Great Ways to Give Remote Employees Recognition
We don’t work for recognition, but it feels amazing to have your contributions openly appreciated. In fact, recognizing employees leads to higher morale, increased productivity, and positive relationships company-wide.
With more and more companies moving to remote or hybrid work environments, employees are getting far less interaction with leadership. Businesses are struggling to find ways to connect with and acknowledge hard-working employees at home.
In August 2021, a record 4.3 million workers nationwide left their jobs, from small businesses and chain restaurants to corporate offices and large companies. In September, that record was shattered again, and the Great Resignation shows no sign of stopping soon.
Employees who have been recognized by their employers are 63% more likely to stay with a company. Plus, happy employees are about 30% more productive than their unhappy or stressed counterparts.
The Importance of Building a Culture of Appreciation
A recent survey asked employees, “What is the most important thing that your manager or company currently does that would cause you to produce great work?” A whopping 37% responded that more personal recognition of their achievements would encourage them to produce top-quality work more often.
Focusing on a culture of appreciation for all levels of employees is an effective way to incentivize employees and get the best results from them.
For remote employees, a lack of personal human interaction can cause a feeling of isolation and distance from coworkers. Plus, in addition to the host of mental health problems caused during the Covid-19 pandemic, remote employees are struggling to feel like they are proving to their managers and peers alike that they are producing great work.
12 Effective Ways to Recognize Remote Employees
Employee recognition is any and all ways an organization shows appreciation for their hard work and contributions. Many companies celebrate workers for major milestones, like 5, 10, or 20 years with a company, but that is just the beginning of how to recognize employees today.
- Use social media. When you post about your employees on social media platforms, the recognition goes beyond the company. Loved ones can share the news, and fellow coworkers and friends can pile on the recognition in the comments. These are a great low-cost recognition idea for your weekly feed.
- Create a gratitude channel. Almost every business with remote employees has a company-wide messaging system. Add a gratitude channel to the mix for people to publicly thank their peers for going above and beyond.
- Offer referral bonuses. Happy employees want to bring their loved ones into the business. Offering incentives gives them even more reason to ask friends.
- Give anniversary gifts. Even if it is just a t-shirt or branded water bottle, people love swag.
- Write LinkedIn recommendations. If employees have exemplary skills, write about them on LinkedIn. This totally free idea takes just minutes and can be done by coworkers, managers, or even CEOs!
- Schedule group professional development. Workshops and learning events took a sharp hit during the pandemic, but many can be done virtually. Bring in experts every month or two. This will educate employees and provide a group activity, too!
- Provide work-from-home equipment. Most employers offer laptops and keyboards, but you can go a step further. Offer quality lumbar pillows, ergonomic mouse-pads, and other small things that make desk life easier.
- Plan a long weekend. There is no better benefit than paid time off. Memorial Day and Labor Day are standard. Next year, give workers a long weekend off for employee appreciation week or mental health awareness week.
- Send flowers for birthdays. Everyone has a birthday, and flowers are a great way to acknowledge them from home.
- Engage with happy hours and game nights. To bring the connection back to a remote team, virtual get-togethers can be great for morale. Send employees home cocktail kits, or sign everyone up for the same virtual game, and let the good times roll.
- Focus on wellness. Mental, physical, and emotional wellness are more important now than ever. Wellness programs can encourage employees to be active and interact with each other from afar. Even a 5-minute desk yoga class can help workers feel supported and seen.
- Shower the pets, too. Pets are our new coworkers, and they are often a good source of happiness and calm for remote employees. Send treats or toys to employees’ pets — they’re family, after all.
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With innovative technology, a knowledgeable staff, and personalized attention, TANDIUM is the cost-effective answer for total business support. Today’s business owners have found the solution with TANDIUM, a complete human resources service organization, offering PEO, ASO, HR consulting, and payroll services. Contact us today to learn how we can personalize our services for your business.