Maximise the power of engagement through strategic recognition

New research published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Kingston Business School has found that internal engagement surveys can cloud the understanding of staff motivation.  The findings show that there is a major difference between transactional and emotional engagement and that those workers that are transactionally engaged are more likely to respond positively to engagement surveys, but are less likely to perform well and will quickly leave an organisation for a better offer.

Derek Irvine, Vice President of Client Strategy and Consulting at Globoforce, the world’s leading provider of employee recognition solutions, has made the following comments:

“The findings of the survey show something we’ve known for a long time – engagement is complex and multifaceted.  With this in mind organisations must take a comprehensive approach to its measurement – using questionnaires that cover all the bases, as well as allow the HR department to break the results down to gain a granular understanding of the nature and levels of employee engagement.

“From there, at the heart of any efforts to engage a workforce must be a strategic recognition programme.  Recognition is an incredibly powerful tool that is closely linked to engagement and can enable organisations to motivate and engage their staff.  Indeed, strategic recognition allows a company to align its core values and objectives with the behaviours that are being rewarded and recognised, naturally culturing a consistent and desired atmosphere amongst staff.

“With suitable measures in place for understanding and quantifying staff engagement levels, along with a well-planned strategic recognition programme, organisations can realistically maintain a loyal, happier and more productive workforce.”