How to Use Public Recognition to Boost Performance

I recently attended an awards ceremony at my kid’s elementary school. I was very proud to cheer on both my son and daughter as they won awards and I could tell the kids who won awards were all very excited to have done so. Then it occurred to me that this same principle can be applied to the workplace.

Just because your employees aren’t in elementary school doesn’t mean they don’t want to be recognized for their work. Here’s why public recognition is important in your business and how it can improve overall performance. 

Use Awards To Improve Company Culture and Encourage Goal Setting

Studies show that employees value public recognition and feeling valued by their employers more than they value the amount of money they’re making. A company culture that doesn’t include room for awards or public recognition will lead to dissatisfied employees, poor performance and a high turnover rate. Given the small pool of skilled laborers in the home services industry, it’s important to retain the talent you have when you have it. 

Additionally, when awards and recognition are on the line, employees will have a goal to work towards. This can inspire them to work hard and be their best. 

Participation Awards Won’t Cut It

It’s important to remember that any reward your employees receive needs to be just that: a reward. If every single employee receives an award for the sake of making sure no one feels left out, they will accept their current performance as the status quo. Making sure the rewards are not a guarantee for all employees further pushes them to work towards that goal and can even build up a little friendly competition. 

How Often Should Your Employees Be Rewarded?

At Service Excellence Training we’ve been using yearly rewards, but for home services, I recommend doing a quarterly reward. Reminding different employees that they are valued every quarter can boost their ambition throughout each season and maintains a culture of mutual appreciation. 

Examples of Awards for Employees

We recommend you get creative with your awards and tailor them to your business’s values. However, if you’re not sure what rewards will work for your business, you can start with the ones listed below:

• Highest sales award
• Best customer service award
• Most interactive on social media award
• Stand out employee award

Making sure your employees feel like valued members of your team is an important aspect of developing an empowered company culture. To learn more about ways to improve your company’s culture and so much more, sign up for one of our Manager or Owner Classes!