It’s no secret that recognizing your people is crucial to building a strong team of engaged, happy employees. That’s why it was a topic of conversation at last week’s IABC Speed Networking event in San Francisco. I swapped ideas and advice from fellow communicators on ways to infuse recognition into a company’s culture. So what’s important for creating an amazing employee recognition program? Here are some tips:

• Make it simple. Some of the most-loved programs – a shout-out on an employee’s intranet profile page or a personal thank you from an executive - don’t need to be time-intensive or costly.
• Authenticity is best. Like all communications, recognition should feel genuine, and if possible, specific to an individual’s work. A blanket “great job” works, but “great job for a leading a successful product launch” is even better.  
• Offer access to leaders. Your people want to interact face-to-face with leaders to ask them questions and get to know them better. Give top performers a chance to have lunch or coffee with the CEO or department head. Plus, this gives employees a chance to see the connection between their daily work and overall company strategy.  According to data from our own award-winning Employee Experience Survey, connecting the dots between an employee’s job and business results leads to higher engagement.
• Try different approaches. Keep in mind that people may look for recognition in different ways. Some companies spotlight their employee super stars on the company SharePoint page while others give ribbons or posters to employees to hang in their work space. Try a few options to test what resonates with your people.

What employee recognition programs have worked well for you? Share in the comments below.