Technology in Total Rewards

Recognition

Closely associated with performance management is employee recognition. Most organizations align employee recognition programs to reinforce employee behaviors that help to achieve objectives and model the organization’s values. An organization’s recognition practices and their subsequent impact on performance management are significant drivers of its effectiveness. Today’s leaders face increasing competition to hire skilled workers and retain top talent – an organization’s number one asset. There is a war for talent resulting in intense competition that requires new approaches for energizing, engaging, and evaluating an organization’s workforce.

Some organizations use a social recognition platform for employee recognition. While the immediate supervisor’s feedback is most critical for an employee because it drives retention and sustainable engagement, positive feedback from peers, other managers, and even customers can be a valuable motivator and boost morale.

Recognition platforms allow authorized users to post kudos where others can see it, as well as explain why the employee is being recognized. This kind of visibility enables other employees to understand what behaviors are worth “modeling” and the objectives they need to strive toward.

Some of what AI does best makes it ideal for recognition platforms. Through its ability to rapidly analyze vast amounts of structured and unstructured data it can recognize patterns and language that identify accomplishments and then communicate personalized appreciation to deserving employees. AI learns how different employees respond to different kinds of appreciation messages and rewards and can optimize messages and recommend rewards for each individual. Using predictive analytics, AI can recognize low engagement and morale and trigger interventions to reduce turnover. One of the most important benefits of using AI with a recognition platform is that it can identify appreciation bias and help to eliminate it.

Professional Development

Career development is probably the most valued benefit an employee receives next to appreciation from their direct supervisor. Enabling employees to access information and take proactive ownership in their career development fosters engagement and retention. Performance management platforms typically have support for training and skill development that:

• Establish and administer internal training programs
• Keep track of employee certifications and renewal dates
• Maintain class rosters and training locations
• Setup and administer entire training programs that employees are required to

For the same reasons AI works well for recognition programs, it also works well for training and development. By analyzing an employee’s work history, skills gaps, and interests and projecting the future staffing needs of an organization, it can make recommendations on training and development. It can also track progress, schedule, send out reminders, and keep the development plan up to date.