Recognizing your employees for what they do has a bigger impact than most owners or managers may realize. LinkedIn is addressing this very issue with a new feature it calls Kudos so you can show your appreciation to everyone with whom you work.
The simple act of saying thank you goes a long way to making your employees feel valued, and forgetting to say it or to show your appreciation can have the opposite effect. So much so it can cost your company money.
For small businesses, it becomes even more important because retaining employees is that much harder, especially in today’s highly competitive tight labor market. The LinkedIn Kudos application makes it easier and a good practice.
LinkedIn Product Manager, Hermes Alvarez, writing on the LinkedIn Official Blog, explains:
“Saying thank you and recognizing others is also something we see happening frequently on LinkedIn, so we wanted to make it even easier for you to give a shout-out to those that make a difference in your week. With LinkedIn Kudos, you now have a fun and easy way to share your appreciation for people in your professional community.”
Sending Your Appreciation via LinkedIn Kudos
There are 10 different categories you can choose from including Thank You, Going above and beyond, Team Player and more. To use the app, Alvarez says you simply:
- Open your LinkedIn app on iOS or Android,
- Tap the ribbon icon in the share box at the top of your feed,
- Pick one or more connections to whom you want to send kudos,
- Select one of the 10 kudos categories available, including “Team Player,” “Amazing Mentor,” or “Inspirational Leader,”
- Then simply post to share your kudos with the person or people you selected,
- Your team members will receive a notification letting them know about the shout-out and will see it in their feeds.
How Important is Recognizing the People You Work With?
According to the Harvard Business Review, one of the easiest things you can do as a boss is recognizing great work. In a study cited by the publication, 87% of employees at companies with strong recognition practices report a good relationship with their direct manager compared to just 51% at companies lacking these practices.
As it gets much harder to find the best talent in today’s labor market, small business owners must do all they can to ensure their employees stay for as long as possible. Using the LinkedIn Kudos application to show appreciation for a job well done is one of the ways to approach this.
Image: LinkedIn