Recognition at work is much more than just a human resources management practice; it's an essential ingredient in cultivating a healthy work environment.
Despite its importance, recognition in the workplace is all too often neglected or underestimated by organizations.
49% of respondents to a Léger survey conducted on behalf of the Mouvement Santé mentale Québec in February 2024 mentioned receiving recognition from colleagues, and 37% from managers.
Yet recognition at work is a recognized protective factor for mental health, as well as having a positive impact on commitment, motivation and job satisfaction.
There are several types of recognition:
- Existential recognition
It's about talking to Claude or Florence, not the marketing manager or the accountant. It allows people to feel recognized and appreciated as human beings. This form of recognition manifests itself through relational interactions, such as greeting colleagues when they arrive in the morning, consulting employees before making a decision, being transparent in communications, or giving them the flexibility they need to reconcile their work and family responsibilities.
- Acknowledging efforts
It's the one that emphasizes participation and contribution to work processes, the efforts made to achieve objectives, regardless of the results. For example, we might recognize the energy invested in a project even before it's finished.
- Acknowledging practice
It's the one that highlights the way a person performs a task - their professional qualities, skills, workplace behaviors.
- Acknowledging results
This is the one we most often focus on, the assessment of work results and the achievement of objectives.
It would be a mistake to limit ourselves to this type of recognition alone. In fact, all four types of recognition listed above have significant benefits for the well-being of teams and, by extension, the organization.
Just as important as recognition by managers, if not more so, recognition by peers is often perceived as more authentic; peers sometimes have a better understanding of the reality of performing a task and the achievements of their colleagues.
Organizational culture is a factor that greatly influences the presence of recognition within the organization, whether through management discourse and practices, the use of a policy to this effect, or any measure that encourages the implementation of recognition practices.
Whether distributed on a personal or organizational basis, recognition plays a crucial role in creating a healthy work environment that fosters employee well-being.
Want to find out more? We invite you to get to know our collaborator!
" We are the only Quebec-based group ofcommunity organizations specifically dedicated to mental health promotion and prevention. We want to equip the people of Quebec to develop and strengthen their mental health, and make it a collective and social project. " – MSMQ
E-mail: info@mouvementsmq.ca
Website: https://mouvementsmq.ca
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