When talent meets recognition

People are only talented if you listen to what they have to say. Every organization dreams of having competent, skillful, and talented employees who make their best efforts to meet the company’s goals. Unfortunately, not every company has the mindset and culture to promote this behavior. Every person that has a place in the company has a special set of skills and ideas that can help them grow personally and within the workplace, the thing is that not every leader in the workplace knows how to get new ideas flowing or doesn’t even take the time to listen.

Talent can only grow as much as it is taken care of. Of course you want to attract talented people to your organization, but if you don’t teach them new skills or take the time to hear their ideas, that talent will search for a new space to shine. Here are some key factors you should consider to better recognize your talent:

Every person has different needs. You can’t reward everyone with the same prize. Some people want to have time-off, some others a coupon for their children’s books. You need to know your people and get ahead of what could really benefit them and what can make them feel listened. This makes everybody feel like they are taken care of in a personal level and not like they’re just “another employee”. It is even easier in a startup to have these kind of follow up with every member of your team.

Praise should always be in public. This seems to be an obvious observation but it isn’t; not a lot of companies tend to publically recognize their employees’ efforts and this leads to make them think that their contributions didn’t mean that much. If an idea or effort has significant value for all the team, project, or company, why not share it with everyone and thank the person or team that made it possible? Take your time to think of specific words to say and deliver your “thank you-speech” with some meaning.

Share the bigger picture. People will make a better effort to participate if they know what their contributions can reach to. We always want to be part of something “bigger”, and this is the case. With every idea and action that can have an impact in the world, we can feel prouder of ourselves.

Your best employees need more of your time. How do you turn a great employee into an average employee? Easy, just give them the same time and attention as everybody else. They will feel like their extra effort and great numbers don’t make the highlight to the noticed. You want to have your best employees feel like what hey deserve and have them pitching those great ideas always. The time you spend with someone will always be appreciated, and in the workplace it’s no different.

Try to consider these ideas in your everyday life at work. A great leader must always look after his/her team. Recognition is even more important nowadays according to several studies that show this as a critical trait of Millennials. Nevertheless, regardless of age, a well appreciated and recognized employee will always look better after his/her job, the company, the team, and to contribute with quality ideas. Embrace talent before it decides to go somewhere else to find that high five.

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