Has recognition technology killed the handwritten card?
“With new technology automating the recognition process, how do we keep thanks personal and authentic?”
We hear this question a lot. Streamlining processes doesn’t have to come at the cost of losing the personal touches employees love and that make your company special. A handwritten letter from an executive, a stick it note from a peer, a symbolic award to honor years of service, an initialized gift from a manager. A combination of old school and new social tools is critical to cultivating a Culture of Recognition.
Video didn’t kill the radio star and neither will social tools
It’s valid to worry that automating the recognition process might be viewed as impersonal and your star talent will feel like you’re just going through the motions. However, one of the biggest reasons companies are investing in recognition technology is to connect with more employees more frequently.
Today’s recognition tools enhance company-wide communications and provide a consistent recognition strategy that is inclusive and attractive, especially to global organizations.
It’s easy to publicly recognize EVERY employee’s anniversary, congratulate individuals and teams on great work, share best practices, welcome new hires, send birthday wishes and poll segments of the workforce with CSI STARS online social recognition tools.
CSI STARS easy-to-use recognition software:
- Reminds managers of upcoming service anniversaries
- Inspires performance with public thanks, video streaming, recognition coaching and leaderboards
- Amplifies recognition as peers can frequently thank, congratulate, share and like each other’s accomplishments – Millennials in particular like these real-time tools
- Reward great work immediately with points, gifts, coupons or charitable donations on their behalf
Impersonal automated emails with gift card links sent to milestone anniversary recipients or as a thank you for good work, may seem like a simple and efficient way to acknowledge an employee’s special day. However, acknowledging and recognizing are not the same.
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. – Maya Angelou
CSI STARS is one of the few recognition partners that still provide elegant, high-touch personalized presentation packaging with a display certificate, President’s message, custom gift brochure and choice of popular gifts.
CSI STARS also has many industry-specific awards, on-the-spot personalized gifts and fun ways to update your service program for a multi-generational workforce.
Click to see our custom decals
At the end of the day, increasing frequency of recognition with social tools and honoring employees in symbolic and thoughtful ways will cultivate a workforce that loves coming to work!
Flip through more on CSI STARS, contact us for a sample Service Anniversary Celebration Package or request a demo!
Lori is the VP of Recognition for CSI International Inc. She has a MBA with a minor in Human Resources, is a Certified Recognition Professional and member of the SHRM blog squad. Prior to joining CSI STARS, she worked at Mercer Human Resource Consulting and Youthography, a youth market research agency. Connect with CSI STARS on LinkedIn to learn how we cultivate a workforce that loves coming to work.
