Recognizing Employee's Excellence at the workplace

What if Ishan Awasthi was praised for his artwork rather than being scolded for his homework? What if Farhan was praised enough for his photography skills rather than being pushed toward engineering? They might have had enough encouragement and confidence to go for what they excelled at. Similarly to this, encouraging and praising people at the workplace for the work they do goes a long way in boosting their confidence. With all of us trying to survive in the corporate culture nowadays, words of encouragement help us thrive in that cultural setup.

The growth of an organization not only depends on the strategic plans devised by the management but also on its workforce. Employees make up one of the most important constituents of an organization. Thus, creating an environment where employees feel included and supported by their management is of utmost necessity for any organization to thrive.

“A happy employee can make the company more productive”

Below cited are some of the reasons why praising someone who is striving hard enhances the productivity of the team and has a positive outcome for the organization:

1. Science says it all: According to a study in 2012, one of the brain & reward centers, the striatum, is activated by praise. This process, known as & skill consolidation," is thought to be enhanced by praise since it stimulates this region, according to researchers. Or, to put it another way, we encourage people to grow and perform better by complimenting them. You can also say that complimenting someone makes them a better learner and performer. Similarly to this, praising employees in a workplace becomes all the more important for someone in a managerial position.

2. Acknowledgement: In the fast-paced world we are living in, it is easy to feel inadequate and out of place or left behind, but simple words of encouragement can beam you up with a sense of inclusivity and belonging in a group. Being praised for your work makes you feel that your hard work is getting acknowledged. Not feeling acknowledged at work can make an employee anxious regarding their skills and place in an organization. Remember the last time someone complimented you for something, how did it feel?

3. Employer-employee relations: Getting praised for the work you put in and being acknowledged by your employer also leads to improving the relations between the management and the employees. It benefits organizations on multiple levels as it leads to better employee engagement, fewer conflicts with the management, and a healthy supportive work environment. Also, Companies with high employee engagement are 22% more profitable, as per a study by the employee communications platform Smarp.

4. High Productivity Levels: It should come as no surprise that employing employee incentive tactics encourages workers to perform more productively, which leads to higher income. However, few individuals realize that a productive manner of working also improves employee experience by promoting increased job satisfaction. People tend to engage more in their work and be more satisfied with the kind of work they are doing if they think their work is being acknowledged and their hard work is being respected. If someone is putting in the hours and receiving no acknowledgment in return, their productivity is bound to decline as they will start to lose interest in what they are doing.

5. Absenteeism: Employers that recognize the value of motivation in management understand that leaders get the most out of their staff when they are helpful rather than criticizing. Employees, when they feel the management care about their well-being, tend to be more productive and inclined towards coming to the office and giving their best. Employees are less anxious and overburdened when their boss is concerned about their team's workload and well-being.

All these reasons become very important when we realize that each and every individual is going through the same hectic routine and encouragement can go a long way in maintaining the energy of an individual to thrive in a similar environment. Management needs to praise and encourage employees for them to keep themselves motivated because after all ‘“You are as good as your team is”.

When employees are praised for their work it boosts their morale and they feel motivated, engaged, productive, and satisfied with their job.

Author: Neetu Jaiswal, Founder Nevoxel

Rohan Khulbe, Management Intern( IIM Kashipur)