0 Comment

Importance of Employee Recognition during difficult times

Many organizations often downgrade or even temporarily discontinue employee recognition during difficult times due to costs and other pressures.  On the contrary, a good employee recognition program especially during a crisis might have a greater impact than during good times.

What is the Relevance of Employee Recognition during a Crisis?

Work from Home might be the New Normal Post-COVID

The COVID-19 health crisis that has engulfed the entire world has given us an opportunity to understand the significance of rewards and recognition during troubled times.

During the pandemic, employees have ensured that their organizations can fulfill their commitments to their customers. 

Work from Home

Most of these employees did so at great risk to their health and well-being. Hence, it makes it even more important for their employers to have appreciated their efforts.

Recognizing employees during critical times is essential to keep up their morale and motivate them to keep doing their best.

Even the employees who were working from home grappled with challenges ranging from poor network, erratic power supply, home situation, etc.

Despite these challenges, they are doing their best to deliver projects on time and meet client commitments. Organizations should recognize their efforts as well.

Why should Organizations Recognize Employees during Tough Times?

While it might seem counter-intuitive, continuing with a good employee recognition program even during tough times can offer significant benefits to organizations.

Organizations need to recognize the efforts of their employees who are working against all odds to keep their businesses running.

Here are a few benefits of doing so:

1. Enhances their commitment levels

2. Keeps customers engaged

3. Makes them feel valued

4. Makes them feel safe and cared

Benefits of Employee Recognition during Tough Situation

1. Enhances their commitment levels

Personalization

When organizations choose to recognize and appreciate their employees even during tough times, it strengthens their sense of belonging and loyalty toward the organization.

This sense of dedication and commitment helps them complete their tasks and meet deadlines and targets even under these challenging situations.

2. Keeps customers engaged

Advent of Customer-driven Employee Rewards System

One of the biggest benefits of recognizing employees during difficult times is that they pass on the same sense of comfort and care to their customers which helps in building great long-term relationships.

These customers are likely to stay with the organization for longer and provide greater business once the situation normalizes.

3. Makes them feel valued

Understand The Relevance Of Customer Recommendation

Appreciating the efforts of employees in highly stressful times assures them of the support of their employers.

It strengthens their belief that their contribution is noticeable by the people who matter the most. This can improve their long-term motivation well beyond the current crisis.

4. Makes them feel safe and cared

Performance and Productivity of Work from Home Employees

It also helps in establishing a humanitarian connection between the employees and the organization.

The employees feel valued and respected by their employers, ensuring their long-term commitment to the organization.

What are the Best Ways to Recognize Employees during Difficult Times?

During difficult times, it is important for organizations to have an appropriate recognition strategy for all types of employees.

These include employees who are working from home, office, or in the field.

Here are a few effective ways in which organizations can recognize their employees during tough times:

1. Use digital platforms for instant recognition

2. Reward electronic gift cards

3. Give a shout-out in a broader forum

best ways to recognize employees during difficult times

1. Use digital platforms for instant recognition

Social-Media

Organizations could also use digital employee recognition software platforms such as HiFives to recognize their employees instantly.

The platform can enable managers and co-workers to send appreciation/ ‘thank you’ emails to their co-workers.

In the absence of the opportunity to thank someone in person a digital ‘Thank You’ might work as well.

2. Reward electronic gift cards

Gift Cards

Electronic gift cards are an effective way of recognizing employees and using them during the COVID crisis makes sense. 

Employee recognition software platforms such as HiFives provide hundreds of such gift cards that employees can receive via email.

Employees can use these gift cards to buy groceries, other essentials, fashion and lifestyle products, dining and food delivery, travel and entertainment, etc.

Platforms such as HiFives allow the employee to choose their brand of gift cards depending on their needs and preferences.

3. Give a shout-out in a broader forum

Instagramer

Acknowledging and appreciating employees on organization-wide platforms can go a long way in boosting their morale and keeping them motivated. 

Digital platforms such as HiFives ensure that recognition of employee achievements can be visible across the organization through digital walls/ boards.

It also enables co-workers to congratulate the winners digitally through the wall. In addition, the organizations can also utilize their official social media channels to recognize employee achievements.

Bottom-line

Employee recognition during difficult times, when done in a timely and effective manner can garner the required support, dedication, and commitment of their employees.

Sagar Chaudhuri

Lead author: Sagar Chaudhuri, the Co-Founder and CEO of HiFives. He is an HR Tech Evangelist with over 25 years of experience in the corporate world and entrepreneurship. In the past, Sagar has worked with companies such as Genpact, Infosys, and ICICI Bank, in leadership roles. He has an engineering degree from IIT Kharagpur and an MBA from IIM Lucknow. Connect on LinkedIn

To stay updated on the latest HiFives blogs follow us on Twitter (@MyHiFives)

HiFives is a global employee rewards, recognition and engagement SaaS platform that enables organizations to digitize, automate and transform their employee experience. It is used by 100+ large enterprises, small businesses and startups in manufacturing, retail, technology, financial services and media, across 25+ countries.