Developing an effective reward and recognition system is often a challenging task for most organizations. This is due to the fact that the success of such programs depends on multiple factors that impact the level of employee experience, satisfaction, and motivation.

In this context, the following factors should be considered as most important:


1.     Linked to Performance

The traditional method of recognizing employees based on their performance and efficiency is relevant even today. Performance-based recognition can offer benefits in terms of enhancing the motivation and engagement levels of employees.

Such recognition of good performance tends to motivate the other members of the workforce in a positive manner and inspires them to improve perform better to get recognized in a similar way.


2.     Timely

It is extremely important for organizations to ensure that employee recognition is offered in a timely manner. Any delay in recognition makes it ineffective and tend to impact the happiness and satisfaction level of the employees negatively.

Hence employees need to be recognized in real-time and immediately after they have done something worth recognizing.


3.     Frequent

Most organizations tend to follow a pre-defined cycle for recognizing their employees, which tends to reduce its impact. Such organizations recognize employees only once a month or even less frequently.

This often causes unintended delays in recognizing the employees and can even result in a sense of disappointment and dejection among the members of the workforce.

Frequency is one of the critical success factors of employee rewards and recognition, that organizations need to strongly focus on. Organizations need to recognize employees as frequently as possible to the extent of several times a day.

Frequent employee recognition has the following benefits:


1.     Boosts Employee Morale

Frequent recognition celebrates the good performance and behavior of employees at short intervals. This helps in boosting their morale and inspires them to continue working and behaving in the same way. Most importantly recognizing employees more frequently makes it easier for organizations to appreciate even the smallest efforts and achievements of employees.

It also enables them to extend the reach of the recognition program to a large percentage of employees, enhancing the overall workforce motivation and performance significantly.


2.     Aligns Employees with Business Goals

Frequent recognition helps employees to better align themselves to the business objectives of the organization. Recognition also sends a strong message to the other members of the workforce about aligning their efforts with the business goals of the organization and becoming them eligible for similar recognition.


3.     Integrates Employee Behavior with  Organization Culture

Organization culture is the manner in which employees of an organization interact with each other, with the management, with customers and with other stakeholders. Positive organization culture is the key to enhancing employee engagement, and frequent recognition can play a critical role in building a positive organizational culture.

When employees are recognized for their hard work and efforts regularly, their sense of belonging and self-esteem increases significantly. This makes them feel happy and satisfied with their workplace, which forms the basis of positive work culture.


4.     Ensures Higher Employee Retention

Frequent recognition is so important as it helps in ensuring the retention of employees.  The constant ratification of their performance, contribution and value for the organization increase their level of commitment and loyalty towards the organization.

This prevents them from seeking job opportunities elsewhere even though they might be more lucrative financially.


5.     Assures Remote Working Employees of being valued

In current times, remote working employees have become a new norm for most business organizations. Such employees often work in isolation and are likely to feel cut off from the organization and their teams, which can impact their motivation levels.

Frequent recognition helps in assuring such employees of being a valued part of the organization. By rewarding and appreciating the efforts and achievements of such employees, organizations can assure them that they are on the right track and they are an integral part of the organization.


6.     Builds a Stronger Employer Brand

Frequent recognition makes employees feel valued for their work and makes them feel to be an integral part of the organization. This instils a sense of pride in their organization and builds a positive image of the organization in their personal and professional circles.

This helps the organizations in building a strong employer brand for prospective hires.