In an era, when digital socializing has become an important part of the life of almost every individual, simply presenting rewards and certificates to the employees might not be enough. Therefore, in today’s world, understanding the significance of social recognition and integrating the same into employee recognition systems is of utmost importance for organizations.
Social recognition is not just about using public social media channels, but about highlighting the achievements and efforts of their employees across the organization. Recognition by peers is the key to social recognition. Recognition by management is important for employees, but social recognition is the icing on the cake.
Social recognition is critical for employee recognition. Hence, it should be an integral part of employee rewards and recognition programs. The most important benefits are as follows:
Social recognition gives employees a deep sense of pride in their work and enhances their self-worth significantly.
Being recognized socially assures the employees that their peers value them enough to proudly highlight their contribution and their efforts on a public platform.
Peer-to-peer recognition ensures that the employees feel accepted, acknowledged, and appreciated for their hard work and contributions by their coworkers.
Social recognition motivates other members of the workforce to higher levels of performance and to get recognition similarly.
Organizations need to integrate social recognition into their employee recognition programs in an effective manner. Therefore, they should take a few key steps towards this, as described below:
Employee recognition should start from coworkers themselves; peer recognition should be promoted among the members of the workforce. Hence, the management should empower employees to appreciate the efforts and achievements of their coworkers directly without waiting for the approval of their supervisors. Employees should feel free to walk up to their peers and praise them for a job done well.
Another effective way to streamline the recognition process is through the use of the right technology platform. Investing in recognition platforms can make it easier for employees to send ‘Thank You’ e-cards to co-workers. At the same time, it enables HR to keep track of employees who have been appreciated by their peers. Effective employee recognition software with a built-in digital wall of fame can assist in the process of social recognition.
Social recognition needs to become an integral part of the organizational culture. There are many forums for social recognition such as team meetings, offline or virtual, emails, discussion groups, sticky notes, etc. Social recognition can help build a culture of appreciation that is self-sustaining, without constant intervention from the HR.
Social recognition is all about publicizing the efforts and achievements of employees in a manner that inspires other members of the workforce to perform better and get similar recognition.
Lead author: Sagar Chaudhuri, the Co-Founder and CEO of HiFives. He is an HR Tech Evangelist with over 25 years of experience in the corporate world and entrepreneurship. In the past, Sagar has worked with companies such as Genpact, Infosys, and ICICI Bank, in leadership roles. He has an engineering degree from IIT Kharagpur and an MBA from IIM Lucknow. Connect on LinkedIn
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