You’re already familiar with some of the most common criticisms of unsuccessful employee recognition programs. One-size-fits-all approaches, lack of transparency, and overlooking a company’s core values, for instance. These all prevent programs from becoming the cultural phenomenon they have the potential to be.
But the challenges become more distinct when we see them from an employee’s perspective. When does an incentive become less motivating? Who do employees want praise from, and what feels most rewarding?
If you’ve implemented all of the usual advice but are still pursuing higher engagement rates and satisfaction scores, keep reading. Here’s what’s missing from some employee recognition programs.
Challenges with employee rewards, recognition, and incentive programs
This is what we observe when we put some recognition programs under a magnifying glass.
Employees already know what to expect from rewards
Dare we say, they’re even a bit bored by it? They do The Good Thing a certain number of times in exchange for a gift card. We know recognition can’t be one-size-fits-all, but let rewards get away with it.
As we’ll explore in a minute, rotating rewards of varying magnitude feels more organic and proportional. Like recognition, rewards are personalized to their preferences, so they have more meaning.
Employees aren’t buying what you’re selling
We talk a lot about the importance of leadership buy-in and personalization for program success. If managers and other leaders are meeting quotas and using a preference or two to choreograph recognition, it still won’t stick in the hearts and minds of employees.
Rote recognition doesn’t feel sincere, even when you deliver it the way the survey said you should. It hurts trust and has little impact on morale. Different causes and circumstances alter what effective recognition looks like.
Incentive programs are short on recognition
As far as employee incentive, gifts and cash alone won’t yield the biggest benefits. Dangling a carrot to turbocharge performance has its merits. But it’s much more effective when an employee feels a sense of purpose and belonging.
Employee incentive programs should complement–or rather, be baked into–recognition programs. Making it part of a supportive, positive culture boosts participation.
Employees are waiting around for management to recognize them
Frequent, genuine recognition from higher-ups is hard to come by in many workplace settings. To truly capitalize on a recognition program, include ways for coworkers to recognize one another. This type of recognition:
- Promotes inclusivity
- Strengthens teams
- Reduces managerial blind spots
- Feels authentic
Read more about how peer recognition works wonders.
What’s missing from employee recognition programs?
Here’s how to knock out a whole handful of challenges with just two special ingredients.
Meaningful employee reward ideas that make people feel truly seen
Let’s look at a few occasions where an employee might earn a reward:
- Keeping team morale high during stressful moments
- Completing 10 years of service at a company
- Doing extra work to help the company meet a goal
- Coming up with a new solution to a problem
- Pitching in to cover for a coworker during a difficult time
- Using feedback to make substantial performance improvements
How many rewards do you have in your rotation to cover all of these instances? Do those rewards positively reinforce that employee’s specific actions and behaviors?
For example, take someone who has done extra work to help others or improve their own standing. They might appreciate some flexibility or easing of duties for a short time. People innovating solutions may want additional resources and career development opportunities as a reward.
Tailoring a reward to an employee means tailoring it to the occasion, too. It imbues the reward with more meaning. I got the morning off because I went above and beyond to meet that deadline. I got sent to that conference because the company values my perspective.
💡Add even more meaning: Use the five languages of appreciation to make rewards hyper-relevant to the employee and situation.
FUN employee recognition software that promotes positivity as a habit
Recognition frequency suffers when it’s not integrated into workflows. The natural point of resistance there is, Oh. Another thing added to my workflow. Lightweight tools that add elements of gamification bust up resistance and make peer recognition second nature.
Gamification works because it satisfies two desires employees have:
- A way to directly impact their progress (the action that spurs progress)
- A way to visualize and measure that progress (such as by ascending levels)
These two factors add up to engagement–working in earnest toward a goal and being invested in the progress toward meeting it. But to make this a long-lasting, dynamic, and meaningful strategy:
- The actions are linked to positive sentiments and values
- We ritualize the actions, making it part of the team’s language
💡See how it’s done: Learn how real companies use gamified peer recognition software to create team-strengthening rituals, meaningful rewards, and genuine recognition.
Meaningful ways to reward employees
- Charitable donations, care packages, vacation funds, and company swag. Remote workers and asynchronous teams love this list.
- New employees get right on board with a culture of recognition with welcoming rewards.
- Everything from team game night to house cleaning can be found on our list of the most meaningful rewards.
Software for the best employee recognition programs
- These platforms aim to increase engagement. Some through recognition, better onboarding, or focused feedback.
- Tech teams and startups can choose from these tools to help foster a more positive culture and stronger collaboration on the fly.
HeyTaco is the whole enchilada
It turns out that the missing ingredient all along was a taco. 🌮
HeyTaco doesn’t just reveal the problem with a lot of employee recognition programs; it solves it. Lightweight, seamless integration, gamification, values that mean something to employees, and custom rewards that matter.
Start a recognition revolution at your company with a free trial.
Employee recognition programs FAQ
Is an employee rewards system the same as a recognition program?
No, but employee rewards programs are a type of recognition. Employees are given rewards for meeting performance, milestone, or behavior-associated goals.
Recognition programs encompass much more. The gratitude we give for a small act, the celebration we have for a work anniversary, or the thank-you note we write for their support during a stressful time. None of these are “rewards”; we are recognizing their efforts.
What are some creative recognition ideas for staff?
Some unique ideas for recognition include taking a tough task off someone’s plate or inviting them to discuss their professional development at lunch with a leader. Or, try making a creative display dedicated to them on an employee recognition wall.
How do you create recognition programs for employees?
Identifying the goals of a program, getting leadership on board, and establishing multiple ways and types of recognition is a good start. It’s also good to survey employees to see how they like to be recognized and what they think is currently missing.
