Best Practices for Recognizing Employee Contributions

A colleague had been coming to work every day for 7 years. Never missed a deadline or under-delivered. One day… he asked his manager for feedback on his contributions. The manager (minding their own business) said: "Oh, you're doing fine. Just keep doing what you're doing." You know what my colleague did? He quit the next day. Would I have advised him to do that? Probably not. Did he overreact? Absolutely not. You see… He had been receiving the same kind of answer for quite some time. So, even if his manager didn't know, he was already planning his ultimatum. And your team members might be planning theirs as well. Here's a stat that will blow your mind: According to a recent report from Gallup and Workhuman, employees who get meaningful recognition for their work are 45% less likely to leave their jobs. That's right. Proper recognition is the difference between retaining or losing your best talent. Here's what smart leaders understand about recognition at work: ✅ It drives professional development. ✅ It creates community and connection. ✅ It's a powerful antidote to stress and burnout. ✅ Recognition changes how people feel about their work. The data doesn't lie. Based on the same 2-year study, tracking 3,400 workers found something fascinating: → High-quality recognition = 45% higher retention. → Stronger sense of community among team members. → Lower stress levels reported by recognized employees. Here's what you can do today: 1. Create systems for consistent feedback. 2. Make recognition meaningful and specific. 3. Catch good behavior as it happens - don't wait. 4. Recognize people for who they are, not just what they do. Your people aren't just looking for a paycheck. They want to feel seen, valued, and appreciated. — P.S. Unlock 20 years' worth of leadership lessons sent straight to your inbox. Every Wednesday, I share exclusive insights and actionable tips in my newsletter. (Link in my bio to sign up). Remember, leaders succeed together.

As I was preparing for my employee review I thought of sharing something that we do on our team that is extremely helpful. I didn't want to wait, as I think this is very important and I hope it can help your team. On a weekly basis we meet as a team. The first thing that we usually do is share team wins. 🤗 This is important for more than one reason. 🎖 The first being it is an eye opener. It makes the team reflect and see that even though in the moment they may think that they have accomplished little, they have in fact accomplished much. 🎖 This helps recognize them in front of the team. What is nice too, is that sometimes it makes us uncomfortable, which I understand as I do not like to take credit, but it makes us appreciate the work each other has done. 🎖 This is also extremely helpful when going back and doing reviews over a period of time. Many times, we have bias towards recent events. It's the, "What have you done for me lately?" This is not good, and it is good to review over a large period of time. 🎖 This motivates the team to continue to do good things. Recognition is very important. The better you do, the better you do. And when someone recognizes you, it makes you feel even better, because you are validated. 🎖 One more important point is to let someone know when you are told by someone else, especially someone who is senior within the company, that they did well. Passing this along shows them that they are valued and their work is seen by someone else other than you. As a leader make sure that you give credit where it is due. When someone makes a presentation for you, or creates work, give credit where it is due. I want to say thanks to my peers, and my direct team, as we have started a little bit from scratch and they are already making leaps and bounds with progressing forward. #kindnessmatters #gratitude

Keeping top talent isn’t about offering the biggest paycheck. It’s about offering the deepest respect. I’ve seen this play out over and over: Talented people walking away, Not because of money, But because they felt invisible. Most teams lose their best people because: ↳ They assume salary is enough ↳ They skip real recognition ↳ They expect loyalty without care But retention isn’t luck. Retention is built. 1/ Before They Think of Leaving It’s already too late. ➡️ Daily Recognition ↳ Praise their impact, not just effort ↳ Be specific: what did they actually do well? ↳ Celebrate wins in public ↳ And give feedback that helps them grow ➡️ Career Pathing ↳ Don't wait for them to ask "what's next?" ↳ Create visible growth ladders ↳ Offer projects that stretch, not just stress ↳ Make it easy to see a future at your company ➡️ Emotional Safety ↳ Are you listening when they speak up? ↳ Do they feel safe failing, learning, trying again? ↳ Respect isn’t just words, it’s culture in action 2/ During Moments That Matter The best companies don’t wait for exit interviews to start listening. ➡️ Milestones ↳ Promotions, birthdays, even tough seasons ↳ A simple “we see you” goes a long way ↳ Gratitude shouldn’t just be annual ➡️ Manager Check-ins ↳ Are they challenged? Bored? Burnt out? ↳ Ask. Then act. ↳ Growth talks > performance reviews ➡️ Team Culture ↳ Respect everyone’s time and boundaries ↳ Celebrate contributions, not just personalities ↳ Create space for quiet talent to shine too 3/ When They’re at Their Best That’s when they need the most support. ➡️ Don’t over-rely ↳ Top performers aren’t machines ↳ Give them rest. Give them space. ↳ Or they’ll go where they’re nurtured, not used ➡️ Pay Fair, Not Just High ↳ Transparency builds trust ↳ Compensation should match impact ↳ But value goes beyond money Remember: People don’t just stay for the perks. They stay where they feel valued, seen, and supported. What’s one thing your best boss ever did to make you feel valued? Drop it in the comments 👇 🔁 Repost this if you lead a team, or want to someday. ➕ Follow me for more people-first hiring & leadership insights.