Friday, November 18th, is HR Professional Day in Hawaii and we have lots of ideas to help recognize your HR professionals, share your gratitude, and celebrate the caring professionals that care for the people in our organizations.
But first, what’s the big deal? Our HR people know we appreciate them every day…right? WRONG! Recognizing the challenging work of our HR professionals may be more important than ever. Dissecting ever-changing COVID guidance, establishing safety guidelines, navigating leave policies, and more--while also taking care of their own lives--there is no doubt it’s been a wild ride for our HR professionals, and it’s taken a toll. According to a report by LinkedIn, HR professionals have generated the highest turnover rate across all industries over the last three years. Between July 2021 and June 2022 alone, global HR saw a turnover rate of almost 15% compared to an overall turnover rate of 11% during the same period. It’s time to show them some recognition and appreciation.
The good news is recognition strategies don’t need to be huge initiatives, and the best recognition doesn’t even have to cost much!
- Good old fashioned hand-written note of thanks. A handwritten thank you card, or personalized email acknowledging an employee’s contributions over the last year can be hugely meaningful. We’ve put together an easy thank you note template for your HR team. There’s simply no substitute for a handwritten note of genuine thanks. Want to make it extra special? Send the note to their home address!
- Looking for something more tech-savvy? Online gratitude boards allow for peers to easily recognize great work and share their appreciation. Free apps like Kudoboard allow you to crowdsource notes of positive feedback, post them and they stay visible for everyone to see. Post to HEC's virtual Mahalo board here!
- While the specific awards may vary, one thing we know is recognition programs mean most when they’re personalized. Employee recognition platforms like Bucketlist allow you to customize your recognition programs to curated experiences and local offerings to align recognition with what matters most to your employees.
Other free or low-cost gratitude ideas include:
- HR Lunch (that they don’t have to coordinate!);
- An afternoon off at the movies;
- Charitable donation in their name to a local cause that they select.
When employees feel valued at work, it increases engagement, productivity, and even company loyalty. Recognition shows employees that they are valued and that they aren’t invisible. The catch is knowing your employees well enough to know what will strike a chord with them. Understanding what is meaningful, delivering gratitude sincerely and personalizing recognition will help ensure your efforts are well received and impactful.
Make HR Professionals Day the start of something special—a commitment to regular recognition for all. Looking for more ideas and strategies to implement employee recognition? HEC’s HR Consultants can help! Call us at 808-836-1511, or HEC members may contact their HR Consultant directly.