How RECOGNITION Can Help Employees Work Happy
What Employees Want & What Managers Think They Want
Money reigns supreme for workers, followed by paid time off, and employers know it.
On a scale of 1 to 5, the type of recognition employees value most:
(1 being not valued and 5 being highly valued)
| WORKERS | MANAGERS | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Money | 4.27 | 4.34 | |
| Paid Time Off | 4.23 | 4.32 | |
| In-person thank-you | 3.92 | 3.92 | |
| Gift/gift card | 3.80 | 3.77 | |
| Handwritten thank-you | 3.56 | 3.69 | |
| Professional development opportunities | 3.54 | 3.77 | |
| Recognition in front of colleagues | 3.54 | 3.94 | |
| Lunch/dinner | 3.53 | 3.74 |
(Top responses shown)
You Better Recognize (Your Workers)
2 in 3 employees (66%) would likely leave their current position if they didn’t feel appreciated by their manager.
That’s up from 51% who said that in 2012.
But only 54% of managers think it’s common for workers to leave due to a lack of recognition.
Thanks, But No Thanks
Some of the STRANGEST forms of recognition ever received at work:
| A rock that said “you rock” on it |
| Loaf of bread |
| Socks |
| Key to an executive bathroom that didn’t exist |
| Plush toy |
| Meat from a hunting trip |
| Expired gift certificate |
Some of the BEST forms of recognition ever received at work:
| Fancy watch |
| Employee of the year award |
| Cash bonus |
| New car |
| All-expenses-paid trip |
| Handwritten card from COO |
| VIP sports tickets |
To learn more about building a happy and productive workplace, visit officeteam.com
Source: OfficeTeam surveys of 763 workers and 609 senior managers in the United States and Canada
© 2017 OfficeTeam. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.
