An employee recognition program can be implemented and executed successfully only if the members of the workforce find it interesting and engaging enough to participate in it with high level of enthusiasm. A well-designed program may fail completely without proper participation from the employees.

That is why organizations need to focus on promoting the program among the employees even before they actually launch it. Hence, creating a buzz around the recognition program helps in maximizing workforce participation and paves the way for its success.

Moreover, it sends out a positive message to the workforce that their employer is seriously looking to thank them for their efforts and contribution to the business growth; and wants to enhance their happiness and satisfaction at the workplace.

Developing an effective recognition program requires significant investment of funds, time and effort from the organization. Therefore, to maximize the returns of this investment, the organization needs to promote the program to their workforce. They also need to motivate them to participate in it regularly.

Here are a few effective ways to promote employee rewards and recognition programs among the workforce:

 

1. Build a Strong Program Brand

Organization need to work towards creating an employee recognition brand that their employees can connect with. Designing the program to meet the expectations of the workforce is important.

Branding can be achieved through the program name, logo, theme colors, award names and even the language and tone of the write-ups associated with the program. All these elements combine to inject a unique brand personality into the program making it more interesting for the employees.


2. Involve Employees from Initial Stage

Importantly, the earlier in the program development and implementation cycle that employees can get involved, the greater would be their level of interest and participation once the program is launched.

Hence, organizations can seek inputs and ideas from the employees about naming the program, the best ways to launch it, the type of rewards, and even the manner in which they are presented, etc.  Such level of involvement can help boost employee motivation and inspire them to take part in the program from day one.    


3. Communicate Extensively

One of the most effective ways for organizations to create a buzz around their employee recognition programs is to communicate extensively about the same to their employees.
They should make use of every opportunity to reiterate about the various features and benefits of the program. The communication should intensify closer to the launch date and aim to build interest and excitement among the employees.

Organizations should conduct townhalls, open houses, team meetings and develop online and offline materials about the program such as FAQs. They should leverage different modes of communication to disseminate information about the program, such as email, the Intranet or platforms such as Teams or Slack.
 

4. Plan and Prepare for a Grand Launch

The launch of program should be well-planned and a grand affair. Apart from extensive communication in the run up to the launch, the launch itself should be planned and managed as event of importance.

The launch could be done in a large-scale online or offline forum. This could be an all-employee meeting in presence of the top management of the organization. The scale of the event and presence of the senior leaders can help maximize the visibility for the program.


5. Get Leaders and Managers to Champion the Program

It is extremely important to involve the senior leaders in the process of promoting the recognition program. They should be part of the communication and the forums related to the program. This can help build higher credibility for the program.

Involving line managers and supervisors in the program development and rollout is also very important. This makes it easier for them to spread the word about the program. They can also answer any questions or queries that their team members might have about the same. Therefore, the frontline leaders play in role in driving the program and in building interest among their team members.
 

6. Continue Communication Post-Launch

It is not enough to communicate extensively about the program before the launch or to have a grand launch event. It is equally important to continue the communication even after the launch.

Post-launch, open house sessions, follow-up communication about the program features and benefits and sharing early success stories can be useful. Moreover, this can help the organization to maintain the momentum built-up through the pre-launch and post launch phase.
 

7. Focus on Continuous Feedback and Improvement

Additionally, one of the critical but often overlooked ways to drive traction for employee recognition programs is the feedback process. So, the organization should create proper mechanisms to gather regular feedback about the program from the employees such as satisfaction surveys and focus discussions.

Hence, organizations should utilize such feedback for modifying or enhancing the program. Therefore, this needs to be a continuous process and might be one of the most important factors for the success of the program.