
Speaker 1:You know, I noticed that you did this this week and that was really great, or it might be something like in a team meeting. Hey, I just want to acknowledge so-and-so had a key project to deliver by Friday and they did that on time. That was wonderful. So it could be in a team environment, it could be individual, but about trying to think about it in a really matter-of-fact, natural sort of of way.
Speaker 2:I'm just thinking. You said matter-of-fact, natural sort of way. Yeah, it's not going to come as naturally to some people as others, is it?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I just think of people I've come across in my consulting and coaching where it's like, well, yeah, the job's done, that's good consulting and coaching where it's like well, yeah, the job's done, that's good, let's move on. You know we've all got a lot to do and I think probably we're talking to small business owners who don't give themselves enough recognition either. Oh, that's an interesting one. How often do you stop and go, hmm?
Speaker 2:well done, you know even you've won that big contract, but then you're suddenly in a spin about how you're going to deliver on it. You know, rather than taking that break to go, hey, good, but I'm also thinking, you know, if we've got managers working for us who might be struggling with giving genuine, timely feedback, you know you can help them by coaching them and encouraging them with that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. Running a business is hard work, and staying on top of HR compliance can feel overwhelming, especially with the multiple changes to employment legislation in recent years. Are your contracts, policies and practices still compliant? Are your staff engaged and performing at their best At as to HR, we make HR simple. A HR health check is designed to give you peace of mind. Spend an hour with one of our expert consultants to guide you through our tailored checklist reviewing your compliance with the latest employment laws and get a better understanding of your culture. After the check, you'll receive a detailed report with prioritised recommendations helping you stay ahead of any potential risks or penalties. Book your HR health check with us today via our website, astahrcomau, and let us help you navigate the evolving landscape of HR. For now, it's back to the episode.
Speaker 2:So there's also technology that can help with recognition. So there's various platforms that are designed to facilitate recognition and making it easier for managers and also for peers to recognise each other. Frequently, While that's great, I have worked with organisations where it's become a bit of an intrusion or another task or something as well. So just a word of caution about making sure that that's used properly. People are trained into how to use it and how you're expecting it to be used in your organisation.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it might work well for hybrid teams or remote teams as well. But yeah, it can't be that in-person sort of, Because it's important to tailor recognition to the individual.
Speaker 1:As I said at the start, there's some people that prefer or have a preference to a financial, or they think that tells them they're doing a good job if they get paid more or there's some sort of bonus incentive. Others it's not that. It's more intrinsic. I want to know that you care about me and you value me as part of the team, and a leader's job is knowing that and the differences within their team and what a person needs to feel valued. Some might really appreciate that sort of public validation in a team meeting or something like that. Others might be too scared by that and prefer something more personal, you know.
Speaker 1:Exactly Individual one yeah, it might not be a financial bonus, it might be a gift card or say taking some time off work, or you know. Yeah, there's lots of different ways to do it, but thinking about it for the individual, yeah, that whole individual thing is so important.
Speaker 2:I'm just thinking how you know you can go off to a leadership training program or whatever and be told, oh, you need to do this. Wouldn't that be nice? Put everyone on commission. I once worked on a sales team where that was going to happen with the people on the sales. You know, myself and my colleagues said no, we'd rather you didn't, because what we love about how we work is the collaboration between us.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And we don't want that turned into competition.
Speaker 1:No, yeah, that's a really interesting thought, isn't it yeah?
Speaker 2:So you know different types of recognition are going to resonate with your team members differently. It's not one size fits all. It needs to be personalised so that it can actually have an impact.
Speaker 1:Creating a culture of recognition in your organisation is important. So that's about just being part of the way you do things around here. It's embedded in your values and all of that sort of thing. It's where everybody not just one person, not just one team, but everybody's encouraged to recognise what's been going on, whether it's peer-to-peer recognition, not just your managers, I mean. Peer-to-peer recognition is really powerful too. It reinforces, as you said there, that collaborative and supportive sort of team dynamic. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2:And celebrating milestones and achievements as the team is another great way to build that camaraderie and that positive behaviours. So it might be where you've delivered a project on time or you're celebrating a work anniversary, someone who's been there for however many years. It might also be acknowledging personal achievements, the point being that consistent recognition practices are going to help create a cohesive and motivated workforce.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it needs to be genuine and authentic and it needs to be individualised for that person.
Speaker 2:And, at the same time, it needs to be consistent.
Speaker 1:Consistent, yeah. So you know, we're not expecting too much, but if it is part of your culture and your values, of what you're all about then you're going to want to do it anyway.
Speaker 2:Well, that's right, and it's going to require you understanding your employees, so you're going to have to talk to them Dare.
Speaker 1:we say that yeah, okay, so we've offered to you that we. You know what's the importance of recognition. Why are we banging on about this? We've talked about the role of it in your team and also given you some strategies there to take away. So hopefully you found that that's a helpful discussion and something that you can take away today, and even some ideas of the different practical strategies, of ways that you can implement this. Maybe something rang true for what would work for your teams.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we encourage you to take a close look at your current recognition practices, whether you have them or not, and think about how you could improve or expand them. So implementing some of the strategies we discussed today could make a significant difference in creating a positive, engaged and loyal workforce.
Speaker 1:So thank you for joining us today as we continue to talk about engagement and retention. We hope that you found this helpful. Please, all the normal things. Please hit subscribe, leave us a review and tell someone about our podcast, and specifically this season, if you think it will help them as well. We'd love more people to hear what we've got to offer.
Speaker 2:And don't forget to tune in next time when we're going to be discussing how hybrid and remote work is impacting engagement and retention. Interesting.
Speaker 1:So take care and keep recognising the amazing work that you and your team are doing. Thanks for listening to the work wonders podcast brought to you by astor hr. Hit the subscribe button now to never miss an episode, and if you'd like to continue the conversation with us, you can find us over at astorhrcom. See you in the next episode.
