In the last few years teams have become more widely dispersed; with on-site, hybrid, office-based and front-line staff across all industries, it can be difficult to create a rewarded, connected and collaborative culture.
Concerningly, our recent EX Report revealed that nearly 30% of respondents do not have access to an internal employee recognition program.
This is troubling when according to a survey by OnePoll, almost half of U.S. workers (46%) left a job because they felt unappreciated, and a further 65% felt they would remain in a position with an unappreciative boss if their co-workers appreciated their work.
With the ongoing fluctuations in where we work, businesses should maintain focus on prioritising team connectivity no matter how or where their team is working. This is where technological systems are key. There are millions of people using Slack every day, and implementing a recognition initiative within these tools is a massive opportunity for companies to transform and improve recognition on Slack.
But how can you create a recognition initiative using the tools that staff are already using? That’s where bots come in!
Why use Bots for Slack Recognition Programs?
Using bots on Slack to power your Employee Recognition programs ensures that workers feel valued and heard, whilst also giving them the ability to single out their peers for praise, no longer having to only rely on upper management to give commendation when it is due.
How Can We Help?
Using our platform to build your own Employee Recognition program on Slack helps companies reiterate their core company values, while also providing a platform for staff to nominate their colleagues for Employee of the Month or other similar work recognition programs.
Recognition bots on Slack are a great tool because they…
- Are available and accessible to everyone 24/7 and 365 days of a year
- Reward all staff – office and frontline
- Raise awareness of company values, behaviours or awards
- Drive participation in recognition programs via automated prompts and broadcasts
- Can be directly integrated with Slack, helping to increase channel usage and engagement
Due to the flexibility of The Bot Platform, you can bring various types of recognition programs to life on Slack in one seamless experience. For example…
Peer-Led Recognition
Peer-to-peer recognition encourages employees to make deeper, personal connections with their team members and to thank them for their contributions, either privately or publicly.
Build a bot that allows staff to share personalized thank-you notes with their colleagues or pick from a series of pre-approved company recognition templates, whilst easily keeping track of staff who have received and given the most recognition.
These votes can be kept private and logged, or automatically shared on Slack groups, helping to further drive awareness of the program and drive appreciation messaging.
Value-Led Recognition
According to Workhuman, 89% of HR leaders agreed that ongoing recognition tied to core company values is the most effective. Having staff think about company values when recognising their colleagues not only makes those values seem more real and tangible, but also better integrates them into everyday working life.
Using bots on Slack you can easily ask staff to assign specific company values to their nominations. In doing so, you not only raise awareness of your core company values but also create real-world examples of those values coming to life.
Company Awards
Create a pointed moment when employees are rewarded and recognised with a bot on Slack that allows staff to nominate colleagues for specific awards.
Staff can nominate colleagues and include additional details as to why they deserve the reward or vote on a shortlist of candidates. Award categories could include stand-out team, best project, inspiring leader, unsung hero, outstanding contribution, or any others you could think of!
Real Life Bots In Action - Virgin Media O2 - Shout
Shout bot provided Virgin Media O2 employees with a spotlight way to say thank you and share appreciation with teams and individuals across the entire company.
The bot works by allowing an employee to select a person or team to recognise for their great work. Once this option has been selected, the employee can input a summary about why they are shouting about this particular team or person, and when it has been submitted, it’s automatically uploaded to their Shout Recognition Group, which is shared with the entire organisation. The post tags the person or team that has been ‘shouted’ about, so they can be notified that someone is loving their work and showing their appreciation.
Since launching there have been over 8,700 Shouts submitted by employees at Virgin Media O2 and 36% of all staff have given a colleague a Shout. Each Shout submission is posted to a recognition group on Workplace which has generated over 14,000 reactions and 4,200 comments so far.
Virgin Media O2 also utilised Shout to embed their new all-company purpose, ‘See What You Can Do’, which launched in February 2023. Each month during their all-company event, their CEO and the broader Executive team share top shouts with the wider business, recognising employees’ contributions as well as encouraging others to Shout.
Feedback from staff has been overwhelmingly positive, with staff saying the Recognition Program is “simple, straightforward and easy to use”, “great for instant peer-to-peer recognition” and “good for highlighting company-wide recognition and achievements”.
If you would like to build an amazing recognition initiative with The Bot Platform on Slack, then get in touch today and we’d be happy to help!
Want to find out more? Download our Recognition Playbook here.
Let’s take the first step towards more productive, happier and engaged colleagues together.
