Recognise This! – 69% of employees would work harder if they were better recognised.
Teresa Amabile’s research on the importance of making progress to employee motivation continues to play well in the news. It’s one of the most popular topics I’ve written on as well.
The challenge is two-fold:
- Managers first recognising it’s as important (if not more so) to praise employees for making progress towards a big goal as it is to do so when employees achieve the goal itself.
- Giving managers the appropriate tools and process for honoring that progress.
This is critically important to employee productivity and retention. Globoforce’s latest Workforce Mood Tracker survey found:
- 78% of U.S. workers said being recognised motivates them in their job
- 69% stated they would work harder if they felt their efforts were better recognised
- Among respondents who stated they plan to search for a new job this year, only 24% are satisfied with the level of recognition they receive at work. Conversely, 63% of employees who have no plans of leaving are satisfied with their level of recognition.
The clear association between progress, recognition, productivity and retention is obvious.
- Recognise employees with detailed, specific messages of appreciation when they hit key progress milestones on the way to achieving a big goal.
- Keep employees focussed on the end-goal and redirect efforts along the way.
- Elevate motivation levels as employees understand more clearly their role and contribution to achieving the “big picture.”
When was the last time you were recognised and appreciated for making progress, not just end results?
