Human-centered approaches used in the workplace could help tocounter challenges in retention, recruitment and culture management.

That’s according to the 2018Employee Recognition Report from Globoforce and the Society ofHuman Resource Management, which finds that HR personnel arecreating supportive feedback environments to improveemployee engagement, organizational culture, and the employeeexperience.

While in the report “Designing Work Cultures for the Human Era”47 percent of HR leaders say that employee retention and turnoverpresent their top workforce management challenge—the third year ina row it’s topped the list—recruitment is seen as the secondlargest challenge, and 34 percent also report culture management asa top challenge.

However, when human-centered approaches such as ongoing peerfeedback, frequent performance reviews and recognition tied to corevalues are adopted, respondents say that an organization’s feedbackenvironment is more likely to be supportive.

According to 89 percent of respondents, an employee-recognitionprogram helps with employee experience, while 86 percent say itbenefits employee relationships; 85 percent cite its positiveeffect on organizational culture; 84 percent say it helps employeeengagement; and 83 percent say it benefits organizational values.Therefore, says the report, HR leaders need to treat employeerecognition as not just a program, but a management practice with areal and measurable business impact.

Of course, it helps if companies put their money where theirrecognition is. While values-based recognition is still the highestrated among HR leaders who adopt these programs to reinforce anddrive business goals, recognition programs that are underfunded orhave a zero budget are less likely to be rated highly than thosethat are funded at 1 percent or more of payroll. For instance,compared to cost-saving recognition programs like “e-thanks,”programs at 1 percent or more of payroll are 86 percent more likelyto be rated as good or excellent.

In addition, 89 percent of HR leaders surveyed agree ongoingpeer feedback and check-ins have a positive impact on theirorganizations.

But don’t forget about employees’ lives outside the workplace.At 64 percent, workers are nearly twice as likely to agree theircompany is a good place to work when they are very or somewhatsatisfied with how life events, such as getting married, buying ahouse or having a child, are celebrated in the office, comparedwith 35 percent who are very or somewhat dissatisfied with howthose events are celebrated.