Jenn Tekin

There is substantial impact on an organization’s culture when employees feel recognized and appreciated.   Leaders today are turning to the use of recognition assessment tools to ensure proper recognition program design to fully utilize the benefits that stem from a highly engaged and motivated workforce. Gallup confirms that companies with high levels of employee engagement enjoy a significant uplift of business performance indicators.

Taking the time to evaluate what motivates employees is a critical step towards increasing engagement levels throughout the workforce. By identifying the similarities and differences in employee attitudes, assessment tools communicate to organizational leaders what type of recognition will inspire their workplace.  When used effectively, leaders can extrapolate the data to create meaningful recognition programs that increase job satisfaction and productivity.

Recognition Assessment Design

Today, organizations are looking beyond the demographics of the work environment and are evaluating how employees feel about current recognition methods, their knowledge on how to use the programs and reward preferences.  This is also the time to ensuring the right recognition program message is resonating with employees.  For example, do employees know what it takes to achieve a program nomination? Do they know how programs tie to the overall mission and values of the company? 

Manager insights can also render a different outlook on the effectiveness of current recognition programs. Evaluating an organization’s recognition practices from the manager’s perspective can communicate to leaders and program managers if recognition programs are being utilized to their full capacity.  As the direct point of contact for employees, do they know how to recognize employees effectively? Are managers concerned when giving recognition that it is viewed by peers as consistent and fair? And does management have the proper tools to share new programs with their team? The results of a manager’s recognition assessment can attest to their program knowledge and provide a foundation for how future programs are developed, implemented and managed.  

Recognition Assessment Data

Take the time to evaluate what motivates employees.

Employee recognition assessments are highly measurable and provide an invaluable way to demonstrate the bottom-line impact of engagement in the workplace.  Establishing key metrics at the program onset provides a standard to benchmark against as results are tracked in the future.  Research from Bersin & Associates’ indicates that 71 percent of organizations measure employee engagement.  The data collected from recognition assessments acts as the conduit to solid program development and achieving an engaged workforce.

“The statistical analysis from recognition and reward assessment gives leaders an in-depth view of which programs are working and why, where there are inconsistencies and opportunities to refine,” comments Lisa Muniz, Sales Account Executive and Certified Incentive Professional at Sodexo Motivation Solutions. “Utilizing a qualified recognition partner to assess an organization’s recognition structure can maximize their program design and implementation efforts resulting in more successful campaigns.”  

Designing and executing effective recognition programs are best accomplished when leaders have a current pulse of the workplace culture.  Leveraging assessment tools is a skillful way to gauge the current ‘state of recognition’ in the organization.  With the valuable insights attained through recognition assessment, organizations can work toward truly developing a motivational culture that drives high employee engagement.

Jennifer Tekin is a Senior Marketing Manager for Sodexo Motivation Solutions.