Digital employee recognition programs can drive much higher level of employee engagement and motivation as compared to traditional offline recognition systems. However, despite the benefits of digitizing employee recognition, several organizations still have misconceptions about Employee Recognition Platforms.
Read: Key Reasons to Digitize an Employee Recognition Program
So, in this article, we look at the common misconceptions about Employee Recognition Platforms, and the truth behind them:
| MISCONCEPTIONS | TRUTHS |
|---|---|
Misconception # 1: Employees are happy with the existing programs Organizations often feel hesitant in replacing their traditional and long-running offline programs with a new recognition platform. Hence, they feel that such a drastic change might disturb the ongoing programs and might even be met with resistance from the employees. | Truth # 1: Most employees today want digital programs Millennials and Gen Z employees are a growing segment of the workforce. Also, they are digitally savvy, with intense exposure to internet, mobile devices, and applications from a very young age. Hence, they expect a similar level of digital experience even at their workplace, including the organization’s employee recognition programs. Therefore, they are unlikely to be happy with the existing offline programs and equally unlikely to participate in them. |
Misconception # 2: Employee Recognition Platforms are too expensive Also, a common perception in organizations is that a decent recognition platform requires a major financial investment. Also, organizations need to invest in training their HR teams in using the platform efficiently, which can add to the overall expenses of implementing such platforms. Hence, organizations fear that an expensive employee recognition program might eat into their overall program budget and leave little in form of employee rewards. | Truth # 2: Affordable SaaS Solutions are available in the market However, cloud-based recognition platforms operate on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model and hence do not require any upfront investment. Also, these platforms have flexible pricing plans that are based on the actual features and functionalities and the number of active users. Hence, with a bit of research, organizations can easily find a platform that fits their budgets. Also, they can opt for a monthly subscription plan that works on a pay-as-you-go model, making it very affordable. |
Misconception # 3: Platform implementation is complicated and time-consuming Additionally, organizations often believe that setting up employee recognition platforms is a complicated and time-consuming process. Hence, they feel that significant time and effort to customize the platform to their exact requirements. Also, organizations feel uncertain about the smooth integration of the platform with other technology platform at the workplace. | Truth # 3: Modern SaaS Platforms can be implemented quickly However, SaaS Platforms for Employee Recognition come with be configurable features that can be mapped to the organization’s requirements easily and hence can be implemented quickly. Therefore, these platforms also come with pre-built connectors with other platforms such as HRMS, MS Teams and Slack. |
Misconception # 4: The current offline program works smoothly without any major issues Also, most organizations do not want to fix processes that aren’t broken. Hence, they would like to believe that the current offline processes of employee recognition are efficient and have few issues. | Truth # 4: Digital Platforms reduce administrative overheads, delays and errors However, employee Recognition Platforms can automate many processes and reduce manual intervention significantly. So, this in turns speeds up the recognition cycle and also reduces the possibility of errors. |
Misconception # 5: Digitalization will result in loss of personal touch Also, another common objection against with employee recognition software is that they result in the loss of personal touch from managers. Hence, they fear that this can turn recognition into a mere formality. Also, this is especially true for smaller organizations where all employees operate from the same workplace. | Truth # 5: Offline Program is too cumbersome for a Virtual/ Hybrid Workforce However, without a digital employee recognition platform, it is quite cumbersome to recognize employees who are working remotely, no matter how small or big the organization is. So, it is quite evident that remote working will be the new normal going forward. Hence, organizations need to seriously consider upgrading their offline programs to a digital one. Personal touch can be though regular and timely communication albeit digitally. Therefore, virtual award ceremonies are also quite common in most organizations. |
Misconception # 6: The current program is perfect for the organization’s needs Also, several organizations feel that the current programs meet their requirements perfectly as they are like well-oiled machines that have been running smoothly over the years without many hiccups. Hence, due to this, they are reluctant in exploring other options and the best practices in the industry. Therefore, several organizations feel that the current programs meet their requirements perfectly as they are like well-oiled machines that have been running smoothly over the years without many hiccups. Hence, due to this, they are reluctant in exploring other options and the best practices in the industry. | Truth # 6: New Platform Features make the programs more effective However, most modern employee recognition platforms come with new features and best practices such as gamification, social recognition, leaderboards, etc. Hence, these features help in enhancing the interest, participation and involvement of employees in these programs thereby significantly increasing their impact. |
It is quite apparent that the common misconceptions about employee recognition platforms are not real, but more to do with resistance for change. Hence, organizations should instead consider the benefits of going digital and focus on evaluating platforms that are best for them.
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