3 Ways to Make Praising Employees a Cultural Must-Do

“Amazing work.” “You nailed it.” “I see how hard you work.” There’s really no substitute for acknowledging people in your organization when they do well. So why don’t more leaders recognize their team members’ contributions? Often, the problem comes down to benign neglect. Many leaders have so much on their plates that they forget how consistently highlighting others’ wins can reap powerful benefits, starting with unity.

Employees who feel appreciated and valued are more likely to get on board with new ideas, collaborate with peers, and (more generally) do their best. When they hear praise directed at their colleagues, they get excited to be part of an organization and culture that notices when people go the extra mile. This inspires employees to double down on promoting the corporate mission, whatever it might be.

Perhaps the biggest benefit is that your people will be happier, which fosters engagement. Satisfied employees boast about their employers, refer their friends when jobs open up, and stick around because they don’t want to leave. The Great Resignation has shown just how tricky it can be to retain talented people. Giving well-deserved praise is one of the least expensive ways to decrease turnover. Plus, it can be more effective in the long haul than raising salaries. (Although you should still pay a fair and competitive wage.)

According to a McKinsey & Company survey on why employees quit, workers cited “no sense of belonging” or “not being valued by a manager” as two of the most critical reasons for wanting to leave their jobs. In contrast, they listed “inadequate compensation” much farther down the list.

Setting Formal and Informal Standards for Routine Praise

In general, most at-work “people acknowledgments” fall into one of two categories: formal or informal. For instance, stopping to congratulate a salesperson in the hallway on signing a huge contract would be informal because of the impromptu nature of the event. On the other hand, sending out an email about the deal to everyone in the department or company (depending upon your setup) could fall into a more formal process of always acknowledging sales above a certain threshold.

Ideally, you’ll want to have a mix of formal and informal praise going around your company. Below are some strategies to make sure you and the rest of your team recognize employee behaviors, attributes, and good deeds when they happen:

1. Include praise in all coaching sessions. Employees can get a great deal of knowledge and insights out of private coaching or mentoring sessions with their supervisors. However, supervisors frequently fall into the habit of using these sessions as times to point out what went wrong and how to fix problems in the future. This can leave employees feeling like they’re being punished. It can also add to their belief that these meetings are wasteful.

Coaching sessions aren’t about tearing people down or making them wish they were doing something else. It’s about building people up and working with them to reach their full potential. For every piece of constructive feedback, leaders should include three to five points of positive praise. Additionally, they should learn to use the word “and” rather than “but.”

For instance, “You kept your calm with that angry customer, but I would recommend talking even less next time” versus “You kept your calm with that angry customer, and I would recommend talking even less next time.” It’s a subtle difference but sounds helpful, not disappointed. It also shows that you’ve noticed the employee doing something well.

2. Require leadership to recognize at least one team member weekly. This type of hard requirement serves two purposes. First, you know that leaders understand you value praise. Secondly, you know that acknowledgment is more likely to happen than not.

Be aware that you might get some pushback from leaders who aren’t accustomed to leading from a place of appreciation. Many might feel like this is forced, but just reiterate that they have the ability to choose who they’re going to praise. In other words, you’re giving them the freedom and authority to be truthful.

It’s worth adding that truth is a critical aspect of on-the-job praise. Leaders must only recognize people who have done something successfully. If leadership recognizes Employee A, and Employee A has a lousy attitude and hasn’t been performing well, that praise will backfire. Authenticity is critical because it fosters trust. Gallup research shows that it’s vital for managers to make trust inroads if they want their organizations to succeed. By praising genuinely, leaders can increase their trust currency with employees.

3. Fold recognition into the culture of your company. Nothing makes praising colleagues easier than having Teams or Slack channels dedicated to recognizing the efforts of team members. Without these vehicles, people might not know how to show their appreciation or acknowledgment. By setting up simple, authorized places to show gratitude and “woot!” moments, you’re making praise a normal part of your culture.

Weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly awards can be other ways to strategically praise wins and achievements. These awards should involve each department—and not just sales! Although your sales department is essential, your sales team members aren’t the only ones doing good things for your company. Get creative when determining what types of awards to give out, such as higher customer satisfaction ratings, most support calls answered, or something unique to your organization.

Remember that awards tend to include prizes. In addition to stipends, bonuses, and plaques, all-expenses-paid trips can be great ways to show your thanks in memorable ways.

You’ve surrounded yourself with a group of people who were chosen for a reason. Make sure they’re not forced to wonder if their contributions are being noticed or overlooked. Even the most modest kids’ soccer team has its cheerleaders—your team deserves to get regular shout-outs, too.

Eric Watkins is the president of outbound sales at Abstrakt Marketing Group, a business growth company that provides lead generation solutions.