As we recently discussed, social media can be used to boost your brand, but it can also be an effective tool to recognize your employees. As Millennials continue to represent more and more of the workforce, as well as the ever-present rise of technology, the use of social media for employee recognition will continue to be even more relevant.
When you incorporate social media into your program, the public acknowledgement of achievement can have an incredibly positive impact on the recipient. It’s trickle-down effect to others working around them also fosters additional “feel-good” vibes. Peer-to-peer recognition programs, like the ones that we implement, amplify your employee recognition results. While we advise against creating a work environment where your employees are pitted against each other, which in turn, can lead to disengagement, low morale, and negative attitudes, using social media for recognition can foster friendly competition with a positive outcome. When someone is given accolades via your company’s social media outlet, it can inadvertently spark some motivation by someone else to want the next “shout out.”
Many factors of posting on social media, lend themselves to what we know about employees and how to keep them engaged. The immediacy of social media allows you to highlight successes that are happening in your office every day. The increasing presence of the digital world drives people’s need for instant and immediate feedback or gratification; using social media makes this possible. You don’t have to wait to send out a company email blast or mention it in the next meeting. When people are recognized right away, the motivation to continue their performance at that desired level is more likely to carry over. If you are recognized a month later for an achievement, you are less likely to maintain that same motivation, because the recognition has lost it’s appeal. We also know that in general, people are thriving off more consistent and constant feedback. This channel helps you do just that.
When recognizing employees on social media, you are also able to reach more users. There is a much broader audience, and those users will see that you value your employees, their contributions, and even your community. Circling back to helping your brand, maybe you post about a certain employee or group of employees getting involved in your community. This boosts both brand and employee recognition.
What does your recognition program look like? Could it use a refresh?
