Does the digitization of employee recognition programs take away the personal touch and diminish their value? The answer to this question is a resounding NO!
People had similar concerns about the telephone, computers, the Internet, and so on. However, as social beings, we have still managed to figure out how to interact socially in some form or another.
1. Timeliness: Digital platforms can help recognize employee achievements quickly and drastically reduce the manual processes of data collation, approvals, procurement, and distribution.
2. HR Productivity: Eliminating manual tasks frees up time for HR teams to devote to more value-added activities.
3. Digital-savvy employees: Many millennials use various digital platforms profusely, so having a traditional process is unthinkable.
While the benefits of digitization seem obvious, what about the flip side of it in terms of reduced employee touch?
Based on the experience of organizations with such digital recognition programs, we have put together these thoughts:
1. HR can have more time to plan events
2. Instant notification to coworkers
3. Org-wide communication
4. Public on Social Media
With digitization, the HR Team now has more time to plan and execute in-person rewards and recognition events.
These could be floor huddles, all-hands-meets, town halls, etc. Members of the management can recognize employees in the presence of a reasonably large gathering of employees.
Also, digital platforms can send out communication over email to other employees and teams.
Even employees in other teams or other workplaces would be able to know it instantly as the recognition happens.
Coworkers might reach out to the recognized employees over email (phone or messenger) to congratulate them.
Additionally, a digital wall of fame can propagate the message across the entire organization.
It can cut through all boundaries of geography, functions, and teams and reach everyone in the organization.
Certain organizations allow the recognition to be posted on social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
They can post the recognition through company social media handles or allow employees to share using their own.
Hence, the recognition can reach the friends and family of the recognized employees, further boosting their sense of achievement and pride.
Overall, it does seem that digitization of the employee rewards and recognition program adds much more than what it takes away. There is no reason to believe that it would reduce the personal touch.
It can vastly improve timeliness and communication, creating a higher level of employee satisfaction than traditional methods. It is almost like comparing an airplane with a bullock cart.
Given today’s digital-savvy way of life, geographically distributed workforces, and busy corporate schedules, a digital platform for employee rewards and recognition are must-have for most organizations. No second thoughts!
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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