Putting in place an employee recognition programme which is visible and consistent across the organisation is just one part of what it takes to achieve better performance through recognition. The second key driver of success is having a plan in place which ensures that once a scheme is up-and-running, it remains relevant, engaging employees and acting a tool to drive performance for managers and leaders. We caught up with Edenred to get their tips on keeping a recognition scheme relevant. Keeping it fresh Keeping your recognition programme fresh means dedicating time to listening and learning what is working and changing what isn’t. You can boil this down to five activities you need put into your plans for the year: 1 Review – measure the impact – A good recognition platform will give you visibility of all the recognition activity which is taking place across your organisation: the behaviours most commonly recognised, the teams and managers who are making the most of the platform and the cold spots which aren’t seeing any traction. The starting point for keeping your scheme relevant is to regularly review the extent to which recognition is making a tangible business impact so you can plan to the make the improvements you need. 2 Listen – to your employees and your managers – A programme that looks good on paper sometimes doesn’t work in practice and schemes which once were successful can fade in effectiveness. Gather insight by talking to your managers and employees about what they like and don’t like, what they want to see and what should disappear. Recognise that it is their scheme as much as yours. 3 Refresh – change things up – Once you have done your listening and analysis, use the ideas and insight you’ve gathered to keep your scheme fresh. It could be a change in the style of communication, the channels you use, the language or the timing – or a combination of all of these and more. 4 Surprise – stay proactive – You shouldn’t wait for a scheme to go stale before you change things up. A change is as good as a rest and you can keep your scheme relevant by planning changes through the year, linking recognition to seasonal or topical themes or introducing elements which area linked to a specific goal. 5 Learn – look outside organisation – The best source of creative ideas will come from what other people are doing beyond your organisation or sector. Invest time to tune into webinars, watch TEDtalks, read blogs and learn from the businesses who are out in front in the way they work with their employees. A dedicated plan While it’s possible that your recognition programme could run perfectly well without close monitoring and input, it’s safe to say that it won’t be fulfilling its full potential or delivering the best ROI for your business unless you plan to make changes. Demonstrating the sort of flexibility and adaptability required to stay ahead of the curve in keeping your employees happy and motivated to perform will do wonders for your employer brand and competitive edge. Devising a comprehensive plan that takes into account all the variables will ensure you’re prepared for any eventuality and maximising the power of recognition in the workplace at all times. Don’t forget to read the other parts of our series here: Engagement series: How to pick a recognition platform that delivers Engagement Series: Does your employee recognition programme need a reboot? Post navigation Engagement series: How to pick a recognition platform that delivers Glenn Elliott: “Don’t base employee perks on hierarchy. Here’s why.”
