06/09/2020

Four Reasons to Rethink Employee Recognition in the Remote Work Era

Don't overlook accomplishments just because the team isn’t together

Employee recognition often occurs in public—during all-hands meetings, in office celebrations, even via email messages from organizational leaders. But when the team isn’t together in the workplace, employees need to be recognized in different ways. Here’s why:

“Out of sight, out of mind” is a huge risk right now. In more typical times, when most employees are at the office, it’s easy for leaders to overlook the important work contributed by a small number of remote employees. This oversight is even more of a danger when everyone is working remote, notes Melissa Meunier of Engage 2 Excel. “The most important thing to remember is that what we’ve been used to, when we worked in our offices, the manufacturing plants, etc., is the opportunity to see one another,” Meunier writes. “Everyone was visible; their work was visible. Now people are sequestered away in their homes, and we don’t have the same visibility or connection opportunities.” And that can lead to gaps in appreciation.

Remote employees need affirmation and empathy. Employer empathy is a huge factor in employee satisfaction, and it’s increasingly important for organizations to show their staff that they care, says Kevin Yip of the employee reward platform Blueboard, in comments to Built In. “We hear our companies shifting focus to, ‘How do we engage, motivate, and retain our people now?’” he says. “We always talk about this idea of organizational empathy. Right now, it’s incredibly important to meet your people where they are.”

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.