What Can Santa Teach Us About Employee Recognition?

In this blog, you will learn:

• What Santa can teach us about employee recognition.
• What employee recognition is.
• Why employee recognition is important.
• How rewards and recognition can motivate employees.
• Discover more about our recruitment services.

As the year winds down and the festive season approaches, it's the perfect time to reflect on the hard work and dedication your team has shown throughout the year. Employee recognition is important for showing genuine appreciation to employees who have worked really hard to help the business grow. 

Just like a gift on Christmas morning, employee recognition can be very satisfying. Thanking employees for their contributions can help to boost morale, strengthen loyalty, and set a positive tone for the year ahead.

Throughout this blog, we’re delving into why employee recognition is important and small ways in which you can say thank you to your employees this Christmas time. 

What is employee recognition?

Employee recognition refers to the way an organisation shows its appreciation for its employees and acknowledges the value of their contributions. Employee recognition is about rewarding employee efforts and expressing genuine appreciation for their hard work, beyond their salary.

The magic of Santa Claus comes from making each person feel special and recognition in the workplace should create that same sense of appreciation. Employers can ensure that all employees feel seen by showing appreciation and recognising various achievements.

Staff acknowledgement can take many forms, from celebrating personal and professional milestones, such as birthdays, work anniversaries, and promotions, to even the purchase of a new house.

Employers should recognise employees who go above and beyond, as well as those who have shown initiative or been consistent in their work. Acknowledging years of service and daily contributions can enhance team spirit, employee satisfaction and the overall workplace experience.

How can employers recognise employees?

Employee recognition isn’t just for Christmas time, staff should be appreciated all year round. Employers can show appreciation and recognise employees in various ways in the form of praise, validation and reward.

Santa checks his list (twice) rewarding good behaviour and making people feel valued and special. It is crucial to choose rewards and recognition that suit both the achievement and the individual employee. Some employees might enjoy a voucher, gift experience, or a shout-out in front of the whole team, while others may prefer a quiet congratulations in private or via email. Like the magic of Santa delivering gifts, employers should provide recognition that shows thoughtfulness. 

While recognising employees, it is important to strike the right tone. The last thing an employer would want is to demotivate employees by giving them a poorly thought out, meaningless or cheap gift as a bonus or reward. 

Rewards and recognition don’t need to be expensive, time-consuming, or even exactly match the efforts of the employee. As Santa knows, even a stocking filler can bring joy on Christmas morning; the smallest, most meaningful gestures can make a big difference.

Financial rewards and promotions are an option; however, recognition can be as simple and cost-free as thanking employees for their efforts, creating a wall of fame, or offering a longer lunch break. There should be a balance between monetary and non-monetary rewards and recognition.

Why is employee recognition important?

Benefits to recognising employee achievements, include:

• Increases productivity and engagement.
• Boosts motivation.
• Improves morale.
• Greater job satisfaction.
• Reduces employee turnover.
• Fosters a stronger company culture.
• Enhances employee loyalty. 
• Improves employee wellbeing.
• Reinforces positive behaviours.
• Creates a sense of belonging.
• Fosters a feeling of accomplishment and fulfillment.
• Positively impacts the business.

How do rewards and recognition motivate employees?

Just as children light up when they make it onto Santa's nice list, employees feel motivated when their contributions are noticed by their employer. Acknowledging the talent and achievements of your workforce is an effective way to make employees feel that their work is valued.

According to a study by Reward Gateway, 88% of British employees said they work harder when they feel appreciated for the work they do. The study also found that 91% reported increased engagement and 92% higher job satisfaction with their job as a result.

Engaging employees at Christmas can be challenging but rewards and recognition demonstrate to staff that the work they do is valuable and doesn’t go unnoticed. This can improve engagement and boost morale so employees perform at their best.

For leaders aiming to foster thriving teams and organisations seeking to build a culture of engagement, loyalty and exceptional performance, recognising and valuing staff is essential.

The focus should not be on hard work leading to gifts and cash bonuses, but rather on recognising and valuing employee contributions as essential to the success of the business.

How to make recognition a gift employees share with each other

Employee recognition goes beyond just employers; it's essential for the entire team to appreciate and acknowledge the contributions of every staff member.

Santa has elves who support him and recognise each other’s hard work. Peer-to-peer recognition creates that same sense of teamwork in the workplace. 

Peer-to-peer recognition is about expressing gratitude and praise to a colleague for their efforts and accomplishments. This form of appreciation fosters a more collaborative and inclusive culture and strengthens team dynamics.

To encourage peer-to-peer recognition, employers can organise an awards ceremony where employees vote for each other or ask staff to nominate their Employee of the Month.

At Christmas time, peer-to-peer recognition can be shown through festive activities and traditions such as Secret Santa, sending Christmas cards, or awarding daily gifts to employees like an Advent calendar.

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