Video: How ‘FROG’ can help with employee recognition

With employers and workers still divided when it comes to the issue of returning to the workplace, there is tension between the two sides.

Recognizing employees for their efforts may be a good way to improve that relationship. And the FROG method will do the trick, according to one expert.

FROG stands for Forever Recognizing Others’ Greatness. The Forever means employers should be constantly looking for opportunities to show their appreciation to workers, says Sarah McVanel, chief recognition officer and founder, Greatness Magnified in an episode of HRD’s Thought Leaders series.

“You may think, ‘Okay, well, the next time I see that person, I want to mention to them that I heard great things from another team’. Instead of waiting, send a text and an email, write a note. Even if they're working from home, mail it to their house, that'll surprise people,” she says.

“If you have folks who have been working hard on a project and you know that their family has had to sacrifice time with them on weekends, evenings, the extra time, write a note and send it home to the family.”

This is important as the cost of living is stressing out many Canadians, and this is causing their happiness level to drop, according to a report from ADP.

What sets high-performing teams apart?

In a lot of organizations, there is an increased expectation from workers to be constantly reminded that their work is adding value to the organization, says McVanel.

“It's not just a generational thing,” she says in a recent HRD Thought Leaders video.

“Look around at where you see the highest performing teams, and you are going to see very deliberate and consistent acts of recognition.”

The number of "shadow contributors" in the workplace has nearly doubled in the last two years, prompting concerns about how HR leaders manage their recognition programmes in their organizations, according to a previous report.

Catch the full Thought Leaders series episode featuring McVanel for free here.