Employee recognition is celebrated around the globe on the 21st of September every year. Commonly known as World Gratitude Day. This unofficial celebration gives the opportunity to employers to recognize the hard work and contribution of their employees. But, why only recognize your employees hard work on that day? There are multiple ways for employers to implement successful ideas for employee recognition in the healthcare industry.
Recognizing an employee’s effort may be challenging, especially with the current COVID-19 pandemic forcing many industries to reduce their workforce. Over 40 million Americans filed for unemployment in the last three months, according to Pulse. Healthcare employees are often frontliners working in high-stress situations. This drastic increase in layoffs has resulted in weak employee engagement throughout the health sector.
It is obvious that implementing an employee recognition program is a necessity for the healthcare industry. Below are 4 easy-to-implement ideas to create your own program.
Getting a pat on the back from a colleague gives a bump to one’s motivation and goes a long way in building a team. 28% of companies having implemented peer-to-peer feedback report improved employee retention. Setting this up is simple: prepare feedback forms, spread them around the staff, and reward those deserving it. You can use this feedback form from Morrill County Hospital as a starting point. Alternatively, you can also opt for a more robust and eco-friendly peer recognition platform that allows coworkers and managers to show their appreciation via a mobile app, at any time and from anywhere.
Recognizing an employee’s effort to get to his workplace on time and stay a bit longer when necessary is often underrated. Reward the most diligent workers to encourage the same behavior in others. Using a timesheet app will make this process a breeze and can prove very handy for your payroll team. Additionally, you can enhance employee engagement by rewarding performance goals with redeemable points that can be exchanged for awards.
Long hours of high-stress work may eventually take their toll off the healthcare staff. Providing employees with massage chairs in their workplace can help them escape the stress and improve their overall health, while potentially saving your organization a lot of money (quick fact: General Motors spends more on healthcare costs than on steel). If massage chairs are too out-of-the-box for you, just think of other ways/tools that can be used for relaxation.
Avoid “classic” rewards such as gift cards when showing your appreciation of an employee’s hard work. Most likely, employees have been treated similarly in previous workplaces. Instead, choose a symbolic reward that triggers an emotional response and shows you care. One way to do this would be rewarding them with something linked to their passion, such as tickets to their favorite sport’s team upcoming match. You can also choose rewards customized with your company emblem which your employees will be proud to win, or achieve.
Employers who are authentic and show empathy directly contributes to employee retention, according to 96% of employees. Right from the beginning, get all your employees on board. Brainstorm ideas if needed, and always make your objectives clear. Listen to their concerns and be receptive to suggestions.
Implementing an employee recognition program in place will require a budget. Calculate the resources you will need by setting up a recognition calendar and deciding on how often rewards will be distributed. In most cases, you can fork out this budget from your team building activities.
Empower your managers and leadership to make decisions related to employee well-being. When employees feel supported by their managers, 91% claim they feel motivated to give their maximum at work. The more supportive and empathetic your managers are, the more productive your team will be.
The mobile industry is booming, it is common sense to make use of mobile applications in your business process. An employee recognition software will definitely add value to the staff experience and contribute to employee loyalty. You can set standards and rewards with a behavior-driven application, while monitoring employee progress in real-time.
In the highly competitive healthcare industry, rooting employee recognition to your company culture can only make you stronger. When their efforts are recognized, 69% of employees say they would work harder. The earlier you start an employee recognition program, the earlier you reap the benefits that result from keeping your employees satisfied.
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