Recognition and reward

Overview

What is recognition and reward?

Recognition and reward are present in a work environment where there is appropriate and timely acknowledgement and appreciation of workers’ efforts. This includes suitable and regular acknowledgements, such as worker or team celebrations, recognition of good performance and/or years served and milestones reached.

An organization with a good recognition and reward program can state:

  • Immediate supervisors demonstrate appreciation of workers’ contributions.
  • Workers are paid fairly for the work they do.
  • Workers’ efforts are appreciated.
  • It celebrates shared accomplishments.
  • Workers’ commitment and passion for their work are valued.

Why is recognition and reward important?

Recognizing and rewarding workers motivates them, fuels their desire to excel, builds their self-esteem, encourages them to exceed expectations and enhances team success. This, in turn, provides staff with more energy and enthusiasm and a greater sense of pride and engagement in their work. In addition, workers who are recognized for their accomplishments are more likely to treat co-workers and clients with courtesy, respect and understanding.

When workers believe that their efforts are not appreciated, it can damage their confidence in their work and the organization. Workers who feel discouraged are more likely to leave the organization. An imbalance between effort and reward is a significant contributor to burnout and emotional distress, leading to a range of psychological and physical disorders.

FAQs

  • Demonstrate appreciation for staff who “go the extra mile” at work.
  • When workers achieve personal and professional goals, recognize and celebrate with them.
  • Recognize effort as well as outcomes.

  • Train leaders on the importance of providing regular and appropriate recognition to team members.
  • Train leaders in providing respectful, constructive and effective feedback.
  • Acknowledge workers for their willingness to participate in ongoing training and development.

  • Openly acknowledge individual or team successes and accomplishments (at staff meetings, on posters or plaques, in e-newsletters, etc.).
  • Create a transparent system for informing senior management about positive feedback staff receives, for example from customers and clients.
  • Create regular recognition events (staff meetings, breakfasts, worker-of-the-month programs, etc.).

  • Provide individual and group-level recognition and incentives when tasks and milestones are achieved.
  • Regularly review salaries and adjust, when appropriate.
  • Provide performance-based incentives and bonuses, which may include non-monetary awards (time off, better shifts, preferred task selection, etc.).
  • Provide timely recognition.

Action

Next steps: Committing to implementing adequate recognition and reward in the workplace

Objective

A work environment where there is appropriate and timely acknowledgement and appreciation of employees’ efforts and accomplishments.

Benefits

  • Enhanced employee satisfaction, motivation and loyalty.
  • Improved teamwork and positive employee morale.
  • Increased retention and enhanced recruitment of staff.
  • Enhanced employee/labour relations.

Reflection Questions

  • Do issues related to recognition and reward present a greater risk to certain groups of employees (new employees, certain jobs, shift workers, young workers, etc.)?
  • What are your workplace’s strengths in terms of recognition and reward? (What do you do well and what should you continue doing?)
  • What could your workplace do to improve in this area? (What could you do more of and what could you do less of?)