The Remote Workplace Needs Recognition Rituals Too

Remote-work employees lack recognition rituals, without which many working from home during in the COVID-19 crisis can feel unmoored, reports Gallup Workplace . Such rituals are more critical than ever, as the pandemic has motivated many workers to heroically step up to maintain the business. According to Gallup, one in four employees worldwide agree that they have received recognition or praise for doing good work in the last week — and if organizations could raise that ratio to six in 10, they could witness a 28 percent improvement in quality and a 31 percent shrinkage in absenteeism. Technology-based recognition tools and peer-to-peer recognition systems lack the spontaneity of authentic and individualized feedback, while Gallup finds that the most meaningful recognition comes from a manager, a high-level leader, or the company CEO. Remote-work recognition rituals that leaders can offer include initiating team meetings by recognizing someone on the call who did outstanding work in the past week. Another suggestion is to highlight three very helpful people each Friday. Making recognition special creatively, like sending a note through traditional mail, can yield benefits as well. Employers whose teams are fully remote also can set up regular, nonrequired virtual hangouts for social connection, as venues for offering encouragement, support, and praise.