Top 5 Reasons Why Recognition Should Be Social

Most employee recognition software programs include a social recognition component. This makes recognition given between peers visible across the organisation, and in many instances, other colleagues can like or add comments while managers can also add rewards.

Some organisations baulk at the idea of turning that social functionality on: some maybe more conservative, some maybe more apprehensive about the comments that will appear, some may believe that their employee demographics aren’t interested in that kind of publicity.

Having seen the success of a social recognition platform across industries from manufacturing to finance and including organisations with four generations in the workplace, here are the top five reasons why social recognition is a key driver in successful employee engagement programs.

1. Role-modelling 

   • Peers can easily see who is being recognised and for what and how often. Social sharing clearly demonstrates what “good” looks like and what kind of behaviours to adopt in order to earn those accolades.
     
     

2. Connect decentralised teams

   • Many people work on virtual teams, cross-functional teams or have flexible hours where they’re away from the office frequently. Social recognition functionality keeps all recognitions in one hub, so no matter when or where they work, employees are in the loop and able to participate.
     
     

3. Transparency

   • Adopting a culture of recognition can take time, and it’s important that leadership sets the tone. Social recognition creates transparency around how active the organisation’s leadership team is, and demonstrates what behaviours they find worthy of praise. This produces an environment in which recognising each other is accepted and encouraged.
     
     

4. Spotlight effect

   • People crave attention – just count all of the “likes” on Facebook and you’ll see just how hungry we are for the approval of our peers and how much we enjoy both receiving - and giving - compliments. When employees are recognised, they’re likely to repeat the behaviour that earned the recognition. Why? Because it produces a double-dopamine rush: doing the behaviour feels great, and being in the spotlight for it does too.
     
     

5. Interaction

   • Recognition can be more than just a giver-to-receiver transaction. With social recognition, others can interact with the recognition. With “likes”, comments, rewards, avatars, badges and profiles, more people can contribute to that one simple instance, giving it a longer life. It keeps both givers and receivers coming back to your platform for more.
     
     

Social recognition can seem scary – the idea that everything is open to everyone. However, a smart recognition platform will include safeguards for privacy preferences, keeping the circuit internal and managing the number of initiatives that include a social aspect. Got more questions? Contact us for a demo of social recognition in action today!