As remote and hybrid work becomes the norm, organizations are scrambling to uphold a top-tier employee experience. But with in-person facetime happening in a reduced capacity, businesses have had to reevaluate their approach.
And there’s a catch twenty-two at play: the employee experience is especially important in today’s professional landscape, where employees can be more selective than ever about the companies they choose to work for.
While there’s doubtlessly a need to explore new ways of creating a great employee experience, there’s also ample value in reinforcing the fundamentals—including putting extra emphasis on celebrating individual and team successes.
Here’s why it matters—and how you can do it.
If you want to create a strong employee experience in your organization, celebrating success is more than a perk—it’s a necessity.
1. Employees Value Praise and Recognition
It’s not just speculation that employees value praise and recognition at work. In fact, 79 per cent of employees who leave their jobs do so because of feeling under-appreciated.
This sentiment is especially true among Millennials who value prompt recognition for their accomplishments—even for the smaller ones.
2. Many Employees Feel Underappreciated
While it’s clear that employees will leave their jobs if they feel undervalued, what’s truly staggering is just how many people are walking that line.
It’s not an inconsequential number: 65 per cent of employees claim they’ve received no recognition in the past year, showing just how widespread of an issue it truly is.
3. Recognizing Success Keeps People Inspired
There’s one universal fact in the professional world: even for the most passionate employees, motivation isn’t always on tap.
From time to time, everyone needs to be reminded of how their contributions impact the success of their team and organization, especially during times of change, growth, or challenge—and there’s been no shortage of that in recent years.
When you proactively appreciate your employees, you’re letting them know that you value their hard work, and it pays dividends.
With 78 per cent of employees indicating that being recognized motivates them in their job, there’s a direct correlation between celebrating work wins and creating better business outcomes.
4. Celebrating Wins Builds Camaraderie
During the last few years, people have been deprived of human connection in every facet of their lives, and it’s taken a toll on their emotional and psychological well-being.
Both for remote and hybrid teams as well as in-person teams who were forced to work from home during the pandemic, putting a focus on rebuilding connectedness and reforging camaraderie is integral to creating a great employee experience.
Celebrating small wins stimulates dopamine release in the brain, a feel-good chemical that stimulates elation and strengthens our sense of connection to those we work with.
And celebrating larger successes as a team allows employees to truly appreciate what they’re able to achieve when they work together.
5 Ways to Celebrate Work Wins
From small gestures of appreciation to significant celebrations of bigger milestones and achievements, there are a few impactful ways to acknowledge your employees’ successes.
1. Celebrate Achievements Over Tenure
On average, 87 per cent of workplace recognition programs focus on tenure, yet statistics show that most Millennials have been with their companies for less than 3 years.
This means that while celebrating things like five, ten, and twenty-year anniversaries is valuable, it may also exclude the generation that makes up 35 per cent of today’s workforce.
Instead of celebrating time or tenure, focus on celebrating achievements. This can be individual or team-based achievements—and it can even extend to personal achievements as a way to recognize your employees beyond just their role in your business.
2. Celebrate Both Big Wins and Little Ones
Not every celebration needs to be a big one. In fact, sometimes an impactful celebration can be as simple as offering a quick shout-out or a thank you to an employee for going above and beyond.
3. Don’t Wait to Celebrate
As the stats show, Millennials appreciate immediate recognition for their achievements—but it doesn’t just stop with them.
Receiving recognition and being appreciated in real-time is a key way to keep every member of your team and organization feeling inspired, valued, and motivated to work hard and seek fulfillment in their jobs.
4. Get People Together In Person
Digital communication tools are incredibly valuable in allowing us to stay connected, even when we’re not in the same place.
But while it can be impactful to offer quick congratulations and praise for small victories in a virtual setting, there’s simply no substitute for getting everyone together to enjoy each other’s company and celebrate their success as a team.
From time to time, getting everyone together as a group is not only a nice-to-have—it’s a need-to-have.
Recognizing employee successes, both big and small, is an integral component of creating a strong employee experience. And, in today’s employee-driven professional landscape, your employee experience is integral in attracting and retaining the talent that will drive the success of your organization.
If you’re looking for somewhere to celebrate your work wins, one of iQ Offices’ fully-equipped meeting rooms is a great place to gather your team. Book yours today.
Kane Willmott is the co-founder and CEO of iQ Offices, the largest independent Canadian-owned co-working operator with offices in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. iQ Offices provides beautiful office spaces with safety, service, privacy and design at the forefront.
