6 questions to assess your employee recognition program impact

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Is your employee recognition program making an impact or just checking a box? While many companies spend heavily on recognition, only 40% of HR leaders see real business results. Still, 63% plan to increase their recognition spend in 2024.

This shows that recognition platforms may be more of a checkbox exercise than a driver of business success. To make sure your program works, it’s time to ask the right questions.

Our recognition program infographic highlights six key questions to help you assess your program’s effectiveness and ensure it delivers real value.

Why is employee recognition valuable?

Employee recognition does more than boost morale. It drives productivity, engagement, and retention. In our survey of 5,000 employees — including 1,400 HR leaders — we discovered recognition practices that drive real business results, from performance to satisfaction.

Companies need to see a return on their recognition spend, and HR leaders must prove it. We know that regular recognition leads to better outcomes. But here’s the catch: In the past three years, the number of employees saying they never get recognized has nearly doubled, from 10% to 17%.

How to drive impact with your recognition program

Want to make your recognition program actually drive impact? It’s time for HR leaders to rethink their strategies. Not sure where to begin?

Here’s what HR leaders need to get started:

1. Set clear business goals

Start by defining SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) objectives for your recognition program.

2. Align recognition with those goals

Tie recognition directly to your company’s mission and goals. This keeps your program focused and aligned.

3. Measure the impact on business outcomes

Track the success of your program using the metrics that matter. Hint: This is a critical piece of building a program that makes a difference.

Want to see if your recognition program is making the grade? Download our recognition program infographic to find out.