The days, when posting the name and picture of the “Employee of the Month”, on a department’s bulletin board was possibly the best employee recognition strategy, have long gone. The extensive use of technology in various HR functions, including employee recognition, has resulted in the evolution of these programs from being paper-based to becoming increasingly digitized. The demand for an interactive employee recognition program has increased significantly due to the need for real-time communication with the employees and their instant gratification. In fact, the use of technology is making it possible for organizations to address the basic concepts around which a good reward and recognition system should be developed. Technology is helping build the most effective recognition systems that can drive employee engagement and motivation.
How has technology impacted recognition?
Today recognition has ceased to be just a manager driven activity has become broad-based to include the active involvement of all the members of the workforce. In this context, technology has come to play a vital role in ensuring peer recognition in a seamless manner, leading to a much bigger impact on the program. In addition, these programs also guarantee the timely delivery of communication and rewards to the employees. Given below are a few ways in which the use of technology can have a significant impact on the success of employee rewards and recognition programs:
- It helps increase program visibility
A good rewards program is almost always backed by well-developed recognition software that is easy to access by employees across levels and locations of the organization. The software provides a social feed for the employees to stay informed about the co-workers who are being recognized. It also keeps them updated about any changes in the recognition policies, eligibility criteria, etc. in real-time. Most importantly, it helps to create a sense of transparency about the whole process and enhances its authenticity amongst the workforce.
- Apps and bots for instant recognition
Organizations can use recognition apps to seek and provide instant feedback to the employees and assure them that their good work is appreciated. In addition, can be integrated with their recognition platform to monitor and recognize consistently high performers across teams. This helps to streamline the process of recognition and eliminates any sense of bias or distrust that the employees may have about the selection of the most eligible candidates.
- Recognition through social media
One of the biggest benefits of integrating technology with the recognition programs for organizations is that it enables them to easily get the word out to the world about the contribution and achievements of their employees. They can integrate employee recognition software with various social media platforms to publicly acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of their employees. Moreover, it also provides them with an opportunity to showcase their workplace culture in a positive light and this can, in turn, help them to attract top talent.
- Implement gamification to drive efficiency
The concept of gamification as an effective tool for improving employee efficiency and engagement is becoming increasingly popular across organizations. Implementing this concept with the help of innovative technology helps organizations to reinforce business objectives and workplace rules, through employee rewards in a fun-filled and exciting manner. It also helps in promoting positive behavior and motivating the employees to work together as a team to attain common business goals. It also helps in maintaining the novelty of the reward programs and ensures that the employees do not lose interest in the same with the passage of time.
- Offer insights on the impact of recognition programs
Measuring the impact of the recognition programs is the key to ensuring their success. Using an employee recognition technology platform helps to simplify this seemingly difficult and complicated task. Organizations can use various technology tools to measure the key metrics that help them to understand the actual impact of the recognition programs. They can use this information to identify any gaps in the programs and take timely actions to rectify the same. This can result in a truly flexible and dynamic recognition system that incorporates the changing needs of the business and the employees on the fly.
- Makes the program cost-effective
Like in most other business activities, the use of technology for employee recognition makes these programs truly cost-effective. In addition to automating the various tasks associated with the process, it also helps in cutting down the administrative costs of running such significantly. This ensures a greater return on investment from the program.
Technology-based employee recognition programs have become the need of the hour for organizations seeking effective and innovative ways to reward and recognize their employees and drive greater business growth.
