The Magic of Recognition

Technology has disrupted the business for good. It seems new ways of working and new codes of conduct are being written for everything especially as it relates to remote working.

In my experience, many factors determine the employee engagement at work including the role, environment, opportunity to grow, relationships at work etc. A well delivered employee recognition can be a strong lever for employee motivation, engagement and retention.

As I think about the employee recognition program for my team for this new year, I am wondering what else are leaders of virtual teams doing and what are the new best practices.

When I look back on my 20+ years career, there were 2 recognition programs that were a huge success. Let me share these with you in anticipation that when we all back to physical offices full time you may want to try these.

1. Amway Success Party

I was the leader of Market Research for Amway India when I experienced the real magic of recognition. Amway's CEO, William Pinckney hosted this grand annual party where all employees and their families were invited. Achievers were called out on stage in the presence of their families… and oh boy… what a moment it was! Bill made it a point to shake hands with family members and tell parents and spouses how much he appreciated their son or daughter or spouses' contribution and the family's support throughout the year. I was fortunate to be called on stage and even today my mother thinks Amway was my best employer.

2. General Mills Family Day

As part of our recognition program we celebrated the 'Family Day'. Employee families were invited to the workplace and parents, spouses and children all got a first-hand view of where their loved ones were spending time at work. They would look at all the recognition and rewards (certificates, trophies and all things fun on the workstations) their wards were getting for their contributions. The energy of the place amplified as proud families of employees walked the office floor. I received them to our 'Insights world', shook hands, talked to them and we felt like one big extended family. No wonder we enjoyed a high employee engagement and a super high retention rate. 

I learnt that a large annual event can accentuate a culture of recognition but more importantly that a leader is responsible for creating a workplace where employees feel wanted, recognized and that their contributions are valued on an on-going basis. 

So back to my question - What are some of the magic moments you have created and what are the best practices for recognition in virtual teams?