Social recognition and employee creativity: Finding the magic formula
Creativity is a cornerstone of a growing organisation. A study by Adobe and Forrester Consulting1 found that 82% of companies believe there is a strong connection between creativity and business results. In fact, according to the study where creative thinking is encouraged, organisations outperform their rivals in revenue growth, market share and competitive leadership.
In a survey by IBM2 of more than 1,500 chief executive officers, creativity was ranked as the number one factor for future business success—above management discipline, integrity and even vision.
As many organisations start looking at how they will move into a recovery phase in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, this kind of creative problem solving is going to be absolutely essential. Nearly every organisation will be facing new and unanticipated challenges and leaders will be reliant on their leaders and employees to think creatively to overcome these challenges and thrive in an altered landscape.
An article in The Fortuna3 notes that ‘Creativity improves the process of solving problems. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about developing a new strategy or an innovative way to stay ahead of the competition. Creative problem solving gives that competitive edge that any business is striving to achieve.’
So, what impact does employee recognition have on creativity in the workforce?
In his book The Courage to Create Rollo May states that ‘Creativity requires passion and commitment’. When talking about the working world, organisations must look at how they are engaging their employees and whether their practices are instilling the kind of commitment and passion that May suggests creativity needs.
According to Yale University4 ‘engaged employees love what they are doing and look forward to coming to work. They are passionate about what they do, feel that they are an important part of the big picture and that their energy and innovation help make the organisation successful.’
And this is where effective employee recognition comes in to play.
Deloitte5 notes a high correlation between recognition and improving employee engagement. They have found that employee engagement, productivity and performance are 14% higher in organisations with recognition programmes, than in those without.
Being effectively and regularly recognised for good work is imperative when it comes to employees acknowledging that what they know and do are correct and make they can make an impact. When they feel their efforts are appreciated, they also feel more positive about their job and their organisation as a whole – and that increased positivity has a number of benefits.
In fact, one study6 showed that positivity creates feelings of greater self-efficacy and confidence. Within the workplace, this confidence leads to greater levels of work satisfaction and reinforces people’s certainty in their own knowledge and abilities. This, in turn, allows employees to explore and share new ideas and approach problem-solving creatively.
And this is not just theoretical, studies prove that recognition has a tangible impact on employees’ creativity and innovation.
One study8, which looked at ‘The Effect of Performance Recognition on Employee Engagement’ found that employees who received strong performance recognition generated, on average, nearly twice as many new ideas to improve their company’s products, services or systems per month as those with weak recognition.
The same study found that 88% of employees receiving strong performance recognition were proactively seeking new ways of doing things to improve efficiency at their company.
Visit the Access Applause Hub to find how social employee recognition software can help you to harness the power of recognition and boost your team’s creativity.
1Adobe and Forrester Consulting
2IBM
3The Fortuna
4Yale
7OCT
