A Recognition Strategy is a great way to keep employees motivated and engaged and does not need to break the bank. Here are some low-cost ideas for establishing a scheme and helping it achieve its potential.

1. Run a competition to name your scheme – One of our clients created a peer-to-peer ‘Thank You’ scheme, activated through the Hapi App. As part of the planning phase, their HR built buy-in, excitement and engagement by running an all-staff competition to name it.
2. Think hybrid - One of the biggest challenges facing businesses now is making sure that remote workers’ contributions don't go unnoticed. Without water cooler conversations and coffee breaks, a lot more decisions and accomplishments are becoming invisible. Could you create 5-10 minutes in your day for people to simply talk? Perhaps with someone they do not yet know? Could you build on this ‘chat’ by encouraging peer-to-peer nominations?
3. Celebrate the ‘best of the best’ - Building in a company-wide prize draw element can generate real excitement. We worked with a client who had implemented a non-financial peer-to-peer Thank you, to extend to a quarterly prize draw for all those who had been nominated. They gave £25 vouchers and did the draw live on a company call. Not only did this generate great engagement and excitement, it also encouraged nominations.
4. Make it personal - In some ways hybrid working has made it easier to personalise things. Video calls often happen with life going on in the background and sometimes this can give colleagues and managers a priceless window into what an employee might value. Kids running amok? Babysitting vouchers… Dogs barking in the background? Pets and Home voucher. Spare room in need of a spruce-up? B&Q. The more personal the reward, the more heartfelt the recognition.
5. Make Recognition happen – Some of our clients fall into the trap of assuming their recognition will happen, even when they don't commit time and resource. The best schemes are often managed by one person. It may not be their full-time role, but it’s part of it, and plays into their KPIs. We've helped these people map out recognition calendars across the year, with polished communications reminding staff to say thank you and recognise each other at opportune times. With good planning, these reminders can also be aligned with other internal communications such as newsletters, weekly staff emails or management meetings.
6. Toolkits to help managers – Can your managers be more proactive in asking others for feedback? Could you use catch-ups between managers and direct reports to fuel recognition? Saying thank you comes naturally to some but not to others. To help standardise things and build consistency across the business and departments, you can create Toolkits to help managers with ways to harvest feedback and nominations.
7. Go Digital - One common frustration among workers is that they have no formal way of recognising colleagues. In most cases a smartphone app like HAPI can make all the difference. HAPI provides that channel and removes many of the barriers that exist for hybrid workers. Its in-built recognition channel works like a news feed, telling peers and managers when people are recognised or nominated. On a very simple level people can send colleagues thank you messages or cards, and by companies putting some budget behind it, colleagues can win vouchers or points to redeem vouchers for coffee or other treats. Because it’s app-based, it’s on your phone and in your pocket, so everyone is included. Obviously, this requires some investment, but many of our clients are using HAPI for their benefits and voucher schemes anyway, so switching on the Recognition functionality give even more return on that investment.
8. Stay Future-proof - However good it is, never assume that your scheme will tick over forever. Businesses take important steps and make key decisions all the time, and some of those might unwittingly erode the way your scheme works. Consider this regularly. Also, make sure recognition is included in all new staff inductions, and give newly promoted managers all the training they need. If you don't do these simple things, an increasing proportion of your staff will become disengaged.

For a Hapi demo or to speak with one of our consultants about Recognition strategies and schemes, please Get in Touch.

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