How to Recognize Employee Accomplishments with the Help of Career Pathing Software
Technology in the business realm has made a significant impact on the way companies operate. This is not only true from a production and distribution aspect, but from a personnel management perspective as well. The addition of the right technology tools as it relates to managing a workforce can shift the trajectory of an organization in a positive direction, based on increased profitability and efficiencies across the board. Some of the most impactful changes come from empowering employees to do their best work each day through performance management and meaningful career pathing.
Because individuals have ample opportunities to work for a company that aligns with their personal missions, beliefs, and passions, organizations must have the ability to connect with new talent prospects while also engaging with current employees. Career pathing software provides a manageable, effective method for achieving these often daunting tasks, particularly when it comes to employee recognition. First, though, it is essential for companies to understand how recognizing employees makes a difference in attracting and retaining top talent, followed by the ways career pathing software lends a necessary hand.
The Power of Recognition
One of the most important drivers in a productive and engaged workforce is the feeling of being valued by an organization among employees. Humans have a natural desire to be recognized for the good things they do, and that is especially true on the job. Feeling appreciated increases the level of oxytocin in the body, leading to increased happiness which ultimately turns into motivation to do well. Offering recognition is one of the simplest things organizations can do to raise the productivity bar among workers while keeping them as long-term employees.
In implementing a consistent recognition program with the help of technology, companies reap the following rewards:
- Employees have a stronger connection to their job, leading to decreased turnover rates
- Desires behaviors become well-known, and workers strive to accomplish the tasks that will result in recognition consistently
- The morale of the team increases as recognition becomes the norm
- Recognition attracts new talent to an organization as the employer brand strengthens
- Recognizing employees boosts engagement and therefore productivity, leading to strong profits and bottom line growth
While it is clear that employee recognition is beneficial to an organization, it is not always an easy initiative to implement effectively. Fortunately, career pathing software offers a way to create a recognition culture in any company, ultimately affording the benefits mentioned above to employers and employees alike.
How Career Pathing Helps
Career pathing is the process of allowing employees and management to define career pathways based on current and future skill sets. Through career pathing software, technology tools aid in the process, making it far easier for both employees and their supervisors to see how certain competencies lead to various job scenarios and growth in one’s career over time. Companies can use career pathing software to align job specifications with corporate goals and share this information easily and quickly with a workforce. These details may also be integrated with performance management solutions to create an even more robust personnel management framework. When it comes to recognition, however, career pathing software offers several advantages.
With the help of a digital platform for career pathing, management and leaders in an organization can view employee accomplishments over time. These may be professional development courses, corporate training, or other career development achievements. When these accomplishments are viewed in line with career pathways, managers have an immediate, real-time opportunity to share kudos for a job well done with an employee.
Performance Measurement
Not only is immediate recognition powerful for encouraging the employee who has achieved a specific task, it is also beneficial for highlighting the hard work to a team or the employee’s peers. This information is then kept for future use, such as when an annual performance review is due, creating a more comprehensive approach to managing talent over time.
Career pathing software may also be used to help management teams recognize employees who are ripe for promotion. Achieving certain skill sets and completing the required courses or training necessary to move forward in one’s career path is seamlessly captured in a digital platform. This is the most effective type of recognition for employees who have the drive and ability to progress down their chosen career path, and career pathing software makes it easier to achieve this end in organizations large and small.
Adding technology into the mix in any organization can be beneficial, and many companies are focusing their efforts on personnel management in the corporate world. Career pathing software is advantageous to those seeking out a more streamlined, efficient, timely strategy for recognizing employees for a job well done. The payoff for the organization is high, through increased productivity, lower turnover, and higher engagement, when employees feel their work is accurately recognized over time.
This article was contributed by Linda Ginac:
Linda Ginac is the Founder and CEO of TalentGuard, a global provider of award-winning career pathing and talent management software. Inventive and driven, she is known throughout the industry for disrupting HR technology and is the inventor of the first commercially available career pathing software solution designed to optimize employee engagement and retention.Prior to TalentGuard, Linda was a key executive at pcOrder, where she helped to transform an early stage start-up into a leading NASDAQ-listed public corporation. She also held executive roles at other start-ups and Fortune 100 companies.
When she isn’t immersed in entrepreneurship, Linda enjoys being in the great outdoors, hiking, running marathons, and singing karaoke. She is an advocate of women’s leadership and empowerment and has led various prominent charities, including the Young Women’s Alliance and American Cancer Society. Linda has two amazing sons and is married to her best friend, Frank.