Any business leader knows that an employee recognition program isn’t a luxury - it’s a necessity. High employee turnover costs much more than investing in employee rewards programs, yet only 40% of employees receive recognition just a few times a year or less. This likely only happens on a work anniversary, birthday, or during the holiday season.
If you’re a savvy business or HR professional, you know it might not be enough to give every employee the same generic gift card on their birthday. However, you aren’t alone if you’re struggling with how to improve the employee experience.
From generational differences to employees' rising desire to feel like they belong, employee recognition strategies continue to change rapidly. Let’s get you caught up to speed with some tried and true techniques for how to improve the employee experience in 2024.
We’ll talk about why the human touch is essential when considering what to offer your employees, different appreciation styles, and actionable tips you can implement.
Offer More Than Gift Cards and Prizes
Workplace trends predicted for 2024 include continued demand for flexible schedules and burnout among employees. With 41% of employees predicted to walk out on employers in 2024, the writing on the wall is clear. It’s imperative that workplaces incentivize employees to stay. Everyone's motivation is different and an employer knowing what each person wants allows for them to personalize the culture and experience. This leads to higher retention rates.
It makes sense that a lack of personalization regarding employee recognition and rewards isn’t getting the job done. Employees are more likely to produce better work more often if they’re personally recognized. Personal recognition can help us feel connected to others, make us feel like a valued part of our team, and give us a sense of purpose and meaning.
And you don’t need to only give recognition during the holiday season or other ideal times. The effect of 'unexpected' appreciation can be a heavy influencer. In Sparck’s software, for example, people can share HOW they want to be recognized, and managers can provide recognition not only for major events but also for minor things.
Employees spend the better part of their lives at work, so for many people, finding meaning at work is essential – particularly post-pandemic. The focus on a sense of connection, flexibility, personal growth, and a shared purpose at work rose in the last 3 years, with 82% of employees saying it’s important that their employer sees them as a person - not just as another cog in a machine.
Going forward, consider skipping buying gift cards in bulk. When it comes time to recognize an employee, meet their need for personalized recognition by considering what they would appreciate. If you would have bought them a gift card to Starbucks before, bring their favorite drink to work as a surprise. If you know they love candles, surprise them with one you hand-picked. This allows employees to know that you see them, you hear them, and you recognize what they aren't sharing with you verbally.
The key is investing time, effort, and thought into appreciating them. By taking the time to appreciate employees how they prefer to be appreciated – whether it’s words of gratitude, small gifts, or support at work – you’re showing that you value them!
But we can’t forget about recognition preferences. Some employees prefer to be recognized privately, while others want to be celebrated in front of the entire team. Different recognition preferences may be appropriate for different occasions.
For example, if an employee hits a huge work milestone, they may want a shoutout on a virtual team call. On the other hand, a handwritten note from you might be perfect for a more personal occasion like their birthday. It’s all about understanding and asking what makes the person most comfortable.
When you take the time to note your employees' preferences and customize recognition for every person, you create a strong culture of appreciation in your workplace.
Be Mindful of Different Generations’ Experiences
Workplace reward programs are designed to meet the needs of the majority of workers, currently Gen X and Boomers. However, Millenials and Gen Z are expected to constitute the majority of the workforce by 2025 – and we suggest businesses adjust their rewards programs to meet the shifting workforce needs!
There are widespread similarities across all generations regarding what type of reward they prefer. Surprise — it’s cash and gift cards. However, there are a few minor differences employers may want to consider, specifically when comparing younger workers.
The Incentive Research Foundation reported that younger workers are much more likely to enjoy any kind of merchandise, experience, and group reward travel than their older counterparts. As Gen Z continues to enter the workforce, consider integrating these rewards as you learn how to improve the employee experience.
Not sure what your employees prefer? Check out these 7 questions to ask employees about rewards and recognition!
However, don’t blindly assume everyone in a generation has particular preferences because of when they were born.
While generational experience is valuable when considering rewards, it’s not a be-all, end-all. It’s more important to reward an employee based on their individual preferences rather than the preferences of their entire generation.
Personalization is the Future of Employee Appreciation
A sense of belonging in the workplace helps employees feel connected and valued. Feeling like you belong at work helps so much that employee performance rises by 56% in workplaces that foster a culture of belonging. If your employees don't feel like they belong – their work, their attitude, how they show up, engage, and interact with others – it's all in jeopardy.
Show employees you appreciate their individuality instead of expecting them to mold themselves to your workplace. Proactively communicate opportunities and ideas to employees about promoting workplace inclusion and belonging.
Provide employees with benefits and initiatives that support their well-being and recognize specific demographic groups. This can look like a flexible work schedule or recognition of identity-based celebrations with input from team members.
When it comes to actionable ways to show employee appreciation in the workplace, here are some of our Sparck favorites for 2024:
- Implement cost-effective personalized recognition – appreciation doesn’t need to come with a hefty price tag!
- Prioritize employee development
- Act quickly on employee feedback
- Ask employees for their input
- Hold regular social events
- Encourage the use of PTO
- Have an emotional wellness support system in place
- Provide the option for a flexible work schedule
Not sure which one is better for your employees? Our #BeHeard employee survey can help you measure employee engagement in your workplace, provide you with areas of improvement, and give you actionable tips for how to improve the employee experience.
Sparck is different than other employee experience platforms. We give you actionable insights not only into what employees have said, but how important they have ranked the area and benchmarks for the industry.
Our workplace experience platform creates human-centered solutions for the challenges people face in the workplace. We aim to help employees and their organizations succeed through personalized recognition and appreciation!
How You Can Improve the Employee Experience
Now you know how to improve employee experiences in 2024. You have options from personalizing employee rewards for each person’s recognition style to knowing generational differences and actionable ideas.
Inclusion and appreciation of individuality are more important than ever. If you remember one thing, remember this: Your employees are human beings with entire lives outside of work, just like you! It’s no longer an option to ignore that in our world’s new emerging workplace.
So go forth and make a meaningful difference in your employees’ lives. After all, as Maya Angelou said, you will be remembered for how you made others feel. By creating a workplace people look forward to coming to, you’re contributing to positive change in how the world approaches work.
But you don’t need to do it on your own. Leaders like you shape the future, and Sparck is here to support you along the way. We understand each employee’s unique recognition style and match recognition and rewards accordingly.
Check out our free Appreciation Style Team Building Toolkit and learn how Sparck can help your organization build a culture of appreciation!
