12 simple ways to recognise hybrid employees.

Recognition is more important than ever but may need to be re-considered given how employees now work. Pre-pandemic, the moments being recognised and the way they were celebrated was typically designed around one or two work environments – maybe an office and on the road. In 2022, it’s critical to consider recognition equity for those working at home, in the office, on the road, from a rural location or a hybrid version. There are lots of ways to fairly show appreciation for everyday actions and achievements – even without company-wide software - and you don’t need a big budget to start.

Share these easy recognition ideas with your managers and encourage them to celebrate the moments that matter for all employees. Starting today.

#1. Post to Slack, Teams or the intranet.

Share a message of recognition with the whole company on your communication platform. No matter what channels you are using, you can share great moments for everyone to see. You might even go to the effort of setting up a dedicated recognition stream or avatar and use that for all the moments that matter. A great way to amplify the moment no matter where your team are today.

#2. Celebrate your team on Teams.

While we are all a little (lot?) over Zoom and Teams calls, they are here to stay. Celebrate a big win with your whole team by bringing a fun vibe to your next meeting. Load up your background to suit the moment, call out the significant achievements that deserve a high-five and let everyone share their appreciation.

#3. Personal notes.

Recognition from the top is still important and can easily be missed without a tool like recognition software. Ask your leaders to sign a stack of cards so you can add messages for the right moments and post them out. While it’s a bit old school and the card won’t arrive immediately, your employees will be delighted when it does.

#4. Summer Fridays.

We are all feeling the affect of the last few years, people are exhausted. With comfort around travel still low, some of your employees may be banking their vacay days for a destination holiday, rather than taking the time now to recharge. Giving them ‘Summer Fridays’ to relax is a great way to recognise their efforts and help them come back strong #winning!

#5. Study hours.

Many employees are upskilling to stay relevant or to fit new roles and gaps that have been created by the pandemic. Help your employees get an A+ on their next assignment with hours off to study. Not only will you be investing in their future, but their future with you. And with the movement of talent we are seeing today expected to continue, anything that drives loyalty is a good thing.

#6. Share recognition on your employee socials.

If you have an employee Facebook page, it’s a great place to share the good work that’s happening around the business for all to see. Larger organisations often have pages dedicated to employees, where they can chat and connect so adding good news stories is a great way to showcase these moments. Some companies even do this on their public profiles but up to you as to how loudly you want to blow the recognition trumpet.

#7. On-the-job mentoring.

There are so many people in the business with invaluable experience and knowledge. Reward your team with mentoring from one of their company idols. It might just be a few hours or a more permanent set-up, but will give back in more ways than you can count. And while some of these sessions may be best suited to being in front of a screen, encourage your team to think differently and do the session in a local park or as a walking meeting. The fresh air will help bring fresh thinking and allow them to soak up the knowledge.

#8. Facetime with the CEO.

You don’t have to do this one face-to-face (although that may work too) but reward your employees with time with the CEO. A video call with the head honcho goes both ways – employees love being heard by leaders and leaders usually want to get closer to their people and gain insights that help shape the company. Win-win!

#9. Pitch an idea.

Your employees likely have great ideas on how to improve things, adapt to new ways or working or kick off new revenue streams. Recognise them with the chance to pitch their ideas to the leadership team. You never know where this might lead but you may just uncover one of your employees is the newest product hero.

#10. Mindfulness at work.

With most people feeling overwhelmed trying to balance work and life in an ever-changing world, recognise your employees with some time to just breathe. For those working at home, it can feel like work is life and life is work so a little mental space goes a long way. Apps like Headspace lead you through short moments of mindfulness, many designed around particular topics like stress, anxiety, overwhelm or fatigue. Encouraging your team to take a short break will leave them refreshed and on-point for the rest of the day.

#11. Freebie hours.

The move to the kitchen table has blurred the lines between work time and personal time. Many employees now spend far more personal time doing work tasks and even if it’s just checking emails late at night, it’s not beneficial - for them or you. Recognise your employees with a few extra hours to catch up on life admin, binge their favourite show or just lay in the park and reflect. Either way, some ‘me time’ will do wonders for focus and motivation – and will be well received no matter where they are working from.

 
#12. Coffee and a walk.

Give your team an energy boost in recognition of their efforts with a walk to the local café. This one sounds hard to manage but simply letting them know they can take an hour, adding Uber dollars to their account or allowing them to expense claim it, means they will be energized from the stroll and the caffeine. If you have reusable cups in your company swag cupboard, you could send them one with a little voucher letting them know how much you appreciate them.

While company-wide software streamlines the recognition process and removes all the manual work, it’s still possible to share your appreciation without it. Putting some thought behind the design of recognition will ensure your efforts are well received by all and rewarding for those who deliver great work.

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