How can you use employee recognition to improve engagement in your facility management team?

1 Why employee recognition matters

Employee recognition is the act of expressing gratitude, praise, or appreciation for someone's work performance, behavior, or attitude. It can take many forms, such as verbal feedback, awards, rewards, public recognition, or personalized gestures. Employee recognition can have positive effects on your FM team's engagement, which is the degree of commitment, involvement, and enthusiasm they have for their work and organization. Engaged employees are more productive, loyal, innovative, and satisfied. They also have lower absenteeism, turnover, and stress levels. Employee recognition can boost engagement by making your FM team feel valued, respected, motivated, and connected.

2 How to design an effective employee recognition program

An employee recognition program is a way of delivering recognition to your FM team on a regular basis that should be aligned with your organization's goals, values, and culture. To design an effective program, you must define the purpose and objectives, identify the types and criteria of recognition, choose the methods and frequency of recognition, communicate and promote the program, and evaluate and improve the program. Defining the purpose will help you measure success and support team performance. Identifying types and criteria will ensure consistency and quality of recognition. Choosing methods and frequency will balance formal and informal recognition. Communicating and promoting the program will inform stakeholders about it. Evaluating and improving the program will assess effectiveness and make necessary adjustments.

3 How to deliver meaningful employee recognition

Employee recognition is not a one-size-fits-all approach and should be tailored to individual needs and preferences. To deliver meaningful recognition, you should get to know your FM team members, express your appreciation sincerely, recognize them in a timely and consistent manner, be creative and diverse in your methods of recognition, and involve the team in the process. Specifically, learn about each team member's personality, interests, strengths, goals, and challenges. When you recognize someone, be specific and genuine in your praise. Don't wait for formal occasions or annual reviews; recognize them regularly and consistently. Use a variety of methods and formats to keep them engaged and surprised. Incorporate fun and humor into your recognition, personalizing it to reflect their interests and hobbies. Celebrate collective achievements and successes as well as individual ones. Encourage peer-to-peer recognition and feedback. Involve your FM team members in the recognition process by allowing them to nominate and recognize each other.

4 How to overcome the challenges of employee recognition

Employee recognition can come with a few challenges, such as limited resources, lack of support, lack of feedback, and lack of recognition. To overcome these difficulties, you should prioritize your recognition needs and goals and negotiate for the resources you need. It's also important to communicate the value of recognition to senior management, colleagues, and team members. Establish feedback mechanisms to get feedback from stakeholders, and don't forget to recognize and reward yourself for your work as an FM manager or leader. Finally, join or create recognition networks or communities to get the recognition you deserve.

5 How to sustain employee recognition

Employee recognition is not a one-time event or activity; it is an ongoing process and practice that requires continuous attention and improvement. To sustain employee recognition, you should review and update your recognition program regularly, identify and address any gaps or issues, and make changes and improvements based on feedback and data. Additionally, ensure your recognition program is relevant to your organization's goals, values, and culture. Moreover, recognize and reward those who support and promote your recognition program (e.g., senior managers, colleagues, or FM team members), those who receive recognition (e.g., FM team members or peers), and those who provide recognition (e.g., yourself, colleagues, or FM team members). Doing so will empower them to lead and influence recognition in your organization or team.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?