One key factor for a successful employee rewards and recognition program is a well-designed and executed communication strategy. Lack of proper communication can result in poor traction among employees and, eventually, poor results from the program.
The organization should ensure that the communication for a successful employee rewards and recognition program is well-planned and executed.
There is usually pre-launch communication, launch communication, and post-launch follow-up communication.
Let’s take a more detailed look at the communication plan for each of these stages:
1. Pre-launch
2. Launch
3. Post-Launch
The prelaunch communication aims to inform the employees about the upcoming program and create excitement around it.
The focus of the communication must be on the goals of the program, expected benefits, and the key highlights. It must try to address the question that every employee would have – ‘what’s in it for me?’.
Hence, a significant portion of the communication should focus on the benefits for different levels of employees, such as monetary rewards and social recognition, greater team motivation and productivity, and the development of a positive culture.
There should be multiple rounds of communication over weeks or months. Each round should focus on one or two key aspects of the program to avoid information overload and to build up excitement.
Another essential objective of the prelaunch stage is to communicate with the line managers about the program in detail. They are critical stakeholders in the program and must be informed about its launch.
However, this aspect of communication is often ignored by the organization, and line managers remain skeptical and uninvolved in the program, considering it as yet another initiative thrust upon them by the management.
Launch communication should be a grand announcement about the program launch and heightening the excitement about the program that has been building up over weeks or months.
The launch communication should also provide all the details required for employees to start participating in the program, such as logging into the rewards and recognition platform.
The launch communication should be crisp and well-planned. Information provided must be brief; with sufficient details and additional resources.
The communication should be exciting and in sync with the theme of the launch event. It should grab the maximum attention of the employees in a short amount of time.
Such high-intensity communication around the launch event makes it a memorable occasion for the employees so that they can understand the importance of the program for the organization.
Post-launch communication is as critical as the launch communication.
The key objective of this communication is to drive traction among the employees. It should be for clarifying doubts, answering questions, addressing issues, and reiterating the key aspects of the program
This communication also serves as a reminder for employees to use the recognition platform and participate in the program. Sharing initial usage data, early success stories, and user testimonials are good ways to sustain the momentum and maintain the workforce’s interest in the program.
When all is said and done, it is challenging to make any employee-facing initiative part of the organization’s culture.
Hence, there is no time limit for post-launch communication. It is an ongoing process and important for the continued success of the program.
Constant communication is also necessary as new employees who do not know anything about the program enter the workforce.
Also, it is important to do short bursts of higher-intensity communication from time to time.
Organizations need to utilize multiple communication channels to communicate about the employee recognition program to their workforce.
They can use a combination of channels that suit their employee profile and their overall communication strategy.
Here are a few:
1. Emails
2. Intranet
3. Recognition Platform
4. Collaboration Tools
5. Social Media
6. Workplace Signage
7. Team Meetings and Townhalls
8. New Hire Orientation
Email is a flexible and convenient channel for prelaunch, launch, and post-launch communication.
Prelaunch teasers and other communication can be sent via email, and the launch communication could also be sent from the CEO’s desk via email.
Also, regular newsletters can be sent over email – weekly or monthly; announcing the winners of the previous period and any updates on the program.
Reminders to use the recognition platform and participate in the program can also be emailed. However, one point to remember is that not all employees might have access to official email in an organization.
Intranet is another effective communication channel for employee recognition programs.
It can be leveraged from hosting the prelaunch teasers to creating a microsite about the program with all possible information—program goals, highlights, platform features, policy documents, platform navigation guides, etc.
It can become the one-stop-shop for all program information – communication sent through other channels can refer to the intranet for detailed information.
The employee recognition platform itself is one of the best ways to communicate about and promote the program once it is launched.
Hence, notifications, reminders, and alerts about various aspects of the program can be posted on the platform itself.
Whether it is a reminder for employees to recognize or update about a change in the program, the recognition platform can be leveraged effectively.
Collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, Yammer, etc. can be used effectively as channels to communicate about the program at each stage.
Since employees may be using these tools regularly, the effectiveness of such channels is quite good.
Facebook, LinkedIn, or WhatsApp groups can also be leveraged for sending out prelaunch, launch, and even post-launch communication.
These channels are particularly suited for a workforce that predominantly has no access to official emails or has low usage of emails.
Organizations can use LED displays, posters, standees, tent cards, etc. to highlight the employee rewards and recognition program across the workplace near workstations, lobbies, pantries, canteens, shopfloors, etc.
Signages would work particularly well in manufacturing, or retail environments where the use of emails and computers is on the lower side.
While digital and visual communication is critical, meetings as a communication channel are also important.
It is important to conduct meetings, whether in-person or virtual, meetings before and after the launch. So, the launch itself can be a grand event in the form of a town hall.
After launch, the organization should conduct town halls, team meetings, and floor huddles to present awards to employees and communicate about the updates in the program.
Also, the presence of the senior leadership in such meetings adds to their impact.
New hires should get to know about the employee rewards and recognition program during their orientation sessions.
Also, they should get information about the program goals, policies, benefits, and highlights in these sessions.
Whatever the modus operandi, consistent and effective communication is critical to building a successful employee rewards and recognition program. Only then the organization can reap its full benefits in the form of a motivated and committed workforce.
Lead author: Sagar Chaudhuri, the Co-Founder and CEO of HiFives. He is an HR Tech Evangelist with over 25 years of corporate and entrepreneurship experience. In the past, Sagar has worked in leadership roles with companies such as Genpact, Infosys, and ICICI Bank. He has an engineering degree from IIT Kharagpur and an MBA from IIM Lucknow. Connect on LinkedIn
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