Due to the Covid-19 epidemic, it’s harder for CEOs to express their appreciation. A spontaneous high-five only works in the office, right?

Given the pandemic and WFH movement, we can’t use industrial revolution ideals in today’s workforce. It fails.

Abraham Maslow introduced his hierarchy of needs theory in 1943 which states that Respect and acknowledgement are the fourth levels. We all want our efforts to be valued and acknowledgement and appreciation of work fulfils this requirement.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a theory of motivation which states that five categories of human needs dictate an individual’s behaviour. Those needs are physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs.

Feeling invisible or underappreciated demotivates, disengages, and reduces productivity.

Companies with comprehensive recognition systems are 12 times more likely to achieve financial success. And celebrating an employee’s achievement, big or small, is an affordable, high-impact way to boost engagement and productivity.

These tips can help your company recognise employees better.

You won’t want to be thanking individuals for crossing something off your list. Authentic, personal, and detailed praises are more memorable. Connect what you like about someone’s work and skills to value.

There’s no one-size-fits-all method to honouring co-workers, just as you can’t expect everyone on your team to prefer extra-milk coffee or gluten-free avocado ice cream.

Some like the spotlight and want everyone in the workplace to know about their successes. Others prefer to celebrate significant milestones over modest victories. Some prefer online lessons to gift cards as rewards. Use 1:1 meeting to determine the best way to praise an employee and whom they like to praise.

Despite your busy schedule, it’s essential to recognise your employees. High-level praise is incredibly potent. It makes people feel appreciated and motivated to keep working hard.

How can firm executives show gratitude?

Company-wide meetings like All Hands help highlight an employee’s hard work and achievements. So why not give staff social media praise? Imagine how great they’d feel if customers, partners, and the globe saw their accomplishments.

A monthly reward to employees who exemplify your company’s principles generates a good team atmosphere. If everyone is united with the company’s vision and beliefs, it’s hard to beat.

If Marketing has had a great month, offer them a lavish supper. If everyone is remote, deliver lunch and dine via Zoom. This helps pandemic-stricken local restaurants as well.

Peer-to-peer recognition is 35.7% more likely to improve financial results than manager-only recognition, according to SHRM. In addition, it boosts worker satisfaction by 90%. Lastly, encouraging employees to email each other compliments creates a great working environment that fosters belonging, trust, and collaboration.

Here are some peer-to-peer initiative ideas.

How you reveal and report recognition numbers is as crucial as programme design. Emailing a results spreadsheet or emailing private congrats won’t cut it. Winners must be announced consistently and on time.

The quickest method is to countdown to the end of a sales quarter or programme and let everyone know how much time they have left. Google Slides lets you construct your scoreboard. It interacts with Google Sheets for live leader boards that update on the screen.

All of these will be made more accessible if there is a dedicated enterprise platform to support them. For example, kazoo + WorkTango is an Employee Experience Platform that combines R&R, performance conversations and employee listening.

Showing gratitude to your employees, especially during coronavirus, is a crucial undertaking, not a minor one. Leverage your resources to make everyone feel seen, included, and connected.