New Tech-enablers to Power up Recognition and Rewards EX Strategies

An illustrious panel of industry experts shared immersive insights and actionable strategies on accelerating forward in a fast-evolving employee recognition and engagement landscape.

The transformative landscape of future of work is driven by a relentless evolution of technology. Organisations are increasingly relying on tech-powered solutions to breathe a new life into their engagement gameplans for a vibrant millennial workforce. Be it gamification-led learning, collaboration tools, metaverse celebrations, AI-driven recognition or more, technology is the real gamechanger for emerging HR practices.

A global leader and India’s foremost in delivering tech-enabled, behavioural science-led employee engagement solutions, BI WORLDWIDE delved into the world of rewards and recognition to understand the new-age tech trends redefining employee experience. In collaboration with SHRM, an exclusive webinar – Elevate Employee Experience (EX), Episode 2: ‘New Tech-enablers to Power up Recognition and Rewards EX Strategies’ was organised to bring together industry stalwarts to deliberate on harnessing the power of technology for delivering personalised, real-time, and impactful recognition.

Future-ready Technologies are the new ‘NEXT’ in Employee Recognition

The distinguished panel identified key emerging frontiers that are revolutionising how organisations acknowledge and appreciate their workforce’s accomplishments. Each of these play a pivotal role in enhancing productivity, eliminating bias, boosting employee morale, driving DEI&A and making milestones memorable.

1.Recognition Here and Now

“I am busy, but I am more apt to recognise NOW, if you make it easy, fast and fun.”

Make it easy to make your employee’s day. While employees aspire for instant recognition of their efforts, managers look for fast, intuitive, and seamless ways to recognise. Tech tools like BI WORLDWIDE’s RecognitionNow can be leveraged to make recognition a simple and intrinsic part of daily work life. The tool seamlessly integrates with everyday work apps like Outlook, Workplace by Facebook, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Chrome, and Microsoft Edge to enable real-time sending of notes of appreciation, giving points and redemption of rewards for employees and managers alike.

2.AI-powered Recognition Advisors and Co-Pilots

“It’s really great to have nudges that can remind you to recognise your team members – in the right way and at the right time.”

Maximise the impact of recognition with the power of actionable insights. AI-powered recognition co-pilots leverage real-time insights to guide managers to acknowledge contributions – big and small, identify & eliminate biases, take personalised recognition actions and foster a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. With the nudges propelled at the right time, the recognition advisors also empower managers to be more efficient, nurturing a strong sense of belonging at the workplace.

Ishan Bansal, APAC Rewards Leader, Signify, put it brilliantly, “Recent technological innovations can be integrated in HRMS or core HR platforms that can give predictive and even prescriptive inputs to managers on rewarding certain performances or behaviours of employees.”

3.Celebration of Moments in Hybrid Workplaces

“I believe in turning milestones, achievements and special occasions into memories of a lifetime, for ALL my team members – on-site, remote and hybrid.”

Create moments of inspiration for all your remote, hybrid and on-site employees across the board. A truly inclusive work culture embraces hybrid work realities and tech-enabled environments, where all team members across geographies indulge in memorable celebrations. HR leaders can host hybrid Family Day, Cultural Day and other celebrations to make both on-premise and remote employees feel included. Likewise, strategic, in-person kick-off meetings at the year’s beginning and in-person town halls at regular intervals encourage deskless employees to visit office premises, fostering a sense of belonging.

4.Generative AI for Persona-based Recognition

“I love the way my manager recognises me. I feel seen. I feel belonged. I feel what I do matters.”

Foster deeper bonds with meaningful and impactful recognition. Generative AI is reshaping personalised appreciation by supporting managers in drafting bespoke messages, based on emotional cues, language nuances and cultural backgrounds of each individual employee. Through seamless translation capabilities, these AI-led solutions also enhance inclusivity by enabling managers to express gratitude in recipients' native languages.

5.Metaverse Celebrations

“Never before seen something so incredible. This is truly the next generation of recognition. My team members are fascinated with the unique and exciting experience.”

The future calls for traditional on-ground events giving way to dynamic virtual celebrations. HR leaders should think about making use of metaverse, AR, VR, and other new-age technologies to offer immersive experiences to employees while recognising their achievements. Metaverse-driven programs, focused on employee wellbeing, learning, training and more can also be leveraged to increase engagement.

Modernising Recognition: Challenges and Opportunities in Technology Adoption

“A positive employee R&R strategy is reflected in saying a sincere ‘thank you’ or ‘job well done’. Managers have to dedicate the resources, include the time, and execute it.”

— Sandhya George, Head of Talent Management and Engagement, India, Essilor Luxottica

Recognition and rewards cultivate a positive work environment where employees feel inspired to perform at their best, stay in the organisation for the long haul and act as loyal brand advocates. However, recognition has seen a paradigm shift, driven by changing work dynamics, emergence of innovative technologies and evolving employee expectations. It’s the era of managerial enablement through advanced analytics, personalised recognition, and instant & intuitive appreciation, that help drive desired employee behaviours.

The webinar also shed light on the several factors that impact the implementation of these new recognition trends. As pointed out by Rupam Singh, VP and Group Head, Performance and Rewards, JSW Group, “An organisation’s culture, its size & structure, employee demographics, and budget & resources are important factors in adoption of technology for employee recognition.”

• Organisational culture shapes attitudes towards recognition technology. A focus on engagement and retention fosters adoption.
• Employee demographics influence recognition preferences. Gen Z and millennials lean towards digital solutions, while old-timers value a human touch.
• Leadership support is pivotal. A change in mindset may be essential for embracing tech advancements.
• Integration with existing HRMS and other core HR platforms are vital for effective implementation of new technologies.
• Tech adaptation and maintenance demand resources. Organisational budget plays a key role in tech-powered recognition adoption.
• Managerial sincerity and enablement for future-ready recognition is the foundation of a thriving culture of recognition.