Recognized in Your Profession
After working for hours and accomplishing tasks every single day, you would appreciate a pat on your back and someone telling you that you did a great job. You would want to receive employee recognition for the extra effort you put into the work.
Employee recognition can be a great way for a company to motivate its employees to do their job. In fact, based on a survey, 37% of employees said that personal recognition would encourage them to produce better work more often. This only shows how important it is in retaining employees.
As a professional, you would want to know if you are meeting or exceeding the expectations of your supervisor. It would help your colleagues and managers value your contributions to the team and it could give you better career advancement opportunities. But in order to do so, you would need to initiate this feedback.
What is Employee Recognition?
Quantum Workplace defined employee recognition as the acknowledgment of a company’s staff for exemplary behavior or performance. It motivates employees and reinforces particular practices that result in better performance.
It doesn’t have to be something expensive or glamorous. Employee recognition can be as candid as a genuine compliment or a “thank you” email.
6 Ways to Get Recognition at Work
Whether you are seeking a promotion, a new job, career advancement, or a raise, you would first need to be acknowledged and appreciated. Here are some ways that can help you initiate employee recognition.
1. Be known
One of the best ways to get recognition at work is by being known by almost everyone. Make an effort to get to know your teammates and colleagues. You’re not going to get recognition if no one knows who you are.
Develop relationships with your workmates and allow them to understand the work you do and the contributions you make to the team. Let them see how productive and efficient you are at your job. Start by simply greeting them, showing up to office celebrations, and speaking up during meetings.
2. Communicate with your boss
Having regular discussions with your manager or supervisor about your responsibilities and tasks at work can help in staying on the loop. Talk about the contributions you’ve made and discuss your scope of work.
Remember that no matter how often you talk to your boss, chances are high that they do not know the ins and outs of each project you work on. Make sure that your boss knows all the details about your tasks. Add them to your email thread or just simply give them a summary during your meetings.
Also, you may ask them to have a talk with you regarding your accomplishments twice a year. This will help them refresh their memory of you working on various projects.
3. Claim the credit and acknowledge your efforts
The first person to recognize your hard work is you. Acknowledging your own efforts can help ensure that others also show you recognition.
Whenever you finish a difficult task or you go above and beyond to ensure a key assignment is completed, try to take credit when it’s being doled out. Share your experience while working on the task during meetings. It might be uncomfortable at first, but it is a great way to also let others know about what you did.
However, always remember to stay humble at all times. Don’t forget to say “thank you” when being recognized and tell them that you appreciate them.
4. Apply for awards
Trophies, medals, and certificates are not just for athletes or performers. No matter what job you are in, chances are good that there’s an organization handing out honors within your industry.
Having an award is one of the best ways to be recognized at work. Receiving formal awards related to your work can help show your colleagues and managers that you deserve recognition.
You may try searching for publications or associations that may be eligible in your industry and submit an application to be considered. Do research about the requirements needed in order to qualify for the award and recognition.
5. Take time to know the company’s processes
One possible reason why you are not getting any recognition at work might be because you do not have an idea about the programs and processes in place to reward administrative employees. You might need to apply for employee recognition or you would need to submit a portfolio.
If your organization has a formal employee recognition program, you need to understand who are the people qualified and eligible to receive rewards and recognition. Know what the criteria are and what you should do to get one.
A great tip would be to look at the former employees who were recognized for their previous performance. You may ask them for advice or you can also approach your career mentor, if you have one, so they can help you achieve your goal.
6. Recognize others
Remember the golden rule? “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” Show the same recognition you want your colleagues to show to you. Appreciate others’ hard work and effort by thanking and praising them.
For instance, you may compliment your teammates for their successful completion of a project. You may publicly acknowledge their efforts during a meeting or you can send them a personal message telling them that they did a great job. Keep in mind that just like you, they also deserve to be recognized.
Furthermore, recognizing others builds a healthy work environment. Teammates who share positive feedback with each other have a stronger bond compared to those who do not.
Key Takeaway
Being recognized because of your hard work and extra effort feels rewarding and reassuring. It helps you boost your confidence and motivates you to work even harder.
However, with your manager’s busy schedule, it might be easy for them to overlook your efforts. That’s why it is still better to take the initiative in informing them about the accomplishments you have made. Let them know that you are doing your job and performing great. Allow them to see that you deserve employee recognition for achieving your goals at work.
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Spending long hours at work can be tiring and stressful. That’s why being recognized and appreciated because of your hard work really means a lot. Choose a company that values and motivates their employees.
In Support Services Group, we make sure that all our employees get the opportunities they deserve. We give rewards to our top performers to motivate them to continue performing well and their colleagues to do better.
Visit our Careers page and be part of SSG!