Why employee engagement matters—and how to cultivate it

There your executive vice president is, stirring up warm feelings among the wee folk by handing out bobblehead dolls of herself to your top salespeople at a town hall meeting.

Much though the awards are appreciated, however, did your bigwig handle the event right? It’s not just the recognition that matters.

Every time you honor an employee, make it an opportunity to educate, says Michelle Smith, vice president of marketing at O.C. Tanner.

In the Ragan Training video, “The evolution of employee engagement for corporate communications,” Smith explains how recognition can help train staff—and affirm your organization’s values.

Here some other takeaways from Smith’s highly rated talk:

Praise boosts retention.

Bosses who are stingy with their praise could be harming their own cause. The top 40 percent provide five times the contribution of the remaining 60 percent, Smith says. Yet a lack of appreciation is the key reason for 79 percent of the people who leave. Furthermore, 65 percent of employees say they received no praise or recognition in the past year.

Turn awards into lessons for all.