Today, recognizing employees for a job well done is an important and rewarding part of HR and employers alike. Indeed, implementing an effective employee recognition program can improve retention, employee satisfaction, production quality, and much more. In this article, we’ll explore what employee recognition really is and some of the recognition best practices. So, are you ready to take your business to the next level? Don’t miss our insightful tips below.
Employee Recognition: Definition
Employee recognition is the act of showing appreciation for an employee’s contribution and efforts in a visible or tangible way. This can take many forms, such as a thank you at a meeting, or even prizes and money. Indeed, showing gratitude through employee recognition helps create a more inclusive and personal workplace, while motivating employees.
As experts in the field of employee recognition, it is important to clarify that many companies confuse appreciation and recognition. In the following section, we will examine the purpose of these two terms. 
Employee Appreciation vs. Recognition
It can be difficult to understand the difference between appreciation and recognition. Yet both are extremely valuable in their own way and can yield different results.
- Appreciation: It is the act of expressing feelings and thanks, usually towards the employee. In other words, offering a bonus at the end of the year, in thanks for a year of hard work, is an appreciation.
- Recognition: This involves drawing public attention to results or performances, emphasizing the employee's specific qualities or achievements. Recognizing or rewarding an employee, customer, or partner for a new method of analysis is recognition.
The Benefits of Employee Recognition
All humans need recognition and positive feedback, especially in the workplace. Remote and onsite employee recognition programs make 92% of employees feel appreciated. When you recognize your employees, you’ll see benefits in many areas. Here are a few:
- Deeper motivation: Many employees are more motivated to achieve their goals when they are recognized for their past accomplishments.
- Increased engagement: employees will become more involved in the company and in the work of their team.
- Higher performance: As employees are more motivated and engaged, they will achieve more of their goals and improve their performance.
- Greater retention: Retention rates will increase, especially among your best employees.
- An inclusive culture: Employees will feel closer to each other, which will help make the company culture more personal and inclusive.
What are the different types of recognition?
Ideally, recognition should come from everyone in the company. There are two types of recognition systems: top-down recognition and peer recognition. Let’s take a closer look at each of these options:
- Downward recognition: This is when an employee’s efforts and contributions are recognized by their superior. This recognition is beneficial because it is the supervisor who can help the employee advance within the company, whether through raises, gifts, better benefits, or the job of their dreams.
- Peer recognition: This is considered the most powerful. Peer recognition drives engagement more than top-down recognition. In fact, 69% of employees say they would work harder if their efforts were recognized by their peers.
Tips for Providing Proper Employee Recognition
There are several factors that contribute to the success of employee recognition. Accolad, as a leader in employee recognition solutions, has helped many organizations recognize their employees for years, whether it’s through a years of service recognition program or special occasions. If you’re considering offering proper recognition, here are our top tips:
Provide timely recognition
The longer you wait, the less meaningful the recognition you give will be to the employee. Offer timely recognition, even in the form of a thank you, to help the employee feel more motivated and appreciated.
Be specific
When recognizing the employee, be specific. Tell them what you are grateful for. Instead of just recognizing the results, also recognize the actions and qualities that helped achieve those results.
Be authentic and personal
How you show recognition and what you say should be personal and authentic. After all, everyone likes to be recognized in different ways. Some prefer to be recognized in a meeting in front of their peers. Others prefer to be recognized only by you, and not in front of other employees. Take the time to find out how much your employees appreciate being recognized. Focus on the person, not just the work.
Make a schedule
To set up a recognition program, you need to define its purpose. Determine who will be eligible: ideally, all employees, even managers. Establish guidelines, such as rewards and program rules. Then, determine what behaviors and actions are eligible for recognition. Determine who is responsible for administering the program and what budget they have.
Remote Employee Recognition
Whether it’s in a company-wide Slack channel, via email, or on your company’s social media channels, find a way to publicly recognize employees. This combines top-down and peer recognition, giving your employees more opportunities to feel appreciated and seen. 
What are the best employee recognition ideas?
Today in the workplace, receiving gifts and positive notes, positive feedback is the best way to be recognized. There are many ways to express appreciation, some of which are listed below:
- Gift Card: Gift cards are one of the top rewards that employees love to receive. At Accolad, we offer an extensive catalog of recognition gifts. You will find a host of quality gifts for your employees that you can customize according to your needs. Visit our catalog now to learn more.
- Prizes: There are many prizes that businesses can offer. For example, you can offer movie tickets, dinner vouchers, tickets to sporting events, technology, company equipment, etc.
- Employee recognition events/days: A well-known and popular example of this is the employee of the month program. Offering your employees a premium parking spot is a simple and effective way to reward them. Just as we appreciate the little things that make our daily lives more enjoyable, employees also appreciate these gestures that recognize their efforts and dedication.
- Charity of Choice: Some companies allow the employee of the month to choose a charity to donate to for the company's monthly volunteer day.
Accolad, the key to successful employee recognition
Are you ready to expand your recognition experience? Accolad is the all-in-one platform that can help you streamline your employee rewards work while giving you access to deeper analytics.
In fact, it allows you to automatically send a personalized gift to your employees, at the right time. In addition, it offers a multitude of quality rewards to your staff so that they can choose what they really like.
When it comes to finding the perfect gift, Accolad gives you access to thousands of gifts to suit every taste, budget and interest. Plus, you can customize each gift to suit your specific needs and preferences. Want to learn more? Contact us now.