Everyone likes to receive praise for a job well done. This is true for volunteers, family members, students, and employees. Sometimes, in the day-to-day work environment, that gets lost. Is that a big deal?

Recognizing Good Work is a Very Big Deal

What happens when employees are recognized and rewarded for doing a good job? The effects are much bigger than making the employee feel appreciated: organizations that give regular thanks to their employees far outperform those that don’t. There’s another important fact to consider. Companies that scored in the top 20 percent for building a ‘recognition-rich culture’ actually had 31 percent lower voluntary turnover rates!

There are additional incentives for the healthcare industry. Improving employee morale is important: Stress levels, turnovers, and leaves of absence all tend to be lower when staff members report feeling satisfied. Although that’s a worthwhile goal in any work environment, it can have special significance in a healthcare environment. [P]atients are more likely to express dissatisfaction at hospitals where the nurses report a high level of dissatisfaction – ‘a finding with possible implications for quality of care.’

Be Creative

Although many healthcare facilities may adopt similar recognition and reward systems, there’s a lot of room for creativity and innovation. One hospital uses WOW Appreciation Cards. The cards are shared with the employees, their supervisors, and, often, with department and hospital staff. Employees who receive cards are entered into a drawing each month for small prizes. Another offers Nursing Excellence Awards for nurses who have been nominated by their peers for excellence in nursing practice.

Some types of recognition and rewards are formal, but there can be less formal recognition, as well. A healthcare facility can recognize a staff nurse or other staff member for a job well done in front of other staff. Further, e-mails…that name a specific person for some accomplishment can be forwarded to the entire staff to recognize the person’s accomplishment or good work.

A Few Tips

There are a few important things to keep in mind when recognizing and rewarding employees. Put it on record; this should be used in addition to delivering the message verbally, face to face, and as soon as possible. If you’re recognizing and rewarding, stick to those two things – this isn’t the time to correct or address a problem. In other words, don’t ruin the recognition by saying, ‘Well done, but….’ Save that for another time.

What type of recognition and reward is best? The answer is that there’s no easy answer. There is often a disconnect between the type of appreciation employees want and what their managers think they want. Although the question is complex, the answer may be simple: Ask employees about it through an employee survey.

Work with One of the Best Healthcare Staffing Agencies in Southern California

At 365 Healthcare Staffing Services, we specialize in the recruitment and placement of healthcare professionals in per diem, travel, and permanent assignments in healthcare facilities across the country. We appreciate the value of great employees, and we’re ready to help you meet your staffing needs. Give us a call at 310.436.3650 today!