Wrike recently wrote an article that made us reflect. Tech companies are on the cutting edge when it comes to work perks and employee benefits, but how are they doing on their face-to-face employee recognition? It seems they are dropping the ball.
Call us old school, but we believe giving people real awards have real value and will leave the employee with something to show for their efforts in the future. Handing out cash or gift cards doesn’t have a sustained value like you may think. Don’t get us wrong, they are valuable, but when they are used exclusively, they lose their flare.
Also, receiving a text message or email saying “good job” is way different than your boss bringing you in front of the company and saying you are valuable to the team because of your contributions.
Recognition with a personal touch cannot be understated in today’s world of Slack chats, Zoom meetings, and a distributed workforce. Having your boss look you in the eye and say “Thank you for your contribution” means even more.
Here is Wrike’s video to bring home the point.
Wrike Video Transcript:
Recent employee data has highlighted a concerning trend: over two-thirds of employees feel emotionally disconnected with their work. It’s no secret that when your workers are happier, they’re more effective and productive, too. And companies know this: now, more than ever, they’re pushing perks and flashy rewards to entice new hires and motivate employees. But do these things really make workers happier?
Research from UC Berkeley suggests a significant difference between workers who feel recognized at work when compared to workers who feel valued. Those surveyed reported a 23% increase in productivity when they felt recognized for individual accomplishments.
That’s great, but it’s only half of the increase in productivity experienced by those who felt valued in their organization. This concept of meaningful recognition, meaningful praise, meaningful thanks. The ability to customize it and personalize it.
We did tons of research, and just from our own personal data points, the impact of somebody using your name is ten times more impactful than somebody giving you a generic whatever. You know, recognizing someone for their successes is great, but you also have to support someone through their failures.
Employees who feel valued work smarter and faster because they’ve fulfilled a fundamental human need: the need to belong.
So, lets talk motivation theory. When we consider why we do what we do, theres Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which is a pretty general idea round motivation theory. You have these different layers that are building, but you can’t get to that top tier until you get to every layer under it.
So at the very base level you have these minimal needs around shelter, air, food. Once that’s done, you get into that love and belonging, do I have this connection, do I have social interaction, am I valued as a member of this group, and finally, am I doing what i do best, do I know what I was meant to do and do I have a chance to do that every day?
When we connect on that level, we’re moving up that pyramid. Even though employee benefits and perks are at an all-time high, the majority of employees still don’t feel appreciated at work. Placing a greater emphasis on inspiring value is critical to crafting effective employee appreciation programs.
One size does not fit all, right? So appreciation, in order to have it be meaningful, and to have people receive it the way you intended, it has to be designed for them, not for you, not for the company.
Data from our recent Employee Happiness Survey highlights the importance of inspiring a shared sense of purpose in employees. When they feel connected with their team goals as much as they feel connected with each other, they tend to be happier and collaborate more effectively with managers.
Of those surveyed, 25% of workers who considered themselves “Miserable” in their current role didn’t even know their company’s mission. Conversely, 85% of “Elated” workers felt a strong connection to their company’s mission.
So what does this mean?
Your company’s mission should resonate from the bottom-up. When workers lose sight of what they’re working towards, they start to feel less like a valued member of a team, and more like an afterthought.
If we took the time to understand how our employees feel, we’d foster a workforce that is more invested and productive, and happier for it.
I’ve had weeks where I’m just like, I’m over this, I can’t, and Alena will be like no, you can. And that is as worthy for me, as good as having her when I do something really hard, and she’d be like, “Girl, get it.” Just like that Just like that, that’s how she tells us. Girl, get it.
Final Thoughts From Us
If Wrike, a leading tech company, found in-person recognition important enough to write an article and make a video, then how much more do restaurants, hospitality, and retail need it. Sure, shout-outs in an email, text message, or social media have their place, but they lack the in-person recognition that we all crave.
MyEmployees is the master of employee appreciation. We want your company to be the best at employee recognition. Schedule a 15 minute conversation with a real person to see how we can help your business with your employee of the month program.
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