Start the new year off right by making employee engagement a priority in your organization. Engaged employees have 18% higher productivity and 60% higher quality work than under-engaged employees (Insync Surveys). Follow these top trends for 2014 to motivate, inspire and celebrate your employees in ways that lead to extraordinary effort and positive financial results. 1. Manager Engagement Middle managers hold the key to employee engagement. As the conduit between employees and senior management, middle managers have the power to create an environment that fosters employee engagement. 2. Recognition Ambassadors Riding shot-gun for middle managers, recognition ambassadors are employees who see the value of recognition and are willing to champion it among their peers. Ambassadors are most valuable in manufacturing facilities, plants or at locations where a large number of employees work. 3. Social Recognition Many, many employees are socially connected in all aspects of their lives and crave the opportunity to share not only what’s going on in their personal lives, but also in their professional endeavors. 4. Mobile Recognition It’s important to have accessibility to recognition technology regardless of where you work. Seamless integration on all devices and operating systems is a key element for success. 5. Manager Training See number 1! As the masters of engagement, it only makes sense to invest in recognition training for middle managers to truly achieve a culture of recognition within any organization. 6. New Rules of Engagement Four generations populate the workforce, each with their own likes, dislikes, values, attitudes and receptivity to engagement. Savvy companies know how to make good recognition programs flexible to captivate every age group. 7.Award Selection The only way to please everyone all the time is to offer a diverse, eclectic and encompassing array of awards including merchandise, travel, entertainment and experiences. 8. Global Recognition Few companies operate only in the United States anymore. Workforces are scattered around the world, each with their own idea of what constitutes appropriate and engaging recognition. Adept organizations know how to incorporate cultural influences to maximize employee engagement. 9. Measurement & Accountability The old saying of “what gets measured gets done” still rings true in the second decade of the 21st century. Great enterprises have the data to back up their successes. 10. Expansion & Consolidation Keeping it simple, straightforward and well-balanced is critical. Include a variety of engagement initiatives from recognition to rewards to anniversaries to safety and wellness – everything an organization needs to focus on to achieve high levels of employee engagement. http://www.biworldwide.com/en/white-papers/employee-engagement/2014-trends-in-employee-engagement http://www.biworldwide.com/en/