3 Tips to Improve Recognition at Work | 2-Minute Video

Cookie-cutter recognition doesn’t cut it anymore.

Employees and colleagues need — and want — to be recognized in ways that are meaningful to them.

And when you recognize people for what they do and how it impacts the workplace, you create the potential for even greater work.

What’s Up in This Episode: Improving Recognition

In this episode of HRMorning’s 3-Point, our expert, Dr. Meisha-ann Martin, VP of People Research at Workhuman, explains why recognition is critical to keeping employees engaged and motivated. Even better, she gives specific instructions on how we all can recognize employees and colleagues better.

Click, watch and listen for more details on using recognition in the workplace.

Transcript (edited for clarity):

Recognition at work is more important than ever.

But let’s be real here: Cookie-cutter recognition is pretty much useless. Why?

Dr. Meisha-Ann Martin explained while she was at Workhuman Live.

Dr. Meisha-ann Martin: “Recognition at the core is about having people feel seen. When they’re seen, they’re connected to the people that they work with. I tell people all the time, even though you come to work and collect a paycheck, nobody wants to come to work and do work that nobody sees and nobody appreciates. Everybody – no matter who you are – we want to be seen. We want to be appreciated. And we want to feel like we matter.” 

So what does great recognition sound like?

Dr. Meisha-ann Martin: “So, in order to give a great recognition message, get human. Get human, right? So first, be specific. But not just be specific, say what that behavior meant to you. Like, why did that make a difference for you, right? So you want to highlight the behavior so the person knows you appreciate the behavior, and in saying thank you, you also want to talk about the impact that behavior had on other people.” 

Now, let’s hear it in action. Dr. Martin gave me an example. She thanked a colleague who helped us get ready for our interview.

Dr. Meisha-ann Martin: “I can say, ‘Hey Becca, you know, I felt really supported when you did all of those things for me. Thank you for not only saying yes to taking the picture, but taking several. And then making sure I felt comfortable and staying here to support. Oh, and by the way, thank you so much for all the things that you did beforehand to make me prepared, as well.  You make me feel confident and you make me better in my role.’ See how that’s so much different, than, ‘Hey, great job, Becca!’” 

So there you have it. The recipe – that’s not cookie-cutter – to get recognition right.

• Get human. Remember, you’re thanking people. Not results or processes. People. So be sincere.
• Be specific. Name the exact thing they did for you.
• Cite the impact. Talk about how the act impacted you or others.

The consistent practice of recognition builds better cultures – whether you’re remote, hybrid or on-site. You and your people can use this framework to make an impact with recognition.