Recognition in the Post-Pandemic Workplace
Sarah Larson
Talent Strategist, Organizational Thought Leadership, Independent Consulting
Why Recognition is Paramount in the Post-Pandemic Workplace
The last couple of years changed everything. As the dust settles on the pandemic, one thing has become clear in the workforce: power has shifted from the corporation to the employee.
And employees have new priorities at work. Employees used to value the things they got at work: salary, benefits, perks like neck massages, and a fully stocked kitchen. Now they place more weight on the feelings they have at work.
This shift has rendered the old employee value proposition nearly obsolete. Now organizations must radically rethink their EVPs, taking into account that employees are people with human needs. Employees are more than a title, a tenure, a skill set, and a resume. They are people with lives, responsibilities, and interests outside of work. And they have human needs. Needs they want to be addressed at work.
The ROAD: Four big human needs
So what human needs do organizations need to address in their EVP? The research is quite conclusive on four big needs:
R.
Recognition - Employees want to be valued for their efforts and achievements. Businesses must recognize them to motivate them to engage, perform and stay.
O.
Options - To answer the workforce’s desire for autonomy, companies must offer employees options and allow them to make choices within boundaries that protect productivity and corporate goals.
A.
Affinity - Workers are feeling the loss of the office as a social hub. They need to reclaim meaningful connections. Organizations need to offer ways to connect with the company, society and the most important people in their lives.
D.
Development - With mental health issues and financial hardship on the rise, employees care about more than just developing their professional skills. They want to develop personal skills to address their whole-person needs. Organizations must invest in developing employees as people, not just professionals.
This is the ROAD: a map to creating employee value based on meeting human needs post pandemic.
In this post, we are going to examine the first need: Recognition. We will explore the dynamics behind the desire, and offer practical ways for organizations to satisfy it.
Behind the need for Recognition
Most of us can agree that the last few years have been fraught with anxiety, burnout, and stress. Morale is at an all-time low. Years of isolation from peers and friends have taken their toll. The chaotic world around us is affecting the population’s mental health.
But even as our way of life came crashing down around us, employees continued working—on Zoom, for hours and hours—to keep the lights on and move their companies forward. It was a lot. And they did it while taking care of children who were stuck at home with them, while missing the birthdays and weddings and funerals of their loved ones.
These employees deserve recognition for the perseverance and commitment they have shown to their workplaces. And they don’t just deserve it—they need it. People want to feel valued by their managers, mentors, and colleagues. This is true from the bottom to the top of the hierarchy. Even as vice president of talent at Atlassian, I craved recognition. I was one of the lucky ones with a manager who took the time to recognize my efforts and wins.
Today, it takes more than a good salary for employees to feel fulfilled in their careers. The future of work starts with showing employees that they are valued NOW. Recognition is a simple way for organizations to demonstrate their investment in and commitment to their employees and inspire them to feel connected, confident and cared about. Recognition reinforces the idea that employees’ individual work matters and cements their feeling of belonging. And increasingly, as a Gallup/Workhuman study found, employees aren’t bothering to stick around at places that don’t offer it.
Companies are underinvesting in recognition
Recognition doesn’t cost much, but it has a huge return on investment. And yet, most workplaces do little to take advantage of this high-ROI tool, according to the Gallup/Workhuman research:
Just 23% of employees strongly agreed that they were satisfied with the amount of recognition they receive.
Some 81% of leaders surveyed said employee recognition isn’t a company priority.
Roughly two-thirds of leaders said they have no budget dedicated to recognition.
Financial performance incentives are great, but they aren’t the only way companies can offer recognition. Less formal initiatives carry more weight than leaders realize. The research shows that there’s a direct correlation between managers’ expressions of gratitude and employees’ performance—and that managers are underinvesting in gestures of appreciation.
This is a mistake.
Recognition has tangible benefits
It’s crystal clear that recognition matters: when your people don't feel valued and appreciated for their contributions, the impact reverberates all the way to your business outcomes. According to Gartner’s 2020 Global Rewards and Recognition Survey, a culture focused on appreciation can see a range of positive business results, such as a 4.1% increase in performance and a 3% increase in engagement. Recognition also fosters increased productivity and efficiency, heightened job satisfaction, higher retention and lower turnover, low rates of burnout, and lower absenteeism.
The way forward on the ROAD: Using recognition to boost your EVP
To counter the effects of the changes, frustrations, and tragedies workers endured during the pandemic, we need to seriously rethink how we appreciate and recognize employees.
When an employee performs well and we attach appreciation to it in the form of recognition, we’re creating powerful motivation to repeat that action. When people know that their efforts are seen, acknowledged, and appreciated, it encourages them to continue to excel. But the sheer length of the pandemic—and the permanent changes it has wrought in the workplace—have thrown a wrench into employers’ go-to methods of recognition. Bringing cupcakes or donuts into the office doesn’t resonate anymore.
Recognition has to come in many shapes and sizes—and at a variety of moments. In addition to the work wins, we have to mark the special occasions, the life milestones, and the demonstrations of key behaviors. And—we need to think beyond the financial when we plan employee appreciation. There is a great deal of research that indicates people are motivated by more than just cold hard cash.
How to recognize employees in the post-pandemic workplace
In the new workplace, companies need to completely overhaul the way they recognize employees. Here are some strategies to get you going:
Put it in their language. You have to recognize people in a way that motivates them—and the best way to do this is to ask them. Says Dr. Ken Matos, director of people science at Culture Amp: “The same action can be recognized for its positive impact on other people or how impressive it is in comparison to others’ accomplishments. The first frame appeals to relationship-centered employees, and the latter will be appreciated by an achievement-oriented employee.”
Make it thoughtful. Bestowing customized gifts, taking them out for dinner, and similar personalized gestures show employees that they are appreciated as individuals.
Make it frequent. Annual recognition isn’t enough. Most organizations make the common mistake of appreciating their workers infrequently or only during specific days, such as work anniversaries or birthdays. But here’s the thing: motivation without consistency isn’t effective. Celebrating your people is no different. You can’t cultivate employee loyalty and commitment by cramming recognition into a single moment.
Involve the MIPs. Who are the most important people in each employee’s life? Find out and involve them. If it’s their spouse and family, send a letter of appreciation home to them so they know what a difference the employee is making at work. Sometimes, an employee’s MIPs are upper management. If so, make sure senior leaders are aware of major accomplishments and engage them in providing recognition to the employee.
Remember that little things can go a long way. Big gestures to recognize major accomplishments are critical, but a simple, handwritten thank-you note can also have a big impact. And it doesn’t have to be limited to managers thanking their employees. In a culture that places a premium on simple gestures of gratitude, peer-to-peer thank-yous can also offer motivation and a feeling of belonging.
Recognize life achievements: At Atlassian, we recognized team members’ personal achievements, from moving to a new apartment to welcoming a new baby. We started to leverage our windows into employees’ personal lives as fodder for recognition. My manager went as far as to deliver champagne to my hotel for my 20th wedding anniversary. That really mattered to me. Now that work has become woven into the fabric of our lives, employers can take opportunities to recognize professional and personal milestones alike.
Equip managers to recognize employees: Recognition is a leadership responsibility and privilege. Set an expectation among people managers that recognition is part of their role and provide them with training and tools to make it easy for them to fulfill this need.
Recognition is one of the six universal human needs. As humans, we need to feel valued, appreciated, needed, special and important. We need to know that we have purpose. Organizations that wish to attract and retain talent have to invest in workplace recognition. Developing a robust culture of Recognition is a great first step on the ROAD to retention and engagement.
Learn more about the other steps on the road: Options, Affinity, and Development.
Learn more about the changes to the workplace and the ROAD to retention and engagement.