Reach a positive management through better employee recognition

Very close attention should be paid to employee recognition as it is central to effective management and has an inescapable influence on the motivation and commitment of both individuals and teams (1). This essential way of valuing staff may take different forms and government departments are now starting to pick up on this. 

English-speaking countries have a longstanding tradition of awarding prizes in the civil service. The idea is to showcase civil servants who have made a significant commitment when carrying out their duties. These distinctions are part of continuous improvement programmes, examples of which include “A Brilliant Civil Service” in the United Kingdom, “Be Recognised for Your Achievements” in Ireland or the “Federal Employee Awards” in the United States.

Giving financial compensation (salary increases, additional allowances or one-off bonuses) or access to promotion remain the means most often used by HR departments.

However, today, free time is being increasingly solicited, especially by younger staff. In Luxembourg, when an employee receives a maximum score in the performance appraisal system, they are granted three days of “recognition” leave for the period. This leave can be broken down into half days or put into a time savings account.

Along the same lines in terms of job appeal, performance rated as excellent over three years in a row by superiors in Portugal opens up entitlement to choose a move to a foreign government department or to an international or non-governmental organisation, or skills-development training.

As remote working is becoming ever more widespread, the need for recognition is all the more pressing. Norway provides managers with a best practices guide and tailored advisory services to improve the positive feedback they give their staff and make sure they do so on regular basis, against the growing backdrop of the almost exclusive use of digital resources.

Some countries, such as Switzerland, go beyond mere recommendations and make giving recognition a prerequisite for any supervisory position. The ability to “show employees appreciation for their work and behaviour” is assessed in appraisals.

Dialogue has to be adapted to reflect the diversity of civil servants’ situations, whether in terms of age, working conditions or profession. In Finland, the government is trialling Osaava:ksi (succes factors), a digital resource which uses the concept of ongoing discussions on targets and achievements by providing a ready-to-use channel that fosters regular interaction.   

Recognition should also be seen as a full-blown psychosocial factor as it has an impact on the loyalty and engagement of staff. In Canada, the School of Public Service trains counsellors in each organisation and has designed a tool that draws attention to focal points, which include always getting the employee’s consent before congratulating them during an event or in front of a group of people.

Recognition given in a more confidential and less formal manner can be just as effective. In Australia, the government has set up the eThanks system to enable employees to thank a colleague, who will receive a printable, personalised acknowledgement of their efforts.

¹ A poll of 4,500 civil servants conducted during summer 2021 by the French “Nos services publics” group flagged up a lack of recognition as one of the reasons for dissatisfaction in the workplace which was adopted on 22 May 2019.