Want Your Team to Stick Around? Recognize Them.

“An employee who has been recognized is 63% more likely to stay at his or her current job within the next three to six months, according to another study” (Apollo Technical).

Recognition is important as many research studies have cited a lack of appreciation at work as a major reason for leaving a company. Showing appreciation makes people feel good. If we are going to enhance how our employees feel about coming to work, then we need to let them know we appreciate what they do.

Leveraging The VAK Model to Maximize the Impact of Recognition

Walter Burke Barbe proposed the VAK model for learning. The model is useful because it allows us to understand how people process information, which is essential to communication. People learn and process information visually, auditorily, or kinesthetically. 

The VAK model reminds us that people process information differently. Recognition is really just information; therefore, we must realize that people will process recognition differently. 

Some people like to hear their recognition, whereas others like to see recognition and be able to show others. Some people need to experience recognition; they must taste it, touch it, or most likely do something as a result of it. 

The task for every leader is to connect and find out how individuals prefer to receive information, which is also how they prefer to be recognized.  

– For visual people, send them emails, hand-written notes of appreciation, or post accolades on a bulletin board for all to see

– For people who process auditorily, recognize them verbally in meetings, daily huddles, and in front of their peers.

– For people who process kinesthetically, recognize their efforts by taking them to lunch, giving them an elevated role or task, or simply get out in the operation and work alongside them.

Here are three ways to let your team know you see them:

1 – Recognize their talent

2 – Recognize their effort

3 – Recognize their uniqueness