Employees want recognition ‘in the moment’, survey shows

Companies are investing huge amounts of money into employee reward and recognition initiatives but continue to fall short of expectations, new research reveals.

A new study by global employee engagement firm, Reward Gateway, which surveyed 500 employees in the UK, shone a light on how today’s workforce craves recognition that is timely, consistent and fair – but what they get is generic or invisible.

Employers are investing $46 billion (£37bn) globally into the area of employee recognition, according to figures quoted in the report.

However, Doug Butler, CEO at Reward Gateway stressed that companies need to be doing more to ensure their efforts are being spent wisely.

“Companies need to be investing in the right kind of recognition and reward programs that fit both the employees’ and company’s goals,” he said.

Currently, more than half (52%) of the workforce believes that their manager is guilty of unfairly rewarding some people more than others, while a similar number (42%) said they've received a reward that was disproportionate to the effort they had imparted.

Employees also expressed some discontent about when they were being recognised for their hard work, with 70% of the survey respondents in agreement that their managers could do more to thank them in a timely and specific way.

Staff want in-the-moment recognition – but it could be as straightforward as a “thank you”, with more than three-quarters (76%) of employees believing this simple gesture would improve motivation and morale at their company.

These findings complement another recent survey, discussed on People Management, which found that around 42% of employers failed to get feedback on the benefits and rewards their workforce valued most.

“Offering [benefits] is one thing, but it’s crucial that employers know which ones are adding value to their company,” said Katharine Moxham from Group Risk Development, who conducted the research.

Not only does a progressive approach to recognition and reward help with retention, it can also make your company a more attractive proposition to candidates  – but employers must put a feedback process in place in order to determine which benefits and rewards are having the most positive effect.

Here at Stopgap, we know the types of benefits that appeal to today's marketing candidates, and the type of recognition that inspires them to stay. To learn more about how your company can attract top marketing talent, talk to the team today. Or brief us on a role below.