Why You Need to Understand the Difference Between Praise and Employee Recognition

If, after investing a good amount of time and effort in a project, you got to choose either a generic “Well done!” ore more insightful feedback, what would you go for?

Both types of comments can boost employee motivation, engagement, and performance. Based on my 20+ years of experience in HR, however, I feel confident predicting the vast majority of us would go for the second option.

Effective employee recognition is a challenge for any company, but getting recognition right is more important than ever today. Recognition drives retention, which in turn drives cost savings, productivity, and better customer experiences.

It all comes down to the fact that when people feel recognized, they feel appreciated. When they feel appreciated, they feel happy. In fact, according to a survey  from SurveyMonkey and Bonusly, 82 percent of employees feel recognition is an important part of their happiness at work. Furthermore, 90 percent of workers say recognition motivates them to work harder, according to a report from Achievers. That means recognition is tied directly to performance.

The Difference Between Employee Recognition and Praise

It is imperative for organizations to develop systems to prioritize employee recognition, given the immense benefits they stand to gain from doing so. However, it’s important to understand the difference between recognition and praise. While both can have a positive effect on employees’ attitudes, recognition tends to have a more more powerful and longer-lasting impact.

The main difference between praise and recognition is that recognition is specific while praise is generic. Recognition involves the act of giving employees feedback based on their results and performance. True recognition is built on useful insights and detailed observations.

Why is recognition so valuable to workers? Because employees appreciate receiving insightful feedback after working hard. Employees need recognition to understand the purpose of what they do; recognition helps them see how their work contributes to the overall success of the company and/or project. In this way, recognition helps employees feel more fulfilled at work, and therefore more likely to stick around.

On the other hand, praise generally consists of generic comments that boost self-esteem and make people feel motivated at a specific moment. Effective praise can help teams meet tight deadlines or achieve ambitious goals. However, praise can easily become a demotivator if employees feel it is insincere or not genuine in some way. That’s why it’s best to use praise sparingly and to steer toward specific recognition when possible.

How to Deliver Employee Recognition Effectively

Recognition is specific and insightful, which means it requires a little more effort than generic praise. Here are a few tips to help you deliver truly meaningful recognition:

1. Arrange One-on-One Meetings

Take these as an opportunity to listen to your employees. Ask people how they would like to receive recognition, and pay careful attention to what their preferences are. Would they like to be recognized in a group meeting, or would they prefer to receive detailed feedback in private? Delivering recognition in the right manner is almost as important as the content of the recognition itself.

2. Leverage Internal Communications Channels

Whether it be a newsletter, the company intranet, or a podcast, any internal channels you use to communicate with employees are channels you can use to shower people with recognition.

Consider also how the shift to remote work has affected things. With many teams now communicating mainly via chat messages and emails, calling an employee on the phone to personally thank them could be enough to make them feel appreciated and motivated.

3. Feedback Can Be a Form of Recognition

Whether you’re giving someone great or not-so-great feedback, the simple act of providing detailed comments about an employee’s performance  is a form of recognition in itself. Teams value managers and leaders who take the time to closely evaluate their work and offer constructive comments. The fact that you are willing to pay close attention to the work of your employees demonstrates you value their efforts. Many employees, especially top performers, appreciate managers who challenge them to see things from a different perspective.

4. Support Employees’ Professional Development

One of the best ways to recognize employees’ efforts is to support them in achieving their professional goals. That doesn’t necessarily mean paying for courses or educational programs, although it might. Supporting an employee’s development can be as simple as sharing resources with them and offering guidance from your perspective.

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If your organization hasn’t jumped on the recognition bandwagon yet, now is a great time to do so. Remember, both recognition and praise are necessary to keep employee morale high. However, recognition is particularly critical in terms of driving talent retention. Everyone likes to be congratulated on a job well done, but insightful, detailed feedback will always prevail over praise when it comes to convincing employees to stick around for the long haul.

Stuart Hearn is CEO and founder of Clear Review.