Feeling deflated? Why leaders need recognition too

Recognising good work has been touted as key to sustaining engagement. Leaders are encouraged to dole it out to deserving team members on a regular basis, but are leaders receiving their due credit? HR practitioners are employees too – and acknowledging their efforts may be the necessary fuel to continue fighting all the fires. Three leaders shared in a panel discussion how positive feedback has impacted them and helped them better understand their own practices.

Read more: How to ensure staff feel seen and valued at work

Employee feedback can clear doubts about performance

Cary Shek, vice president people & culture at Klook recalled how a team member’s feedback affirmed she’s on the right track. She was working with the team member on their career development and had regular chats about their progress. This may feel like it’s all in a day’s work for leaders, but the staffer shared that everything has been very helpful. “He mentioned that I may not know how much that I have done,” Shek said. “With that kind of feedback culture, I feel, ‘oh yeah, I am actually making an impact’.”

Cary Shek was named as one of the Best HR Leaders in Asia in the recent Hot List 2023. Find out more here.

Managerial recognition can leave a lasting impact

Another leader highlighted the lasting impact of a manager’s recognition on someone early in their career. “When I was really young, my boss said that we needed to hire another person to join the team,” said April Wan, VP, global head of HR at Razer Inc. “I [asked]: ‘what kind of person are you looking for?’ He said: ‘I’m looking for another you’. That’s a great compliment…It was a really small moment but that brought a lot of happiness to me and said that whatever that I do was actually worth it.”

Read more: How to choose great leaders

The impact of referring feedback from others

Another leader’s experience of hearing people talk positively about her inspired her to include it in her engagement strategies. Earlier in her career, someone mentioned to Sonya Brown, senior VP talent & culture at Accor that a senior leader had been “saying good things about me”. “I remember how that made me feel to have good feedback referred on to you,” Brown said. “If you’re ever having a conversation with a manager, and they say something nice about a team member, I always make sure I refer that on – in case they haven’t heard it directly from the person.”