Employee Recognition in the Workplace: The Benefits of Appreciation

As businesses strive to increase employee engagement in the war for top talent, more and more attention is being given to the importance of employee recognition. Recognizing and appreciating employees for their meaningful contributions is a powerful motivator for staff, and it can have a significant positive impact on overall company performance.

In research conducted by Workhuman:

• 84% of workers who receive regular recognition say they feel more fulfilled in their work
• 89% say they feel more motivated
• 78% of employees who receive recognition report feeling more committed to their organization

Gallup research also supports the importance of employee recognition, finding that employees who receive recognition are more engaged, productive, and likely to stay with their company.

In fact, employees who feel recognized are twice as likely to say they plan to stay with their current employer for the next year.

In our recent We Are Human Leaders podcast conversation with Dr Meisha-ann Martin, Ph.D. , Senior Director of People Analytics and Research at Workhuman, she shared that,

Employee recognition can take many forms, but what's most important is that it hits the 5 Pillars of Recognition, as found in collaborative research by Workhuman and Gallup. For recognition to be truly effective it needs to:

Authentic - employees need to feel the recognition is real.

Fulfilled - employees need to feel the amount of recognition is aligned to the value of their contribution.

Equitable - fairly distributed throughout the organisation.

Embedded in Culture - part of the day-to-day experience at work.

Personalised - aligned to the individual.

Recognition at work doesn't always need to be a top-down approach either. To truly embed this in culture, employee recognition programs that allow employees to recognise each other can be powerful additives to organisational culture too.

One example of a successful employee recognition program is the "Gratitude" program at Workhuman. This program allows employees to send and receive recognition in real time through a digital platform, creating a culture of appreciation and gratitude across the organization.

Employee recognition is a powerful tool for boosting employee engagement, motivation, and retention.

Companies that prioritize employee recognition programs are likely to see positive results in terms of employee commitment, job satisfaction, and overall business performance.

As the Workhuman survey research suggests,

Recognition is not a nice-to-have – it's a must-have for creating a positive employee experience and a strong workplace culture.

Listen to the full We Are Human Leaders podcast conversation on how How Feeling Seen drives Engagement with Meisha-ann Martin Ph.D.

References:

1.????"Survey Finds Workers Want More Appreciation." Workhuman. https://www.workhuman.com/resources/globoforce-blog/survey-finds-workers-want-more-appreciation

2.????"Why Recognition Matters." Workhuman. https://www.workhuman.com/why-recognition-matters

3.????Harter, Jim. "The Power of Employee Recognition." Gallup. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236443/power-employee-recognition.aspx

4.????"Peer-to-Peer Recognition Programs: Tips and Best Practices." Workhuman. https://www.workhuman.com/resources/globoforce-blog/peer-to-peer-recognition-programs-tips-and-best-practices

5.????"Gratitude: Employee Recognition and Rewards." Workhuman. https://www.workhuman.com/products/gratitude

6. "5 Pillars of Recognition." Workhuman and Gallup. https://www.workhuman.com/resources/i/1472723-the-5-pillars-of-recognition/0?