Show Your Employees You Care: The Importance of Workplace Recognition

If a stellar job performance goes unrecognized, how often do you think it will be repeated? People need both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to continuously work at their best. When building and showcasing your company culture, employee recognition should be a crucial component. Sure, you may have great products, services, and customers, but that doesn’t mean much without the individuals who work hard every day to make the company successful.

Every company searches for top performers. It’s important to motivate dedicated individuals to join your team by showing them that appreciation for hard work is a foundation of your culture. “At CSC Corptax a job well done is recognized. Your boss reaches out to you. HR rewards us with a pizza party and catered lunches. We get handwritten cards thanking us for our hard work,” says Kathryn, project manager. It doesn’t take a lot to share appreciation, and it goes a long way to help you acquire top talent and encourage current employees to stay and grow with your organization. We have found that employees who hear positive feedback are more motivated to perform at their best every day, an outcome that is supported by research conducted by IBM Smarter Workforce Institute.

General recognition is fine, but its impact only goes so far. Be specific about what your teams and colleagues do well to show that you understand their value. Don’t limit yourself to recognizing only certain segments of the organization—ensure your process stretches across teams and levels and includes peer-to-peer recognition. “Everyone wants to feel validated, and it’s not hard to do. We take time out weekly, monthly, and at the end of the year to recognize top sales efforts. That doesn’t mean just closing the sale—it can be acquiring a prospect, which is a big deal. There are so many integral people involved in our process—we recognize sales engineers who help on the demo, lead-generation folks, the Support and Professional Services teams that help clients implement products and improve business processes. It’s a group effort all the way. You know that hard work pays off at CSC Corptax—be it for a job well done or from a compensation standpoint—it all works,” says Dean, director, Sales at CSC Corptax. Recognizing peers helps build strong relationships and leads to higher levels of collaboration. Don’t limit recognition to big projects and milestones—acknowledging small wins also drives motivation and increases job satisfaction.

At CSC Corptax, one of our values is being genuine. For us, that means being direct, open, and honest in all we do, exhibiting the highest level of integrity, and building trust. Recognizing others is tied directly to the foundation of who we are as an organization. We encourage workplace recognition through formal peer-to-peer recognition programs, celebrations and outings, and a culture of appreciation that starts at the top. “The CEO, directors, and my managers have all recognized me for the work I’ve done and sent personal emails to me which made me feel on top of the world. I receive recognition from other department managers as well, which is fantastic,” says Bharti, senior analyst, Quality Assurance at CSC Corptax.

If you’re ready to take the next step to build a company culture that sets you apart, take some time to invest in recognition, whether it’s formal programs or simply building a culture of kindness. Get buy-in across the organization and be genuine in your approach. If you’re looking for an employer that values recognition, check us out: corptax.com/about/careers/.