What are recognition platforms?

We all love to feel seen and acknowledged for a job well done. Think back to the classroom days when your good work was celebrated with gold stars and pizza parties. As much as we love to think we’ve grown out of our pre-K priorities, let’s be honest — it’s not all that different for us grownups.

Recognition platforms give your teams a way to show their colleagues that they’re appreciated. Using these tools, you can streamline incentive-based rewards, acknowledge achievements, and even celebrate birthdays in style.

It’s almost as if your company had its own unique social media platform — except instead of likes and comments, folks can share gifts, kudos, and acknowledgements to team members.

These platforms can also shed light on core values and trends within your team using data. Many platforms have easy-to-read charts and graphs measuring team performance. This data offers a bird’s eye view into what your teams value, which employees are being absolute rockstars, and where you can find opportunity for improvement.

Common recognition platform services include:

• Peer-to-peer recognition
• Points-based rewards that can be exchanged for tangible goods, like gift cards and other gifts
• The ability to connect to other platforms you’re already using, like Slack or Microsoft teams, to keep the good news front and center
• Analytics to highlight employees’ strengths and uncover company trends
• Automation of important dates, like birthdays and years of company service

How do employees use recognition platforms?

Sometimes it’s the little victories that get us through the day. A deadline met, a helping hand lent, a tech hiccup troubleshooted — these are the building blocks that lead to the big wins.

So, if your employees are doing well, tell them! A recent study shows 84% of highly engaged employees were recognized the last time they did their jobs well.

These little one-ups don’t have to be only top-down memos. Recognition platforms also give your team a way to have peer-to-peer kudos. So next time they see their teammate killin’ it, they can send their own gold stars and high fives. What a way to build team morale.

We’ve all had a colleague save the day at one point or another. Whether they took something off your plate, sent a timely reminder for a Big Deal project, or offered some feedback that helped you level up your A-Game – not all heroes wear capes.

So tell them! With employee recognition software, you can share how grateful you are for your teammate’s help with the whole company and award them points for a job well done. At the end of the month, they can redeem those points for swag, like gift cards or other sweet stuff (who doesn’t love stuff?)

How do recognition platforms impact employees?

Everyone likes to be rewarded and recognized for the good work they do. This is kind of a given.

And the science backs it up: positive and personalized forms of encouragement have been proven to increase results and goodwill from employees. In fact, 86% of workers are happier and feel more pride in their jobs when their work is acknowledged, and 85% note higher job satisfaction.  It’s simple – employees feel better when their work is appreciated and supported.

As you can imagine, this also helps create a positive and fun work culture. The impact can be contagious for your employees. It’s easier to be happy in your work when you’re working and surrounded by cheerful people who know their work is appreciated and valued.

Plus, showing your employees their value through recognition platforms doesn’t just feel good in the moment – it also leads to healthier living. According to the American Psychological Association, feeling valued at work leads to better physical and mental health. Who knew?

Why should employers offer recognition platforms?

When a team member continues to do their job well, day in and day out, they should be recognized for it. It’s just good business sense.

Show them that you are invested in their development. Show them their teammates are invested in their development. 94% of employees say they are likely to stick around longer if their companies are invested in their career development.

Why? One word: engagement. Giving your team a streamlined way to communicate and reward each other leads to more engagement in the work that they do. Recognition platforms give them the feedback they crave to stay engaged. A 2020 study showed a 59% increase in engagement among employees who were provided some type of feedback program.

Employees tend to stay (or go) where they feel valued. Companies with recognition platforms have 31% less employee turnover. The average cost to replace an employee can be up to 2 times an employee's salary. Retaining the members of your organization will save you money in the long haul.

It’s simple: Just saying you appreciate them isn’t enough. Actions speak louder than words. Show them how much they mean to your organization.

What are the best employee gifting and recognition platforms?

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