69% of Employees Would Work Harder with Recognition

According to recent figures, 69% of employees say they would work harder if they felt as though their efforts were recognised by their employer.

The figures, released by Officevibe, suggest that more than two-thirds of staff surveyed were unhappy with how their employer recognises their contributions to the company. That means that many businesses are at risk of losing their top talent through their unwillingness to recognise their workers with positive feedback, internal awards, or even just a simple thank you.

Earlier this year, we wrote about how recognising staff can help to cut staff turnover by 31%, as well as what type of recognition employees want. These latest figures hammer home the importance for management teams to recognise their staff, otherwise, the risks are employees underperforming through poor motivation and productivity, as well as key members of staff searching for pastures new.

Why Engagement is Important

Employees want to feel that the job they do makes a difference to the company and means something. Through a lack of feedback from their manager, they can feel that their job is of little importance to the business and, as a result, become disengaged and demotivated.

Providing feedback, positive or constructive, lets staff know that their efforts are recognised and they serve an important role in the business. Regular communication helps to keep employees actively engaged, with 98% of employees failing to feel engaged with little to no feedback.

The same report also states that more than half (58%) of managers surveyed believe they give enough feedback. This suggests that some managers have a higher opinion of themselves than their employees do. This could be a recipe for disaster and, when staff eventually voice discontent and/or hand in their resignation, will come as a surprise when it probably shouldn’t.

In reality, it doesn’t take much to let your staff know that they are valued. Eventually, employees will feel that their salary no longer compensates for the lack of value they feel from management and, as such, will look elsewhere.

One Bad Apple

One disgruntled employee in a team of many is no big deal, right? Wrong. When one member of staff is unhappy, you can bet that they will be voicing their opinion to colleagues and negativity soon spreads. That will soon lead to negativity becoming widespread within the department and you will be left with several demotivated staff.

That means that you should not ignore one employee that is showing any negative traits. Nipping any potential issues in the bud is a must and it doesn’t have to involve having a formal meeting – pull them aside for a quick chat. They will 1) feel noticed and 2) feel valued that you are going out of your way to speak to them, recognising that they are an important part of the team.

Speaking to any employee that isn’t as engaged and/or motivated as their colleagues can also help managers to learn lessons. Why are they disengaged? Is there something that the company has/hasn’t done that is a contributing factor and what would they like to see done differently? A constructive conversation, rather than brushing off any issue, will yield a much better response – not just for that one member of staff, but potentially for the entire team.

39% of Employees Don’t Say When They Feel Unappreciated

Managers must speak and listen to their staff, understanding how to communicate with their employees. It isn’t enough to talk over employees, expect them to understand your demands, and then provide nothing but negative feedback because they didn’t meet your expectations. Everyone has worked for a boss they feel unappreciated by and, quite frankly, dread having to talk to – don’t be that kind of boss.

Know your audience and understand that you must put in the effort to learn who responds best to what – not everyone is the same. Making the effort to get to know your employees will go a long way and show that you value them not just as employees, but as people, too. When staff don’t feel appreciated, they are unlikely to tell their manager, at least not until they have secured a position elsewhere and are handing in their letter of resignation.

Is it Ever Too Late to Recognise Employees?

Of course, it isn’t. Until your staff leave it is never too late to recognise them and what it is they bring to the team. If you believe that you can do more, then start doing it and, in return, you may just see your employees’ productivity increase. From beautiful glass trophies to a simple pat on the back, making sure that your staff feel recognised and appreciated can be every bit as rewarding for the company as it is for employees.