The Importance of Recognition, Public or Private

Your employees are your greatest resource, but too often they may just feel like another cog in the wheel. You have heard us talk about employee engagement before, just what is that exactly? Basically, it refers to how employees feel about their work culture and jobs. The stronger the culture, the better chance of having employees who are happy, motivated, and committed to your company.

Recognition should be an essential part of the culture your company creates. While public recognition is extremely important you should know that employee recognition is not always viewed or received in the same ways. Therefore, it is crucial to have avenues for both public and private recognition and to know which employees might prefer one over the other. For some, handling recognition the wrong way could have the opposite effect you want.

Understanding why recognition works in the workplace is helpful. It’s about how people react to praise and how they can learn from observation as well as firsthand experience. It all comes down to how the human mind works, and how public recognition taps into a person’s natural tendencies and influences their behavior. When an employee sees a co-worker being recognized and rewarded for specific conduct, they are more likely to internalize the lesson that the recognized behavior is rewarded. As a result, they are more likely to engage in similar conduct in the future.

It's understandable if some members of your team are hesitant to publicly recognize or are uncomfortable with public recognition. These individuals are usually self-motivated and don't require a lot of attention to be successful. While public praise might be exciting and inspiring for most of the team, it can have the opposite effect on individuals who are more reserved. Create an avenue for employees to voice their preferences and design your recognition program so that it allows recognition to also happen privately so that everyone feels comfortable.

Knowing what kind of situation your team member prefers for acknowledgment makes them realize that they are not only being recognized for going above and beyond, but they are also being seen and heard. Feeling acknowledged and recognized will inspire all the positive reinforcements you want to create for your team and company, and the culture will flourish.