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As the world has shifted to a primarily remote workforce, employee engagement and motivation has never been such a top priority. By focusing on creating the optimal employee experience, organizations position their employees to bring their A-game more often. Engaged employees are more productive, achieve better performance, and provide better customer service - and who doesn’t want that? 

Gamification has become an increasingly popular approach to employee engagement and performance. According to a 2019 TalentLMS survey, 89% of employees whose companies use gamification techniques report feeling more productive at work. An additional 86% of employees feel happy. So we know that gamification translates into more engaged, productive, and happy employees - but what does gamification really mean? And what does it look like in practice? 

Related Article: Can gamification motivate your employees?

As the term suggests, gamification is simply the introduction of game mechanics and techniques to motivate the target behaviors. What separates gamification from other engagement strategies is that it works on a psychological level - tapping into our natural drive for feedback, instant gratification, and a sense of social belonging. This is also known as accessing our brains “motivation engine”. When we are rewarded or recognized, a rush of dopamine is released leaving us with a sense of accomplishment. Quite literally, your employees are already wired to be responsive to gamification. 

The technique can be exemplified through a variety of elements such as scoring, badges, awards, or points. While it isn’t exactly playing Nintendo at work, the idea remains the same - add some friendly competition, and things get more exciting. So exciting, in fact, that 83% of employees whose training involves gamification aspects feel motivated.

Gamifying a work environment is beneficial to employees and managers alike. Gamification improves feedback, transparency, and communication - all important contributing aspects to employee performance. It can also be used as a fun spin on traditionally mundane business activities like recruitment or employee onboarding. While gamification strategies and use may differ among organizations, it’s clearly a more effective and innovative approach compared to traditional methods. 

Related Article: Customize your rewards and recognition program with Qarrot 

Qarrot’s approach to gamification 

As part of our rewards and recognition program, Qarrot enables peer-to-peer recognition using a variety of game-based elements. By incorporating these gamification features into your engagement strategy, employees can motivate each other while working towards both individual and team goals.   

Leaderboard

The leaderboard is an easy and convenient feature that enables users to view the rankings of colleagues based on the number of points and badges earned. Employees can access the leaderboard from the home section and choose from a variety of filters in which to view rankings. 

Points

Points are a ‘rewards currency’ that managers, employees, or both can include when sending recognitions and can be redeemed for a variety of rewards in the Qarrot catalog. Employees are issued a monthly point budget which they can use to recognize and celebrate coworkers. Users can view their points budgets and transaction history through their Qarrot profile. 

Badges

Badges are the metaphorical swag employees are awarded as part of a recognition when they exhibit desirable behaviors, hit milestones, or reach objectives. They can be customized to reflect your company's unique core values and culture. Team members can view each others' badges by clicking on their colleagues' avatar. 

Incentive Campaigns

Whether you’re looking to increase deals closed or promote employee development, Qarrot incentive campaigns are a great way to motivate employees to achieve results. Your team members can partake in some friendly competition while simultaneously reinforcing company values, accomplishing goals, and strengthening teamwork skills.

Discover how your team can benefit from gamification - request a demo with Qarrot! 

The idea of planning, implementing, and monitoring an employee recognition process may seem daunting at first, however, that doesn’t have to be the case. It’s the combination of knowing what makes your employees tick and aligning employees' engagement with your organization's values and goals. 

Here at Qarrot, we believe that incentive campaigns are a staple when it comes to driving results from a rewards and recognition program. Whether they’re crafted to motivate employees to achieve goals or complete tasks, incentive campaigns can tailor any recognition process to fit your team's unique needs. Qarrot makes motivating improved performance with campaigns easy - from our fun gamification features to effortless campaign administration. Our campaigns feature customizable badges and awards, further reinforcing your company's core values and culture.  

Related Article : Customize your rewards and recognition program with Qarrot 

Manual vs. Automatic Campaigns 

When creating incentive campaigns within Qarrot, users have the choice between two types of campaigns - automatic or manual. It will ultimately depend on how you would like awards to be paid out to the participants of your incentive campaign. 

If you select 'Automatic', the campaign will let participating employees enter their results data. If an employee's results meet the award rules you set up, then the corresponding badges and points will be given to them. 

If you choose “Automatic’, then you need to decide what awards (points and/or badges) will be given to participating employees for accomplishing the campaign goals, KPIs, or targets. Awards can be given in three ways :

• Ongoing earn : Employees can earn awards throughout the campaign
• Threshold bonus : Employees can earn awards when a specific threshold is achieved within the campaign timeframe 
• Winner takes all : Like a contest, this format rewards one top performer at the end of the campaign 

Alternatively, if you select 'Manual', then you will have to create the award(s) and decide who deserves to be given the award(s) during, or at the end of, the campaign. You can give employees awards any time by closing the campaign and selecting winners.

Related Article : Dell Technologies cuts admin tasks by more than half with Qarrot 

Whether you’re new to creating objective-driven campaigns or just looking for some fresh ideas, we’ve got you covered. From customer support to employee development, you can create customized campaigns for just about anything - here’s some inspiration to help you get started!  

Example Manual Campaign : At the end of the campaign, you manually award every employee who has received a 5-star review in the last 30 days.

Example Automatic Campaign; 

Ongoing : Every employee can earn an award for receiving a 5-star review.

Threshold : The whole team is rewarded when participants have accumulated ten 5-star reviews.

Winner Takes All : The employee/team with the most 5-star reviews wins. 

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Example Manual Campaign : At the end of the campaign, you manually award every employee who has completed one training/development course in the last 30 days. 

Example Automatic Campaign; 

Ongoing : Every employee can earn an award for completing one training/development course.

Threshold : The whole team is rewarded when every participant has completed one training/development course.

Winner Takes All : The employee/team with the most training/development courses completed wins.

Example Manual Campaign : At the end of the campaign, you manually award every employee who has attended a company yoga class. 

Example Automatic Campaign; 

Ongoing : Every employee can earn an award for attending a company yoga class. 

Threshold : The whole team is rewarded when every participant has attended a company yoga class. 

Winner Takes All : The employee/team that attends the most company yoga classes wins. 

Example Manual Campaign : At the end of the campaign, you manually award every employee who has closed a new deal in the last 30 days. 

Example Automatic Campaign; 

Ongoing : Every employee can earn an award for each new deal closed. 

Threshold : The whole team is rewarded when every participant closes a new deal.

Winner Takes All : The employee/team with the most new deals closed wins. 

Example Manual Campaign : At the end of the campaign, you manually award every employee who has completed all tasks on time in the last 30 days. 

Example Automatic Campaign; 

Ongoing : Every employee can earn an award for completing all tasks on time.

Threshold : The whole team is rewarded when every participant has completed all tasks on time.

Winner Takes All : The employee/team with the most tasks completed on time wins. 

These campaign examples, and their corresponding rules for award distribution, depend on campaign format (individual vs. team), units tracked, and how results are recorded (employees vs. manager). To learn more about incentive campaigns and how your team can benefit from some friendly competition, visit the Qarrot help centre.  

Discover how you can align employee engagement with your organizations core values - book a demo with Qarrot today!

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Although the future of the workplace remains uncertain, one thing is for sure - flexible and remote work options have become the new normal. In our unforeseen pandemic reality, companies are faced with redefining the notion of “business as usual” - as business activities are now happening at dining room tables and living room couches. Although remote work is nothing new, the number of companies that perform business operations outside of the traditional office has skyrocketed. 

While the shift towards remote work is a learning curve for both employers and employees alike, with the right tools in tow, work can happen just about anywhere. In addition to being productive, keeping employees motivated and engaged can also be achieved while working from home. For example, Qarrot let’s managers and colleagues recognize great work no matter where they’re working. Plus, our automation makes it easy to keep your program running even when you’re not all under the same roof.  So, you’ll be well-armed to keep both your employees and business thriving in our new remote reality. 

Foster a digital workplace culture 

The task of creating a workplace culture is no longer constrained to office parties or casual Fridays. Instead, companies now have to craft the same experience, digitally - a culture that can exist without geographical limits. Luckily, with Qarrot, you can create a recognition rich environment that encompasses every member of your team near and far. A collective approach to rewards and recognition is a sure-fire way to keep your employees engaged while fostering a supportive work culture. During these unfamiliar times, streamlining internal communications and transparency is imperative. Qarrot also features custom badges and rewards you can create to further solidify your organization's unique core values. 

Related Article: Customize your rewards and recognition process with Qarrot 

Reward employees instantly  

Celebrating employees when they achieve goals both big and small is a great way to boost confidence and morale. When it comes to choosing a rewards and recognition process, the most effective ones will deliver rewards promptly. If there is a lag time between recognizing and rewarding an employee, there is a loss in momentum that can sidetrack future employee motivation. When employees redeem their points earned in the Qarrot reward catalog, digital gift cards are immediately sent to their email. If they are redeeming a company-provided reward, the details are instantly sent to the appropriate contact who is responsible for reward distribution. You can also update your rewards catalog and budget at any time. Qarrot makes rewarding your employees easy and instant - no office required. 

Incentivize employees with objective-driven campaigns 

Qarrot makes keeping track of multiple incentive campaigns and teams a breeze - no matter how widely dispersed. You can create incentive campaigns that measure whatever objective you like and award your employees with both points and badges. Campaigns are conveniently enabled with gamification features - so employees can keep score with their colleagues through the leaderboard and see each others’ campaign awards and recognitions. Managers can easily create incentive campaigns for their own teams, and team members can upload their own results. 

Related Article: 6 mistakes that kill employee motivation 

Monitor campaign and employee progress 

Keeping track of your employees’ progress - whether that's individual accomplishments or campaign performance - can also be done remotely with Qarrot. Admins and Team Leads in charge of automatic campaigns can view both the progress reports and results of their respective campaigns. They also have the option to export that information to Excel. You can review all points and badges earned by an employee through an employee's activity history, or by generating a points/badges earned report. No matter how many employees, teams, or incentive campaigns you may be juggling, Qarrot makes it easy to monitor everyone's progress. Plus, keeping an eye on employee activity means you can learn exactly what motivates your team members and drives performance. 

Discover how your team can benefit from peer-to-peer recognition - book a demo with Qarrot today! 

For the past few months, we’ve been in discussions with Weeve.ai, a really cool conversational employee platform, about a strategic partnership.

To date, Qarrot hasn’t entered into any partnerships that I would describe as "strategic". So, you might be curious to ask: Why now? And, why Weeve.ai?

If nothing else, the past 6 months have caused us to think deeply about how the workplace is changing. Remote work is creating many challenges that most managers hadn’t previously had to contend with. For many, the days of casually catching up with a colleague or team member in the hallway or in a meeting room are gone for good.

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These changes not only impact how organizations boost morale and improve performance, but also how managers stay in touch with their employees to gauge how they’re doing and what support they may need.

That’s what’s so cool about Weeve.ai. They’ve developed an empathetic AI chatbot, called Kim, that has organic conversations with employees to understand what’s going well and where change is needed.

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When there are issues, Kim escalates them. Now, with the power of Qarrot, Kim also brings your team's wins to your attention so you can recognize and reward them in a timely and meaningful way.

Combined, we believe that Weeve + Qarrot represents a truly powerful solution for people leaders and managers of all stripes.

To learn more about our combined solution, see our video here: www.weeve.ai/weeve-qarrot

Rewarding and recognizing employees is both a powerful tool for reinforcing desirable behaviors and for strengthening company values and culture. Celebrating those individuals who exhibit favorable attitudes boosts both workplace culture and internal communications. From increasing employee morale to organizational loyalty, every member of your team can benefit from working in a recognition-rich environment. 

But how can you ensure that your recognition process packs a punch? Offer your employees a process that accurately reflects the goals, vision, and core values of your organization. Tailoring your process to fit your company's unique needs fosters engaged employees—who may otherwise be unresponsive to a more generic approach. The opportunity to create and customize your own program also gives managers the ability to learn what does—and what does not— motivate their teams. 

Related Article: Signs it’s time to automate your rewards and recognition program 

One size rarely fits all—and the same can be said for recognition programs. Here at Qarrot, we believe in rewarding and recognizing your people on your own terms. As a manager or supervisor, you should be able to customize and update your recognition process as you see appropriate. Here are a few ways that Qarrot enables a custom, unique rewards and recognition solution tailored specifically to your team. 

Custom Badges  

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Badges can be attached to recognitions or used as campaign awards. Admins can create badges based on any theme —so your creative license can run wild! Perhaps you want to create a badge for a monthly team challenge or quarterly sales target. Or maybe you’d like to create badges for each of your company’s core values. Once named, you can enter a brief description of the badge, explaining the award in more detail. You can then select an image from our library that best captures the essence of the badge, or you can upload your own image. 

Custom Rewards 

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Your rewards and recognition process should be customizable at all points - including the rewards themselves. The Qarrot catalog hosts a large selection of e-gift cards from over 20 countries, but if you’re looking to further customize your rewards you can create as many company-provided rewards as you like. These can be any product, service, or benefit that your company wishes to provide. For example, days off, lunch with the boss, and company swag are common themes. Once you have given your reward a name, for example “Morning coffee and bagels on the boss”, add an accompanying description, image, and point value. Custom rewards are a unique way you can complement and reinforce existing company culture. 

Related Article: 5 ways your workplace can motivate employees 

Integration with existing tools 

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Your recognition process should also be easily accessible for admins and employees alike—so we’ve enabled Qarrot to integrate easily with your existing HR and communications tools. If your team is already using BambooHR, you can easily sync your employee database with Qarrot. This means no manual updating, adding, or deleting employees— reducing the administrative load. You also have the option of connecting Microsoft Teams and Slack accounts to Qarrot. This enables activities such as recognitions and campaign awards to appear directly within dedicated channels on those applications—providing an easy, hands-free way that keeps everyone in the loop. 

Add your organizational branding 

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Part of having a rewards and recognition program that compliments your organization is that it also feels like part of your organization. Qarrot makes it easy to customize your company account with logos and color schemes of your choice. From the Settings page, SuperAdmins can easily import custom logos to their Qarrot account and select choices from our color palette. Colors and logos can be updated at any time, so your recognition program can always be tweaked to reflect your current branding. 

Learn how to make any of these customizations in your own Qarrot account by visiting our support page: 

• Create a custom badge
• Create a custom reward 
• Connect Qarrot with BambooHR
• Connect Qarrot with Microsoft Teams 
• Connect Qarrot with Slack 
• Add organization branding 

Empower your employees’ by recognizing company core values - book a demo with Qarrot!

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Dell Technologies

Sydney, Australia

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The company

Dell Technologies is committed to shaping future innovation and technology that drives human progress. With an impressive portfolio ranging from data security to IT infrastructure, Dell is the pioneering force paving the way to a Digital Future. 

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Misha Moore is the Inside Sales Marketing Manager at Dell Technologies Asia Pacific. With over 300 employees to manage and motivate, she was in the market for an all-in-one employee recognition and rewards solution. Misha’s team spans across multiple countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and India. Such a diverse workforce needed a recognition program that could reflect their team's needs with a selection of rewards available across those regions. 

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The challenge

Prior to Qarrot, their existing process posed issues when it came to distributing instant rewards, digital downloading, and ease of use. Employees reported a long window of time between redeeming and receiving rewards - unlike Qarrot where rewards are delivered instantly. It also lacked reporting capabilities, which was a key feature Misha wanted for her team's recognition workflow. Misha was looking for a program that would fit Dells’ specific requirements when it came to recognizing and rewarding their team. Our user-friendly approach to peer-to-peer recognition, incentive campaigns, and reporting capabilities stood out to Misha - which ultimately led her with the decision to choose Qarrot. 

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The solution

Since adopting Qarrot, Misha has seen a boost in employee engagement and productivity. Her team has expressed overwhelmingly positive feedback regarding their experience using the platform, while Misha has been impressed with account services and Qarrot’s' easy-to-use interface. Transparency of rewards and quick turnaround time with our digital catalog means that incentives have more traction than ever before, increasing both employee motivation and performance. Before Qarrot, Misha estimates that she spent around 75% of her work week managing employee payouts - and now it’s as little as 20%. We were able to replace Misha’s time-consuming administration tasks with streamlined automation. Now Misha has more time to focus on her core responsibilities and drive employee performance in a recognition rich environment.

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‍Replace administrative clutter with streamlined automation - book a demo with Qarrot today

An effective employee rewards and recognition program is one of the most powerful tools any organization can wield when it comes to employee experience. Ensuring employees feel valued and appreciated is an essential human need in any workplace. Since employee recognition has been linked to increased productivity, performance, and morale, you will be hard-pressed to find a company that does not recognize a job well done. 

But how do you know when your team is outgrowing an existing reward and recognition process? Whether that is to account for various project teams, remote employees, or diverse rewards. It is important that whatever your process looks like, it can accurately reflect and deliver based upon your company's and employee's unique needs. 

Related Article: How to foster a culture of transparency with a rewards and recognition program

An automated approach to employee rewards and recognition will drive performance while freeing up more of your valuable time. If you find yourself identifying with any of the following scenarios, it may be time to take your rewards and recognition process online. 

You’re suffering from administration overload 

Automated rewards and recognition programs should be an engaging and seamless experience that doesn’t weigh anyone down with administrative tasks. Traditional recognition processes usually result in one manager or supervisor carrying the administrative burden that eats up far too much of their time. Many of these tasks - like campaign tracking or reward distribution - can be left to an automated process. Spend your time celebrating employee success instead.

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 "...used to spend 75% of my time managing incentive payouts, now reduced to 20%" - Misha Moore,
Qarrot user at Dell Technologies

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You’re interested in a collective approach 

Unlike traditional approaches to employee recognition, the best recognition programs involve every employee at every level. Rather than solely dedicating recognition to managers or supervisors, adopt a tool that will enable collective recognition. Introducing a process that is accessible to every employee throughout your organization boosts company culture - improving both employee morale and loyalty. Peer-to-peer recognition programs give all employees a voice - enabling them to praise colleagues instantly, and not in an exclusively monetary way. 

Related Article: Benefits of Positive Reinforcement in the Workplace 

You want insights 

Regardless of which automation tool you choose, it should be equipped with the ability to issue reports or statistics reflecting how employees are using the platform. How often are people being recognized? Are there particular achievements or goals that receive more recognition than others? How many, or how often, are rewards being redeemed? This knowledge will help paint a picture of how your team members respond best to recognition. After all, the point of a rewards and recognition system is to keep employees engaged and motivated - so you want to make sure your employees are responsive.  

You want rewards made easy

The journey from recognizing employees and accumulating points to finally redeeming rewards should not only be easy, but instant. If a recognition isn’t timely, a disconnection may grow between the employee’s accomplishment and the associated reward - which can be confusing and frustrating. The best rewards and recognition tools will have an online catalog to host a variety of rewards that employees can choose from and receive instantly. This will ensure that employees get the rewards they want promptly and takes the task of reward distribution off your plate.

Drive better employee engagement and productivity with Qarrot - book a demo today! 

Goal setting is a fundamental step in the growth and development of every employee. From boosting employee productivity and morale to optimizing communication - successful goal setting is as beneficial as it is integral to any organization. 

Although goal setting may be perceived as an unnecessary administrative burden, in reality, it’s an opportunity to further unlock team members’ potential. More often than not, employees appreciate the opportunity to discuss both near-term and longer-term professional goals with their manager. Goal setting is a chance to refocus your employees’ attention to where and how they should be prioritizing their time, laying the groundwork from them to achieve, and maybe even exceed those expectations. 

As the saying goes, failure to plan is planning to fail. Here are 5 ways you can set your employees up for success, and keep them both motivated and engaged while working towards any goal. 

Set goals with a definite timeline 

What’s the difference between a dream and a goal? An end date. Whether you want to have a goal met by the end of the week or the end of the year, an end date makes the goal real and will motivate your employees to meet that deadline. When it comes to deciding on a completion date, make sure to also take possible conflicts or roadblocks into consideration. Try to find the right balance between a realistic timeframe that will keep your employees motivated, but also one that will not cause unnecessary stress. Whether you circle the date on your calendar, set an alarm on your phone, or follow a daily countdown - it’s time to grind!

Set goals that align with organizational values 

Whenever one of your employees hits a goal, their achievement will contribute to the overall success of your team - so goals should always be planned within the scope of your organization's values and aspirations. When goal setting with your employees, circle back, and establish how that specific goal will benefit the overall team. Why is that particular goal important, and how will it contribute to future plans or next steps within the organization? Organizations will only evolve as employees develop - effective goal setting will ensure that your company can scale successfully. 

Related Article: How to give feedback to get better results 

Set goals that are measurable 

As the saying goes, sometimes it’s more about the journey than the destination. Those who achieve their goals know how to track benchmarks and growth from the very start. Identifying key metrics or indicators of success are great for establishing when and how a goal is met, but also monitoring progress. Ensuring goals can be tied to something measurable will not only keep employees accountable but can be both informative and encouraging when reflecting back on progress made. 

Set goals in an open feedback loop 

When it comes to goal setting, the last thing you want to do is establish a goal then hang your employees out to dry. Make it a habit to check in with them and discuss how their progress is coming along, or ask if they need any additional support. Goals may need to be altered or tweaked based on organizational changes, and it’s much easier to regroup when everyone is on the same page. Plus, performance reviews or one-on-one feedback meetings never seem as daunting or intimidating when there has been constant, open communication. 

Related Article: Benefits of Positive Reinforcement in the Workplace 

Celebrate achieved goals to pave the way for continued growth 

Positive reinforcement is one of the most effective ways you can boost employee morale and performance. Whether an employee achieves their end goal or accomplishes a crucial stepping stone along the way, it’s important to recognize a job well done. Acknowledging employees for wins both big and small will encourage them to challenge themselves while also building confidence in their abilities. So celebrate your employees when they crush goals, then encourage them to strive for even more! 

Learn how you can recognize and reward your people your way - request a demo with Qarrot! 

As a manager or team lead, identifying opportunities for improvement, streamlining efficiency, and giving employees feedback are everyday tasks. On the opposite side of the coin, it is also your responsibility to recognize hard work, celebrate employee wins, and lead a motivated and engaged team.

Positive reinforcement is one of the easiest and most effective ways to boost employee morale and performance. Time and time again, we are told that employees flourish in a supportive environment. Recognition and care of your team will ensure they feel not only supported but thrive within your organization.

Related Article: 6 ways to reward your employees beyond their bank account 

The Benefits of Positive Reinforcements in the Workplace

There are a variety of ways you can go about instilling discipline and a strong work ethic into your team, but very rarely will negative reinforcement foster desired outcomes or behaviours. 

In addition to keeping your team motivated and encouraged, there are a wide array of benefits from adopting positive reinforcement techniques : 

• Celebrating employees for their hard work will boost their self-esteem, meaning they will be more enthusiastic about their work and more likely to collaborate with others
• Employees who feel valued and appreciated exhibit greater retention and organizational loyalty 
• Positive reinforcement clearly defines and communicates desired behaviors while strengthening the relationship between performance and recognition 
• Employees whose performance is rewarded or recognized are more open to learning new techniques, skills, and taking on additional responsibility
• Recognizing those employees who manage their time effectively will increase productivity and efficiency 
  

The summation of all of these benefits-improved attitudes, communications, and employee performance -- results in a company culture that is untouchable.

Organizations that fail to recognize employee accomplishments will leave team members feeling unappreciated - and unappreciated employees rarely stick around long, let alone challenge or truly apply themselves at work.

Toxic work cultures are known to plague employees with unwarranted stress and fatigue, ultimately leading to burnout and exhaustion. The verdict is in; healthy and supportive work cultures are the only way to go, and positive reinforcement can help you achieve just that! 

Related Article: 5 ways your workplace can motivate employees

Practicing Positive Reinforcement With Recognition

As explored in our blog post about recognition and retention, one of the leading reasons people leave an organization is because they do not feel appreciated or valued.

Acknowledging an employee’s or a colleague’s work and fostering a recognition-rich environment is a simple way to practice positive reinforcement. Routinely celebrating work milestones and team goals encourages positive interactions - cultivating a culture where employees feel supported and valued. 

The avenues you can take when it comes to practicing positive reinforcement with your team are endless. As long as it is direct and sincere, your organization will reap the benefits of a motivated and supported team.

Finding the perfect balance between how and when to recognize team members will encourage them to challenge themselves while remaining confident in their abilities. Praise your employees for heading in the right direction, and your organization will follow suit. 

Learn how you can reward employees on your own terms - book a demo with Qarrot!