Recognition is an often underestimated but powerful employee engagement strategy. When recognized, employees are more engaged, feel a stronger connection to their organization and have better work relationships, according to research by Cicero. However, 82% of American employees feel they are not recognized enough by their leaders for the contributions they make, which takes a toll on productivity, morale and profitability in a workplace. The power of recognition is most beneficial when it’s timely, sincere, targeted and consistent.

Be Timely

In a contact center, where employee engagement is often low and attrition is high, recognition is essential to improvement. However, recognizing agents a week after they meet performance objectives is not effective

When a contact center has the right technology to identify reliable agents, recognition can be implemented in several ways. And it’s important to realize that recognition does not have to be financial. Six in 10 employed Americans say they are more motivated by the act of being recognized than by money.

That’s why it’s important to use a performance management solution like CxEngage Scoreboard where KPIs and metrics are provided in real-time on easy-to-read dashboards and wallboards, allowing supervisors to recognize good performance or help correct immediately.

Keep It Sincere

While praising employees for their good work is critical, you should ensure it is genuine and personal. A simple way to express sincere recognition is to write thank-you notes. Research shows that 76% of people keep handwritten thank-you notes.

Another way to recognize agents is to commemorate their work anniversary. Keep track of work anniversaries and celebrate them with a card, memento, wallboard spotlight or a day off. This will help agents feel appreciated and encourage retention, knowing their time at work matters.

Make It Targeted

Public recognition can be an effective tactic to cultivate positivity and productivity in a contact center. Wallboards, which are a visual communication tool that display information on large TVs throughout a contact center, make it easy to publicly recognize agents. CxEngage wallboards can display leaderboards and racing screens; gamification rankings, awards and achievements; or employee birthdays and spotlights. All of which cause agents to feel acknowledged and special among their peers.

Wallboards make it easy for supervisors to personally recognize agent performance if agents are performing well. A quick glance at a wallboard gives supervisors the ability to recognize good performance immediately. If an agent isn’t performing well, it gives supervisors the opportunity to recognize poor behavior before it becomes an issue.

Balance Is Key

It’s just as important to recognize bad behavior as it is good behavior, but the recognition strategies should differ. Agents who aren’t performing well can be given individual recognition through targeted coaching sessions, and it doesn’t need to be a burden on supervisors. Technology like CxEngage Scoreboard provide automated coaching alerts that allow coaches to course-correct immediately, increasing efficiency, shutting down costly behaviors and improving morale.

Maintain Consistency

Consistent and ongoing recognition can lead to powerful behavior changes. According to Gallup Research, each employee should be recognized every seven days. Recognition doesn’t have to be extravagant; it just needs to happen regularly to be a consistent morale boost.

Combining these recognition techniques with Serenova’s CxEngage Scoreboard can help boost agent productivity, improve contact center metrics, and increase agent engagement and morale. Click here to schedule a demo and learn more.