At the end of my last posting I promised to share the secret to implementing a high-performing, high-touch recognition strategy without breaking the bank.

So what’s the answer? How do you involve and influence all of your employees without driving up costs? The answer lies in two words — social recognition.

Simple gestures of appreciation bring out the best in people. In fact, they are the most cost-effective way to instill the type of employee-driven behaviors that fuel organizational success.

The problem is most companies don’t encourage recognition at a flow rate that has any meaningful or lasting effect. Gallup suggests that an employee should be recognized about once a week. I’m not sure that’s the right number, but I do know this — more is always better than less.

And your employees would agree. Ask any of them if they feel recognized enough for the work that they do and you won’t hear too many responding in the affirmative. In fact, many complain that appreciation is the biggest benefit missing from their work.

Companies need to find a way to ramp up the recognition volume. They need to get everyone involved — managers as well as co-workers — and they need to do so without blowing up the budget. Which leads me back to those two words.

Social recognition leverages web-enabled, mobile technologies to make the act of giving or receiving recognition something that can happen to (or by) anyone at any time across your organization. Its long (and always available) reach gets everybody involved. It amplifies and extends the impact of your recognition.

For cost-conscious companies, it’s the secret to more recognition in two words.