Unlocking Employee Potential: The Power of Recognition in HR

Brandy Grubaugh, MBA, SHRM-CP, Senior Director, People Operations, at eegee's

The world of HR is focused on so many aspects that aren’t directly measurable—that’s because we’re all about the people. People are not an equation with the same answer every time—and that’s beautiful! Every single person we interact with is so unique. We all come from different backgrounds, families, and life experiences (good and bad) that curb our perspectives on every situation and interaction we face. Despite these individualized differences, there is one facet where we are all similar—recognition.

How often have we heard our teams say they would be happy if they had more money? More times than I can count. In my experience, most of the time, those who say they “just want more money” don’t know what it’s like to feel recognized and valued in their work because they aren’t regularly recognized. Or, they aren’t necessarily doing a job worthy of recognition, but that’s a topic for a different day. 

As humans, we need to feel like our work is making a difference and that it matters—that’s what fulfills us. Who wants to continue working in a position or at a company where we don’t feel fulfilled or valued? No one. Recognition also has an addictive facet to it. When we are appreciated for our efforts or work, we get addicted to that feeling and want more, so we work even harder to keep the recognition coming. This behavior is usually subconscious—we may not even realize that’s what we’re doing. We know the recognition feels great, but we may not always be able to articulate why.

"As managers, we need to dedicate time to giving individualized and specific recognition—it’s time well spent because a happy, valued team member will treat each customer like their favorite family member who just came into town."

Recognition is the secret (and, in my opinion, the most important) ingredient to retention, culture, and engagement. So, why is it one of the first things to fall to the back burner when faced with competing priorities? I have a theory.

Recognition is simple but can be hard to give, mostly because it can often be hard to receive. As humans, we tend to naturally diminish our own accomplishments when those accomplishments are addressed or recognized. “Oh, it was no biggie. I didn’t do that much.” When we give recognition, and it’s received with minimization and, well, discomfort, it can feel a bit awkward, and we’re probably not inclined to experience that awkwardness again anytime soon.

Giving recognition and receiving recognition is not like riding a bike. If we don’t do it for ten years, we can’t just pick it back up like we never went without it. It’s a habit that must be formed, cultivated, and practiced consistently. The more we recognize a great effort or a job well done, the easier it becomes for the recognized team member to receive it in a way that makes them proud and less inclined to diminish the accomplishment we recognize. 

While simple, recognition needs to occur in a way that is individualized and specific to the behavior/performance, so that adds a little more work to the process. When we try to take a shortcut and create a canned sentence or email to recognize—you know, the ones where we simply “insert name here”—it loses authenticity. Inauthentic recognition is worse than no recognition at all. 

As managers, we need to dedicate time to giving individualized and specific recognition—it’s time well spent because a happy, valued team member will treat each customer like their favorite family member who just came into town. That type of quality experience ultimately contributes to the growth of the company. 

Our people are our greatest asset. As HR professionals, we know the power of recognition, but the leaders we support may need reminding and ongoing mentorship. We need to guide them on how to do this. It’s simple and easy to assume that if it’s simple, it shouldn’t need a “how-to” guide. But it does—simple can be HARD—we should not assume any leader feels comfortable and skilled in giving recognition just because it’s good feedback. We have to put in the time to acknowledge that this may not be every manager’s strong suit. The incredible results of a culture rooted in recognition outweigh the initial discomfort of forming this new habit.