Recognition is a good investment – WorldatWork

More than half of employers view employee recognition programmes as an investment in the workforce, according to a survey by WorldatWork. The survey of 341 employers defines recognition as:

‘A spontaneous gesture of thanks or a structured or planned programme of recognition implemented to acknowledge employees and achieve desired performance.’

• Almost 90% of respondents offer at least one programme, with the top ones based on length of service (85% offer a programme with this basis); ‘above-and-beyond’ performance (77%); and schemes designed to motivate specific behaviour (51%).
• More than 60% of employers offer between three and six separate programmes.
• A growing numbers are starting to target and tailor programmes to particular groups of staff and to drive specific results.

Christina Zurek of ITA Group, co-sponsor of the research, said:

‘The results of this year’s survey emphasise a critical shift toward offering a more customised approach to recognition. Today’s workforce is more complex than ever before, which means motivating employees in personally meaningful ways is also increasingly difficult. Companies are providing variety in the way their teams earn recognition and communicate achievement, as well as the types of rewards that are offered. This signals they are embracing change and making strides towards recognising team members on their own terms.’

‘Trends in employee recognition’, WorldatWork, June 2017 [PDF]: www.worldatwork.org/waw/adimLink?id=81487