How To Create A Culture Of Recognition And Appreciation

Employee recognition and appreciation of their work are critical to a healthy workforce. If you want some evidence, just check out the report from Workhuman and Gallup .

To give you a quick summary, their report shows that when recognition works, employees are:

• 73% less likely to “always” or “very often” feel burned out

• 56% less likely to be looking or watching for job opportunities

• 44% more likely to be “thriving” in their life overall

• 5x as likely to feel connected to their culture

• 4x as likely to be engaged

• 5x as like to see a path to grow at their organisation

• 4x as likely to recommend their organisation to friends and family

However, for some, the act of gratitude is actually very difficult. Some believe it is a sign of weakness, too “touchy feely,” and many feel they just don’t have the time for it. But the benefits of showing gratitude don’t just help the person being thanked but also the person giving the thanks. So, at my company, Secret Source, we made employee recognition a priority. We adapted how we work to make it easy to show gratitude, even for those who find it hard..

The ways they show gratitude for achievements at Secret Source:

1. High fives 

We use the employee engagement software 15five, and part of the functionality is their feature called High Fives. In the portal, our team can leave appreciation for their teammates, by sharing the impact they had and using hashtags to align with company values..

2. Retros 

At the end of every sprint, our teams have a retrospective where we review the sprint. We always start by celebrating the successes of the team, both as a whole and individuals. This has two effects: Firstly, it starts the meeting off in a positive way and sets the tone for the rest of the session (see our blog post on the importance of positivity). Secondly, we get to recognise the efforts of our colleagues.

3. Superstars

Every month, our CEO Rachel asks for nominations for superstars – people who have gone above and beyond that month.  The nominations are then read out and celebrated in the monthly meeting. And, as an added bonus, those that win the coveted award don’t only get the public recognition they deserve, they also get a nice Amazon voucher.

“Receiving the nominations is my favourite part of the month. I love seeing how generous the team is with their praise and recognition and especially to see people nominated who might not be part of their team or someone they work with closely.”

Rachel Manley, CEO

Being grateful can be difficult, and for many people it is not natural. But read any book on happiness, and you’ll find that practising gratitude is a great step to feeling happier. I truly believe that the happier a team is, the better the work they will do.  Therefore, practising gratitude and recognising success is a key part to how you should work.