‘Generic’ or rare praise from managers is turning off the UK’s employees, a new study shows.
Global employee engagement firm Reward Gateway surveyed 500 employees in the UK, and revealed that generic and annual recognition or rewards are inadequate as employees demand to be recognised in more timely and meaningful ways.
Only 18 percent of employees said they liked receiving praise at a single event or function, and 70 percent agreed that their managers could do more to praise and thank them in a timely, specific way, highlighting the importance of in-the-moment recognition.
In addition, 76 percent of employees agreed that motivation and morale would improve at their company if managers simply said “thank you” more and noticed when people do good work.
The research also found a lack of effective recognition in offices in the UK, with over half (52 percent) of employees feeling their manager unfairly rewards certain people over others, while 42 percent agreed they had received a reward that did not reflect the work put into it.
Commenting on the research, Doug Butler, CEO at Reward Gateway, said: “Companies need to be investing in the right kind of recognition and reward programs that fit both the employees’ and company’s goals.”