We need to talk about the importance of recognition in our digital world.
Since 2020, more and more companies are adopting a hybrid or remote work environment. Globally, 16% of companies are fully remote, and about 62% of workers aged 22 to 65 claim to work remotely at least occasionally.
Remote and hybrid work is proving to be a productive option for many employees—75% of people who work from home opted for a hybrid or fully remote schedule. At the same time, many other companies and employees have been excited to return to work.
The reality is that whether your desk is in your home, a coffee shop or an actual office building, the majority of our daily communication happens digitally. Email has long been a primary form of communication for business, and now most organizations have also adopted tools like Teams or Slack as well. Many of our interactions happen from behind a screen, even when we’re in close physical proximity.
While this shift to a digital way of working is undeniably convenient, the praise and kudos we may feel natural sharing in person can often feel stilted or disappear completely online. The challenge remains: how do we infuse recognition into the flow of work when the way we work has changed so much?
Why do you need recognition in a distributed work environment?
Some turnover will always be unavoidable within any given company. But while “employee recognition” may seem like a soft HR term, employee appreciation can significantly impact your retention rates.
Here’s what we know:
- 51% of employees indicated they would seek new employment if they felt unappreciated
- 66% of employees have left their job because their work was not appreciated
- 82% of employees wish they received more recognition at work
Because of this, many companies are taking steps to create a culture of recognition at the office. But without a digital recognition and rewards platform that integrates seamlessly within the flow of work, distributed work employees often miss out on the benefits of employee appreciation in the workplace. This leads to burnout, decreased productivity, and ultimately, turnover.
Authentic recognition increases employee engagement
Recognizing the accomplishments of your employees—working in-office and remotely—is a surefire way to increase productivity, happiness and retention within your organization. But how can you ensure that your employees feel appreciated, no matter where you’re working?
The key to nailing employee appreciation is a digital recognition and rewards platform that empowers every member of your team, from CEOs to employees, to actively celebrate daily wins. In order for this platform to be optimized and truly reap the benefits it provides, it needs to integrate seamlessly within the flow of work. A digital recognition and rewards platform should make championing your employees easy and obvious—never a task to add to your plate.
Further, authentic recognition is just that: authentic. An ideal recognition and rewards platform will allow your employees to celebrate each other in whatever way feels the most natural to them—whether that’s through the use of emojis or GIFs or a thoughtful shoutout.
Employee appreciation has a trickle-down effect. When a leader recognizes others on a digital platform for all coworkers to see, it becomes an unwritten expectation for the entire team—leading to a mindset of “it’s just the way we do things around here.” Authentic recognition, from managers and supervisors or from peer to peer, shouldn’t be an exceptional event—it should be part of your company culture.
Improve overall company culture by appreciating employees both in and out of the office
Implementing recognition and rewards programs into your business is a proven way to increase employee connection and positivity so those at home can feel that they are truly part of a team. By actively celebrating all employees, whether they are remote, at your headquarters or at a satellite office, their morale will improve and they will feel more inspired to produce high-quality work—adding value to your organization immediately, and building over time.
HR professionals say their company’s recognition practices have a positive effect not only on retention but also on engagement, culture and employee happiness. A culture of recognition in remote work leads to the retention of hardworking, happy employees who become culture builders for your company. The bottom line? A company that invests in employee appreciation is investing in itself.
Recognition and rewards platforms make it easy to celebrate employees—both in-office and at home
Whether your company is fully remote, fully in-office, or a mix of the two, one thing is clear: we live in a digital age. It’s crucial that your company utilizes a platform to digitally celebrate the successes of your employees.
Recognition and rewards software makes it easy to implement a system that champions employee connection and collaboration—leading to a more engaged workplace. A system like this provides the opportunity to actively celebrate and reward employees’ hard work and creates a space for team members to call out successes in one another. Employees can connect with leadership, managers and peers on a regular basis, so everyone stays on the same page and knows that their work is valuable.
CultureNext®, an employee recognition platform from Maritz, goes beyond traditional employee recognition software to empower you to celebrate the many dimensions of your employee base. This platform creates a thoughtful recognition and rewards ecosystem to help you actively engage with your employee base. CultureNext® uses a person-first approach, guided by Strategic Tenure™—an emerging way of thinking about investing in and developing the right employees.
The goal of this software is to help you create employee happiness through a culture of employee appreciation—even within a distributed work environment. Calling out both personal and work-related milestones, championing employee success and encouraging peer-to-peer recognition allows you to keep your finger on the pulse of your company, so you’ll never be surprised by a seemingly satisfied employee giving their two-weeks notice.
Keep your team connected and engaged
At Maritz, our goal is to help you create employee happiness through a culture of employee appreciation. By celebrating the accomplishments of your team, no matter where they’re working, retention rates will increase and you will not only save money but add value to your organization through thoughtful workplace culture and employee engagement.
Don’t let the benefits of a digital culture be outweighed by the isolation that comes with it. With a recognition and rewards platform like CultureNext®, employees can have their cake and it, too.
Limit turnover in the short term by actively appreciating your employees. Add considerable value to your business in the long term. Your ideal workplace is waiting—no matter where you’re working. Contact us today to get started.