Your employees are one of your business’s greatest assets, and their job satisfaction affects everything from productivity and innovation to client retention and turnover, which can bolster or hammer your bottom line. It’s not enough in the modern business world to provide stability in the workplace. Employees want to shine, show their worth through creativity and ingenuity, and what’s more, they want recognition for their efforts.
While an office is a professional environment, it doesn’t have to be too stuffy to celebrate the people who make up your company. Schools have trophy cases to display their students’ talents and champion diversity within their student body, so taking that idea and upping the wow factor can boost morale among employees with more than just a parking space closer to the door. Here are a few ideas for a “grown up trophy case” so your employees know you see them and are glad to have their talents within your ranks.
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Not Your Typical Wall of Awards
The perfect line of pictures in the same boring frames depicting current and past employees of the month says you spent all of fifteen minutes to single out that person who’s given hours and days of dedication to your company’s mission, and that no longer cuts it. In your sophisticated office space, have a whole wall dedicated to them. Think outside the black picture frame and hire a local artist to paint a mural with your dedicated employees’ likenesses for the year. This can act as the focal wall of a large space and enhance décor as well as show your people their work is appreciated.
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Traveling Awards
Giving the Employee of the Month or Quarter a tangible item to showcase your appreciation serves multiple purposes. It’s a visual reminder to them and to others they’ve done a job worth recognizing and management has noticed them. In an open office, it becomes a conversation piece, bringing up the employee’s achievement repeatedly. The very mobility allows the employee to move it about as their busy workday allows. Making the trophy an item of use—for example, a fancy pen—keeps it from being a cumbersome attachment for the employee to lug from meeting to meeting while still allowing them the frequent reminder of your continued appreciation for their efforts in their position.
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Special Recognition Reception
Hold a special catered reception once a quarter for employees who deserve the attention. Giving such recognition says the company invests in their employees and allows them to relax with their colleagues and socialize. The occasional party in one of the open offices gives employees the chance to let their hair down and engage with their colleagues. Officemates who become friends work well together, collaborate better, take on projects with confidence, and can lead to future reasons to recognize employees for work well done.
Facilitating employee engagement with each other and fostering value and respect is a motivating factor like no other. Job satisfaction stems from many places—appreciation for a person’s contributions, camaraderie among team members, and a sense of purpose are but a few. Creative employee recognition can mean the difference between the worker who stays loyal or searches for greener pastures with another company.
