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A 2019 study by Harvard Business School Assistant Professor Ashley Whillans showed 80% of U.S. workers say they do not feel recognized for the work they do. This doesn’t necessarily mean salary increases are the only reward for good employees, either: Saying “thank you” more often, arranging a role-shadowing opportunity, or writing them a surprise recommendation on LinkedIn might be creative ways to commend good work.
There are recognition traps, such as vague appreciation initiatives. Decidedly not motivating, they often involve employees who feel resentful of a team member who has won an honor, as they never understood criteria for the award to begin with, says Susan M. Heathfield at TheBalanceCareers.com: “This is especially frustrating when the employee believes their contribution was equivalent or even better. Or, the employee recognition becomes a joke (must be your turn to be the Employee of the Month) or a demotivator (I didn't get nominated, so forget it when you need help again),” she writes.
Appreciation improves productivity. HumanResourcesToday’s Kellie Wong cites a Deloitte survey showing organizations with recognition programs have 14% higher productivity, employee engagement and performance. “Recognized employees perform their best, making them more engaged with their work and their peers. Unsurprisingly, this translates to better customer experiences, as well,” she writes.
Recognition must be appropriate. According to the Society of Human Resource Management, team members must know the awards are aligned with their achievements and their efforts. “A recognition system will falter if employees feel that their work is trivialized or even insulted by inconsequential incentives or insincere gestures,” the SHRM says. Completion of a two-year project warrants a different appreciation than does a quick favor for a manager. The program must appear objective and be appropriately timed, said the SHRM, with recognition as close to completion of the accomplishment as possible, and adequately funded.
