All right, retail executives, let's get right
into it today. We're talking about something
that I think we can all agree is pretty crucial
in this environment. You're all out there trying
to attract and keep and motivate top talent,
and it's a tough world out there. Yeah. It really
is. So today we're gonna be doing a deep dive
into employee recognition. And we're gonna be
looking at it not just as some fluffy HR initiative,
but as a real core driver of the bottom line.
We wanna give you some really solid, actionable
insights so you can make sure that the recognition
programs you've got in place are actually working
for you. And more importantly, avoiding some
of those common mistakes that we see that companies
often fall into. Yeah. So just to give you a
sense of where we're coming from with this, we've
got some great sources lined up. We're going
to be looking at some stuff from SHRM. We've
got some Gallup research and then also some really
interesting insights from Multimedia Plus, which
really focus in on the kind of the unique challenges
of the retail world. Yeah, their perspective
is really valuable for this specific audience
because You know retail has its own nuances,
right? Oh, absolutely when it comes to how you
appreciate and reward your employees Yeah, like
what works in a tech company or a you know manufacturing
environment doesn't always translate to the shop
floor You know exactly so okay. Let's get down
to brass tacks here Why does this even matter?
Why are we even talking about recognition? Well,
you know, we often talk about the softer side
of things, right? Like creating a more positive
work environment. Yeah. Improving well -being,
reducing burnout. SHRM actually highlights all
of these as direct outcomes of good recognition
practices. Let's bring this into the retail context.
Yeah. Think about it. Long hours demanding work.
You're constantly interacting with customers.
Feeling valued in that kind of setting can be
a really important buffer against burnout. Oh,
for sure. I mean, you're out there on the front
lines dealing with holiday rushes and inventory
issues, and it can be a grind. Absolutely. And
then there's the impact on how satisfied and
engaged people are with their work. Right. A
Canva study I was looking at found that 94 %
of employees who feel highly appreciated love
their workplace and 91 % love their jobs. Wow,
those are pretty impressive numbers. Right, but
here's the thing, only 18 % of unappreciated
employees love their workplace and only 33 %
love their jobs. It's a huge difference. Yeah.
So if you want happy, engaged teams in your stores,
and let's be honest, that translates to better
customer experiences and ultimately more sales,
right? Exactly. It's all connected. You've got
to make sure those folks are feeling the love.
Yeah. And then there's the financial side of
things. I mean, Gallup's research shows that
if employees don't feel adequately recognized,
they're twice as likely to quit. Oh. That's painful.
Right. And in retail where turnover is already
a major cost factor that can really hit your
bottom line. Yeah, it's not just about warm fuzzies
anymore. It's about serious money. Absolutely.
So we've talked about retention, but recognition
is also a huge motivator. Yeah, Gallup really
emphasizes this. It makes people feel a sense
of accomplishment. It reinforces those positive
behaviors that you want to see in your retail
environment, whether it's excelling at sales.
Right. Providing outstanding customer service
going the extra mile. Yeah, exactly. Okay, so
we've got the why down now the big question is
Where do we go wrong? Where are we messing this
up? Well, I say Tram has some thoughts on that
they point out this danger of recognition being
too top -down hmm, you know like If it's only
senior leaders making the decisions about who
gets recognized you risk overlooking the contributions
of those frontline employees. Yeah, the folks
actually out there on the floor. Exactly, especially
in retail where you might have multiple locations.
Right. Or people working remotely. Oh yeah, don't
forget about the remote teams. Exactly. SHRM
specifically calls out the risk of neglecting
those remote workers or those who might be in
those support roles that aren't directly customer
-facing but are still vital. Like the people
processing online orders. Yeah, exactly. Keeping
the inventory moving. If they constantly see
recognition going to the in -store sales teams,
they might feel like their contributions aren't
valued. Yeah, it's like their efforts are invisible.
Exactly. And then we've got this whole other
issue of over -emphasizing individual achievements
at the expense of teamwork. And SHRM, actually,
they have this great example in their article
about the Top Sales Producer Award. Oh, yeah.
and how if it goes to someone who's known for,
you know, hogging all the sales and not being
a team player, it can actually create a really
toxic environment. It can actually undermine
the collaboration that you need for a successful
retail operation. Yeah. And then on top of all
that, Canvas data shows that we often forget
about our junior and mid -level employees. Oh,
yeah, that's a big one. They found that only
43 % of employees below the director level felt
recognized as individuals. That's pretty low.
Compared to 74 % of VPs and above. So you're
missing out on recognizing a huge chunk of your
workforce. And those are the folks who are often
doing the heavy lifting day in and day out. Right.
OK, so we've talked about these kind of traditional
pitfalls, but now let's get into the social media
age. Yes, the LinkedIn shout out. Exactly. Multimedia
Plus, they've got some really interesting thoughts
on this. You know, on the surface, it seems like
a good thing, right? Like you're giving someone
a public shout out. You're showing your appreciation.
Sure. It seems positive at first glance. But
they raise some really important points. Yeah.
For one thing, think about it. You're publicly
praising someone for their amazing sales numbers.
You're basically putting a big target on their
back for recruiters. You're like, come and poach
our best people. Exactly. You could end up losing
your top talent. That's not what we want. No,
not at all. And what about all the other employees
who don't get that public shout out? Yeah, they're
going to feel pretty left out. Right. It can
create resentment and actually demotivate people.
And then there's this whole issue of using internal
jargon and hashtags that no one outside the company
understands. Oh, yeah. You're talking about KPIs
and internal metrics. Yeah. Your customers are
going to be like, what are they even talking
about? It just creates this weird disconnect.
And then there's a whole privacy issue. You know,
have you even asked your employees if they're
OK with having their achievements blasted all
over LinkedIn? It's a really important ethical
consideration. It is. And you know what? Multimedia
Plus suggests that this reliance on public platforms
might actually be a symptom of a bigger problem.
Oh, interesting. What's that? A lack of good
internal communication systems. Oh, I see. If
companies don't have a good way to recognize
and celebrate successes internally, leaders might
just default to using these external platforms
even though they're not really the best fit.
Yeah, it's like using a hammer to screw in a
screw, you know. Exactly. So we've talked about
why recognition is important and where we often
go wrong. Right. So now let's get to the good
stuff. Yeah. How do we do this right? What are
the best practices? Blade on us. OK, so SHRM
really emphasizes the need for a multifaceted
approach. OK, so not a one size fits all. Exactly.
They give this example of. I solved, which uses
a bunch of different strategies. So you might
have company -wide programs, maybe some regional
competitions. Oh, like a sales challenge. Yeah,
exactly. With some really great rewards. But
then you also need things happening at the department
level. OK, more localized. Right. That way, managers
can tailor the recognition to their specific...
team goals. And the company value. Exactly. Okay,
that makes sense. And don't forget about peer
-to -peer recognition. Oh yeah, that's powerful.
It is. Letting employees recognize each other
can really boost morale and team cohesion. It
makes people feel seen by their peers. Exactly.
And you know, Multimedia Plus, they talk about
this platform called Insight Posts. which is
a great example of how you can facilitate that
kind of peer -to -peer recognition. Well, I'm
cool. So it's like an internal social media platform.
Kind of. You can nominate colleagues for awards,
give them points they can redeem for rewards.
Well, I like it. It's a really effective system.
All right. So we've got the multifaceted approach.
We're getting everyone involved. What else is
key? Well, Gallup recommends recognizing employees
every seven days. Every seven days? Wow, that
seems like a lot. I know it sounds like a lot,
but it really emphasizes this idea of frequent
and timely appreciation. So it's not just like
an annual award ceremony or something? Right.
In retail, where things move so fast, you need
to be giving feedback and recognition in real
time. OK. So like acknowledging a great customer
interaction you just saw? Exactly. Or giving
someone praise. right after they handle a difficult
situation well. It shows that you're paying attention.
It does. Now let's talk rewards. Yes, rewards.
Everyone loves a good bonus. Of course. Yeah.
But SHRM also points out the importance of making
those rewards meaningful. OK, so not just cash.
Not always. Think about things that align with
your employees. career aspirations, their personal
needs. So maybe mentorship opportunities. Yes.
Access to training programs. Definitely. Maybe
even more flexibility in their schedule, if that's
possible, in a retail setting. Right. Or extra
break time during those crazy busy seasons. Things
can be really valuable to people. Yeah. It shows
that you care about their well -being. Exactly.
Yeah. And sometimes the most meaningful recognition
doesn't even cost anything. Oh, really? Yeah,
Charlotte Anderson from Canva, she talked about
how a sincere thank you, a handwritten note from
a manager. Yeah. Those things can go a long way.
It's about that personal touch. It is. And this
leads us to another really crucial best practice.
Okay. Tailoring the recognition to the individual.
Oh, that's so important. It is. What motivates
one employee might not do anything for another.
Yeah, some people love public praise. Others
are more introverted. They prefer something more
low -key. Exactly. So you need to understand
your team's preferences. Like, do they value
opportunities for growth? Or is work -life balance
more important to them? Yeah. And how do you
actually figure that out? Like, how do you know
what makes your employees tick? Well, Barbara
Martel from Alliance Trade, she shared how they
use stay interviews to get insights into employee
preferences. Oh, that's interesting. Right. And
retail leaders can adapt that idea. Yeah. Have
regular check -ins with your teams. Mm -hmm.
Just ask them what kind of recognition they value
most. Simple but effective. And remember, your
workforce is diverse. Different generations different
roles, right? So you can't assume everyone wants
the same thing Okay, so we've talked about a
lot of different strategies, but it seems like
the common thread here is that personal touch
Yeah, it's about making people feel seen and
valued and that circles back to what? Multimedia
Plus was saying about those internal platforms.
Exactly. Insight Post is a great example. It
lets you give that targeted personalized recognition.
And it keeps it all internal, which avoids those
pitfalls of public social media. Exactly. So
I think the big takeaway for all of you retail
executives out there is this employee recognition.
It's not just a nice to have. It's a must have.
It really is. It's a core part of your talent
strategy. Absolutely. And it has a direct impact
on your bottom line. It affects engagement retention.
the customer experience you deliver, and ultimately
the success of your stores and your entire business.
So as you're thinking about your own employee
recognition programs, I want you to consider
this. In a world where talent is so mobile, where
people have so many options, how can you make
your recognition programs a real competitive
advantage? How can you create a culture where
employees feel so valued and appreciated that
they not only stay with your company, but they
become your biggest advocates. They go out there
and they tell everyone how great it is to work
for you. That's the kind of impact we're talking
about. And it all starts with recognizing the
incredible contributions of every single member
of your team. Well said. Thanks for joining us
today for this deep dive into employee recognition.
We'll see you next time. See you then.