Managers – do you use handwritten notes to express appreciation to your employees or peers when they do good work? If so, do you ever wonder what they do with those notes? My guess is that we all have some tucked away as evidence of the times and ways we made notable differences during our careers. 

Recently, I went through some old boxes of things I kept from previous employers. I found various types of recognition I received in different forms – handwritten notes, typewritten letters, spot bonus certificates, and emails. Seeing and rereading them reminded me of great times I shared and the satisfaction and joy I felt when someone took the time to acknowledge my efforts as a new employee and especially as a tenured team member. What powerful incentives to do more – to do even better! 

Managers take heed!

Indelible words inspire and motivate  

The physical form of recognition doesn’t really matter, nor does the length, which can be a sentence, a paragraph, or even a drawing. What’s important is to let your contributors know you see them, you hear them, and that their contributions are essential to you and the success of the whole team and organization. This is an incentive like no other when it comes to increasing employee performance.

For example, I have a note from 2007 that I will keep forever from a manager who took a chance on me. She fought for my promotion and succeeded, elevating me from a non-exempt senior HR assistant into an exempt entry-level HR generalist role. I will never forget what she did and the impact her actions and words had on my heart, confidence, and career in those early years. 

In her note, she let me know I was an important piece of our team puzzle and work environment. Thank you, @Peggy Rennicke, for being a leader others want to follow. You showed me the type of leader I wanted to become. 

The bigger picture: It’s about more than the money 

We are experiencing an unusual time in business and our professional lives, emerging from a pandemic that changed how and where we work. Remote and hybrid work have had dramatic impacts on social dynamics and employee engagement among managers and teams – both of which bring the sense of belonging we all crave in our jobs and lives. These structures have cracked and crumbled and need to be restored. 

Being a difference-maker (having a purpose) is as vital as the money we make doing it. This applies to ourselves, our employees, and our counterparts. Peer recognition is needed, too! Occasional shout-outs have such a positive impact. 

Building a culture of recognition and acknowledging hard work is an excellent way for managers to rebuild social capital with team members and improve company culture. Positive feedback enhances the employee experience and contributes to employee retention. Retaining top talent is so critical today. I encourage you to explore recognition ideas that will help you increase job satisfaction and reduce employee turnover. Engaged employees are happy employees who drive positive teamwork.  

Increase team performance today – and change a life! 

The bottom line: A little dose of genuine recognition for a job well done has the power to go a long way – right now and years into the future. I am living proof!  

We see the results of employee recognition programs every day at Goodwin Recruiting. We are in tune because we concentrate on being true partners in everyone’s growth and success – as managers, team members, executives, and job candidates looking for employers whose company values are built on helping people reach their full potential. 

Today, June 1, is “Say Something Nice Day.” What a great day to send a note of thanks to your high achievers! And what a great habit to keep up all year long.