07 Jul Oh, how times have changed
In the 80’s, if you really excelled at your job, you could count on a mighty pat on the back. With any luck, you could reach for the stars and be awarded “Employee of the Year”, which also came with a plaque.
In the 90’s, the years of service awards became more frequent. You didn’t have to work at a company for 20 years to be recognized; and the plaques turned into awards. Company branded items were coming on the scene quickly and we were all excited to get them.
Jump ahead to the 2000’s and there was a shift to team recognition. With the rise of team-based work, there were lunches and incentive trips and even “shout outs” at company meetings. Things were starting to look up for the employees, as the employers needed to woo and keep their staff happy. I remember the first digital newsletters that brought about the ease and frequency of acknowledging peak performance.
Now, it’s not that long ago that the 10’s were upon us. Recognition went from formal to informal pretty quickly. This was the beginning of peer-based recognition and the the all-too-important employee engagement movement. You didn’t have to wait for the quarterly announcement or the annual meeting to find out if you were important to the company. The rise of non-monetary recognition became acceptable and appreciated. Career development opportunities, flexible PTO, leadership roles, remote work options and getting the title “Customer Hero” were some of the go-to’s
So, what now? What have we seen change from 2020 until now? The point systems, kudos platforms, and peer nominated awards are ubiquitous. Dozens of companies are attempting to join the field in recognizing top performers with points to spend as they wish. The good news is that the ability to engage with staff at every level, and from every angle is definitely on-trend. There is no shortage of options for employers to speak the “love language” of a particular team player. The key is to get personal, ask questions, keep important data, and to definitely be aware of important dates.
This brings us to gifting — obviously our favorite form of recognition. Why do we love gifting so much?
Because it’s thoughtful.
Because it doesn’t put the task back into their hands.
Because it feels personal.
Because gifts are special and they make people feel special.
Because there is an art to it and in some ways, a lost art.
Because there will always be a time and place for gifting, especially for the joyous and the difficult personal life events.
Because we are good at it. It comes easy to us, therefor, we can assist in making it easy for you too.
While RECOGNITION COMES IN MANY FORMS, some are simply more impactful than others. Some leave people feeling more appreciated and special than others. Use the right forms at just the right times and you’ll be on the right road to recognition mastery.